Knowra Modularity of mind Modularity of mind Modularity of mind is the hypothesis that some cognitive functions depend on specialized, relatively independent mental systems. It differs from views that treat cognition as one undifferentiated capacity.
Fodor's modularity : Jerry Fodor's theory that some input systems are specialized, fast, domain-specific, and informationally encapsulated. This influential formulation specifies the properties often meant by cognitive modularity.
Jerry Fodor : An American philosopher of mind known for influential work on mental representation and cognitive architecture. His 1983 theory gave modularity its best-known systematic formulation.
Connectionism : An approach to cognition that models processing through networks of simple units and learned connections. Connectionist models challenge accounts built from sharply bounded, independently operating modules.
Language acquisition : The process by which humans learn to understand and produce language. Its rapid, structured development is often examined as evidence for specialized learning capacities.
Double dissociation : A pattern in which damage to one system impairs function A but spares B, while different damage impairs B but spares A. This evidence can support functional separation without proving complete mental independence.
Informational encapsulation : A system's operation is insulated from much information held elsewhere in the mind. Fodor treated restricted access to background beliefs as a defining feature of input modules.
Noam Chomsky : An American linguist and cognitive scientist whose work reshaped theories of language and the mind. Nativist theories of language helped motivate the idea of specialized cognitive capacities.
General intelligence : The broad capacity to perform well across diverse cognitive tasks, often measured as a common factor. It represents a comparatively general capacity rather than a collection of narrow specialists.
Theory of mind : The ability to attribute beliefs, desires, and intentions to oneself and others. Some accounts treat social understanding as a specialized cognitive system.
Developmental systems theory : An approach that explains development through ongoing interactions among genes, organisms, and environments. It challenges accounts that treat cognitive modules as preformed units unfolding largely on their own.
Show all 25