Meta-control

This article introduces the concept of meta-control, a higher-order function that serves to monitor and regulate control processes that in turn influence lower-level processes such as attention and action. It reviews the role of meta-control in managing computational dilemmas inherent to neural systems, such as the trade-offs between representation sharing vs. separation, cognitive stability vs. flexibility, exploration vs. exploitation, and proactive vs. reactive control. In doing so, this article examines the computational underpinnings of these trade-offs and the role neurotransmitters play in their regulation, offering insights into the neural mechanisms underlying meta-control.