Multi-use and constraints from original use

Justin A. Jungé, Daniel C. Dennett

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Anderson's theory is plausible and largely consistent with the data. However, it remains underspecified on several fronts, and we highlight areas for potential improvement. Reuse is described as duplicating a functional component, preserving one function and tinkering to add another function. This is a promising model, but Anderson neglects other reasonable alternatives and we highlight several. Evidence cited in support of reuse fails to uniquely support it among a broader set of multi-use theories. We suggest that a more stringent criterion for direct support of reuse may be satisfied by focusing on previous adaptive functions (original use).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)277-278
Number of pages2
JournalBehavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume33
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2010
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Physiology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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