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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
12:12
Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm
Published on: May 14, 2014
Adaptation by binding: a learning account of cognitive control
1Department of Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. tom.verguts@ugent.be
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|May 12, 2009
Summary
Cognitive control, the ability to manage impulses, may arise from interactions between brain binding processes and arousal. This challenges adaptation versus binding theories by integrating both perspectives.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive control allows impulse suppression for goal-directed behavior.
- Debate exists on whether lab findings reflect a dedicated control system or binding side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To integrate adaptation and binding theories of cognitive control.
- To propose a model where cognitive control emerges from binding and arousal interactions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual integration of existing theories.
- Neurobiological framework involving Hebbian learning and arousal.
Main Results:
- Cognitive control can be conceptualized as an emergent property of Hebbian binding and arousal.
- Conflict stimuli (e.g., Stroop) increase arousal and noradrenaline, facilitating cortical binding.
Conclusions:
- Proposes a unified model of cognitive control.
- Highlights the interplay between cognitive and emotional processing in cognitive control.
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