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Old cortex, new contexts: re-purposing spatial perception for social cognition.

Carolyn Parkinson1, Thalia Wheatley

  • 1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, USA.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores how the brain repurposes spatial processing for abstract thought, particularly in social cognition. Evidence suggests ancient brain circuits for space are co-opted for understanding others, aiding social navigation.

Keywords:
exaptationmetaphorneural reuseperspective takingposterior parietal cortexsocial distancesocial neurosciencespatial cognition

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • Abstract thought, crucial for social functioning, remains poorly understood.
  • Exaptation, the repurposing of old neural circuits for new functions, is a growing framework in cognitive neuroscience.
  • Understanding the evolution of abstract thought, especially social cognition, is key to human uniqueness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose and explore the utility of the exaptation framework for understanding social cognition.
  • To investigate the hypothesis that neural mechanisms for spatial perception have been co-opted for abstract social reasoning.
  • To provide a foundation for future research into the neural basis of social cognition's evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of convergent behavioral and neuroscientific evidence.
  • Examination of existing research on spatial cognition and its relation to abstract reasoning.
  • Exploration of preliminary findings linking social cognition to spatial processing substrates.

Main Results:

  • Behavioral and neuroscientific data support the co-option of spatial perception mechanisms for abstract cognitive domains like temporal reasoning.
  • Preliminary evidence indicates that aspects of social cognition may also utilize neural substrates originally evolved for processing physical space.
  • The exaptation of spatial processing for social cognition offers a plausible evolutionary explanation for complex social behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • The exaptation of neural substrates for spatial processing likely plays a significant role in the evolution of human social cognition.
  • Future research should directly test the exaptation hypothesis to elucidate the neural underpinnings of social reasoning.
  • This framework enhances our understanding of how humans evolved sophisticated mechanisms for navigating complex social environments.