Extended active inference: Constructing predictive cognition beyond skulls

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Neuroscience
• Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

• Cognitive niche construction involves organisms building internal models of their environment to guide behavior.
• Extended mind theory posits that cognition can encompass external environmental elements.
• Active inference and predictive processing frameworks describe how organisms use generative models for perception, action, and learning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an active inference formulation of cognitive niche construction.
• To conceptualize cognitive niche construction as a fundamental cognitive optimization process.
• To introduce the concept of extended active inference.

Main Methods:

• Formulating cognitive niche construction within the theoretical framework of active inference.
• Integrating principles of predictive processing and extended mind theory.
• Developing a computational or theoretical model of extended active inference.

Main Results:

• Cognitive niche construction can be understood as a process of optimizing an organism's generative models.
• Extended active inference provides a unified framework for understanding how organisms shape their cognitive and physical niches.
• This approach bridges the gap between internal predictive models and external environmental interactions.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive niche construction is a key cognitive function for optimizing generative models.
• Extended active inference offers a novel perspective on the interplay between mind, body, and environment.
• This framework has implications for understanding intelligence, adaptation, and the evolution of complex behaviors.