Procedural control versus resources as potential origins of human hyper selectivity

Author(s)
Ulrich Ansorge, Christian Büsel, Moritz Stolte, Ulrich Pomper, Rebecca Rosa Schmid, Marlene Forstinger, Markus Grüner, Christian Valuch, Daniel Gugerell
Abstract

In the current review, we argue that experimental results usually interpreted as evidence for cognitive resource limitations could also reflect functional necessities of human information processing. First, we point out that selective processing of only specific features, objects, or locations at each moment in time allows humans to monitor the success and failure of their own overt actions and covert cognitive procedures. We then proceed to show how certain instances of selectivity are at odds with commonly assumed resource limitations. Next, we discuss examples of seemingly automatic, resource-free processing that challenge the resource view but can be easily understood from the functional perspective of monitoring cognitive procedures. Finally, we suggest that neurophysiological data supporting resource limitations might actually reflect mechanisms of how procedural control is implemented in the brain.

Organisation(s)
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, Research Platform Mediatised Lifeworlds: Young people's narrative constructions, connections and appropriations
External organisation(s)
Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Journal
Frontiers in Psychology
Volume
12
No. of pages
14
ISSN
1664-1078
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.718141
Publication date
07-2021
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
501006 Experimental psychology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Psychology(all)
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/procedural-control-versus-resources-as-potential-origins-of-human-hyper-selectivity(6f6818d7-968f-42a3-8116-53f7771cbbe8).html