Review article

Introduction to evolutionary basis of inteligence: Modular mind and global inteligence enigma

Marko Rojnić ; Gradska knjižnica i čitaonica Pula

Abstract

The paper highlights the exceptional significance of the evolutionary theory in studying intelligence and presents the current discussion within modern evolutionary psychology, which has focused on the question whether intelligence is exclusively domain- specialized or also domain-general ability. Emphasizing the morphological modularity of the human brain, proponents of domain specificity argue that human intellectual capacities consist of a large collection of insulated abilities which have independently evolved for solving and coping with specific adaptive problems. Therefore, humans have not evolved any meaningful reasoning ability, but are intelligent because their brain has evolved a myriad of fast and frugal heuristics. Underlining the significance of general intelligence, working memory and analogical reasoning, advocates of domain generality claim that modular elements of the mind and brain are parts of the higher, general mechanisms, which humans have developed so that human intelligence can best be understood as a generalized capacity that facilitates adaptive problem solving, especially in novel, changing or otherwise complex situations. The results and understandings of scientific research are given, which confirm all elaborated theories, while a special part of the paper is devoted to the theory of the most noted figures in modern evolutionary thought; this tries to illustrate how general intelligence might have evolved according to the principles of evolution by natural selection.

Keywords

evolutionary psychology; global intelligence; specialized mechanisms; module; adaptation

Hrčak ID:

20508

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20508

Publication date:

1.12.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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