Abstract
Cognition has evolved to allow organisms to process, use and store information in their natural environment. Yet, cognitive abilities are traditionally measured in controlled laboratory conditions to obtain consistent and accurate measurements. Consequently, little is known about the actual effect of natural environmental variation on cognitive performances. Being able to modify cognitive performance according to environmental conditions (e.g. plasticity of attentional performances according to current predator densities) could provide evolutionary advantages. In this mini-review, we compile evidence for what we call “cognitive performance plasticity” (i.e. flexible adjustment of cognitive performance in response to the current environment). We then discuss methodological approaches associated with measurement of cognitive performance plasticity and cognition in general. Finally, we discuss the implications of acknowledging plasticity in cognitive performance, including a better understanding of the reproducibility crisis observed in cognitive sciences (Open Science Collaboration, 2015) and new lines of inquiry into the evolution of cognition and the adaptive value of cognitive performance plasticity.
Highlights
Being able to modify cognitive performance according to environmental conditions could provide evolutionary advantages
We discuss the implications of acknowledging plasticity in cognitive performance, including a better understanding of the reproducibility crisis observed in cognitive sciences (Open Science Collaboration, 2015) and new lines of inquiry into the evolution of cognition and the adaptive value of cognitive performance plasticity
Plasticity in cognitive performance could borrow the conceptual framework from the field of “behavioral plasticity” which refers to the ability to flexibly adjust a behavior in response to environmental variations including the notion of “social competence” which refers to the ability to flexibly adjust a behavior to best match a given social context (Taborsky and Oliveira, 2013)
Summary
The recent growing interest of cognitive ecologists in an evolutionary ecology of cognition (Cauchoix and Chaine, 2016; Morand-Ferron et al, 2016; Boogert et al, 2018) and the emergence of environmental psychology (Stern, 2000; Sörqvist, 2016) raises the question of how current social or ecological conditions influence measures of cognitive performance. Cognitive scientists traditionally conduct tests in controlled laboratory environments with homogenous social and physical contexts (Fize et al, 2011; Roitblat, 2014). Plasticity in cognitive performance could borrow the conceptual framework from the field of “behavioral plasticity” which refers to the ability to flexibly adjust a behavior in response to environmental variations (e.g., temperature, elevation, etc; Dingemanse et al, 2010) including the notion of “social competence” which refers to the ability to flexibly adjust a behavior to best match a given social context (Taborsky and Oliveira, 2013). We believe that by focusing on plasticity in cognitive performance, rather than trying to limit variation during measurement of cognitive performance, we stand to gain a much richer understanding of cognition as a whole, how it is used in natural environments, and how it evolves under natural selection
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