Objective
Human technology is vastly superior to that of other apes: human tools from telescopes to the Large Hadron Collider exploit causal relationships but also explore them. What change over the brief course of hominid evolution made for such a big difference? One theory implicates a single cognitive distinction: the ability to reinterpret the world in abstract terms. In contrast, in several studies, chimpanzees seemed to rely on surface appearances, as if for the apes there was no more to the situation than met the eye. The theory is seductively simple, but this proposal argues that it is too early to rule out deep evolutionary roots for inquiring minds. Experiments designed specifically to compare humans and other primates are proposed covering two broad lines of study: causal cognition and executive function. To disentangle causal reasoning from simpler mechanisms three approaches are planned. The first will look at intervention: will subjects use exploration to seek hidden causes? The second will focus on natural mechanics: do subjects reason about physical properties or rely on perceptual correlates? The third examines causal learning from observation when the task’s mechanics are opaque. The second line of study explores executive functions. An inquiring primate mind could flourish if more information could be held in mind and manipulated. But we know little about how executive functions compare across primates. A new test battery will explore levels of working memory, inhibition, and attention shifting. Executive functions undergo radical development in human childhood, and individual differences correlate with performance on tests of physical and social reasoning. The intersection between these skills may therefore be particularly revealing. This proposal aims to use cross-sectional testing of causal cognition and executive control in the same individuals to explore how these cognitive skills interact to produce inquiring minds.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy primatology
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics particle accelerator
- natural sciences mathematics applied mathematics statistics and probability bayesian statistics
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2014-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
KY16 9AJ St Andrews
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.