Project description
Identifying the underlying evolutionary factors of working memory
What do we know about working memory? We know that learning, planning and reasoning would be impossible without it. We also know that working memory allows for a limited amount of information to be kept available for processing. The EU-funded RootsofWorkingMemory will explore an aspect of working memory that is not so well known. It will study the evolutionary origins of working memory. This will improve understanding of how working memory operates in non-human primates. By identifying the similarities and differences that exist in working memory between humans and non-human primates, researchers will elucidate what evolutionary factors (language development or increased frontal lobe capacity) may have been important for the development of working memory in humans.
Objective
Working memory is a central component of complex human cognitive abilities such as learning, language comprehension, planning, reasoning, and cognitive control (Engle, 1999; Unsworth & Robison, 2014). It allows for a limited amount of information to be kept available for processing in the absence of sustained sensory input, and the proficiency with which individuals do so is positively correlated with individual differences in scores of fluid intelligence (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974; McElree, 2006; Smith, Jonides, & Koeppe, 1996; Unsworth & Engle, 2007). Although working memory has been identified as central to human intelligent behavior (Cole & Braver, 2012; Engle, 1999), little is known about its evolutionary origins and our understanding of how it operates in nonhuman primates is only beginning to emerge (Carruthers, 2013). Thus, comparative studies of working memory are needed to determine what similarities and differences exist in working memory between humans and non-human primates. Indentifying such similarities and differences will elucidate what evolutionary factors such as the development of language, or increased frontal lobe capacity, may have been critical for the development of working memory in humans, and help us understand the origins human-like intelligence more broadly.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology mammalogy primatology
- natural sciences biological sciences evolutionary biology
- social sciences psychology psycholinguistics
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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.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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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) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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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.