The Role Of Behavioural And Cognitive Flexibility In Humans’ Evolvement

Human behaviour and cognition are remarkably flexible in regard to their ability to respond adaptively and discerningly to different situations that one might come across in their lifetime. In this paper I will be discussing how this flexibility may have evolved specifically because it served the “selfish” objectives of genes, and how the evolved capacities for behavioural and cognitive flexibility manifest in contemporary human environments.

The human brain functions to process information and generate behaviour. This “wet computer” as Cosmides and Tooby (1997) put it, is a “naturally constructed computational system whose function is to solve adaptive information-processing problems. Over evolutionary time, its circuits were cumulatively added because they "reasoned" or "processed information" in a way that enhanced the adaptive regulation of behavior and physiology. ” It is important to note here that our brain circuits were only designed to solve adaptive problems, or more specifically, problems that would in any way affect the reproduction of individual organisms, this reproduction, is the selfish objective of genes. Richard Dawkins (2006) argues that due to the naturally selfish behaviour of genes, that they merely use organisms as mechanisms for survival and therefore the genes that are passed on are the ones whose evolutionary consequences serve their own implicit interest. This is a possible explanation as to why the brain is so flexible – as it needed to fulfill the requirements necessary for the survival and reproduction of genes. The ability to be adaptable and malleable in different circumstances would allow for a higher chance of prospering thus the brain’s flexibility evolved imperative fundamentals for the gene’s objective. As with this understanding, we can then define flexibility as the endurant contention for survival.

In contemporary human environments, behavioural and cognitive flexibility is demonstrated through many aspects. An example of our flexibility can be seen with research on extraversion and infection. Extraversion can have many benefits for us social organisms, one major asset being the possible outcome of reproduction through social interaction. Although the trait can reap great results, extraversion can also be costly as there are greater chances of infection through others. Studies indicate that many of behavioral norms in pre-industrial societies function as “prescriptions to avoid illness”. Other research has also shown that with awareness of potential infection, humans are less extraverted and avoidance and physical movement away from others occurs. As Goodall (1986, p. 234) suggests “avoidance of conspecifics showing abnormal behavior may be highly adaptive since it reduces the risk of spreading contagious disease. ” This avoidance strongly illustrates the flexibility of our behaviour and cognition in the capability to learn and respond to our environment. Another example of flexibility can be seen with the brain’s ability to indicate emotionally negative stimuli more rapidly than when compared to either emotionally neutral or positive stimuli. As Chesebro & Martin (2003) asserted, conversational sensitivity and cognitive flexibility have a strong relationship. Those who are cognitively flexible communicators recognize the potential harmful consequences of indirect interpersonal aggression which then enable them to find effective ways of dealing with situations. Aggression, for example, is a threat that when recognized needs to be handled conscientiously. Because we are cognitively flexible, we can choose to handle the situation in many different ways, we can choose to ease the aggressor, we can choose to fight the aggressor or avoid the aggressor. In an essence, because we are capable in recognizing the negative stimuli, we have the opportunity to be flexible in our responses.

In conclusion, the flexibility and plasticity of human behaviour and cognition are very impressive in their abilities in aiding the selfish gene’s objective of survival and reproduction. The malleability of human behaviour and cognition manifest in many, if not all of our everyday actions. The selfish gene helped evolve our brains in order for it to make the most logical and prudential decisions which then in turn benefit the gene.