Neuroconstructivism

Focus on Mechanisms of Change

Neuroconstructivism therefore describes the emergence of mental representations, which constitute patterns of neural activity in the brain that contribute to adaptive behavior. While much of developmental psychology has identified the abilities that a child exhibits at different ages, neuroconstructivism pursues an understanding of the mechanisms that allow these progressive transitions and the extent of their dependency on and interaction with the environment. Therefore, neuroconstructivism integrates research from multiple domains, including cognitive studies, computational modeling, neuroimaging, and developmental and evolutionary biology.

Foundations, Principles, and Mechanisms

Neuroconstructivism is based on three foundations: (1) encellment, (2) embrainment, and (3) embodiment. First, encellment refers to the emergence of collective patterns of brain activation that result in functionally defined areas. These task-specific areas develop collectively, gradually forming patterns of connectivity between cell assemblies.

Second, embrainment specifies that networks of functional brain areas emerge and are maintained within the context of existing patterns of connectivity between each other. This notion contrasts sharply with modular accounts that state functionally specific regions develop independently and do not exert or receive external influence. Embrainment is closely associated with Johnson’s Interactive Specialization view that functional brain regions emerge through cooperative and competitive interactions. These exchanges gradually tune [Page 1227]cortical regions to become specialized by being increasingly more responsive to specific stimuli. The adaptive capability of regions to adjust their responses is referred to as plasticity and reduces as functions become increasingly specialized. Regions with a high level of plasticity can adjust and accommodate new and existing knowledge quickly. Regions with low plasticity make smaller, more gradual adaptations. Although this seems to be disadvantageous, systems with low plasticity are more stable.

The third foundation, embodiment, refers to the view that the brain should be considered within the context of its environment: the body. This perspective is allied with the Gibsonian tradition of affordances, which suggests that certain properties of external environment infer particular actions. Therefore, the development of functional systems in the brain should be considered alongside the body and external environment. Consequentially, mental representations consist of information about the environment sufficient to support behavior and are not an internal replication of the external environment.

These foundations support the core principle of neuroconstructivism: context-dependency, which states that the emergence of representations should be considered within co-occurring neural, physical, and social contexts. This perspective differs significantly from David Marr’s information processing view that the human cognitive system can be studied independently from its neural substrate, physical constraints, or social context. By contrast, according to neuroconstructivism, mental representations emerge as a process of development, which is influenced by the child’s physical and social environment (which can also change over time). These environments interact with neural factors and patterns of gene expression, resulting in representations that are partial in that they are distributed across multiple brain regions.

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