Cognitive control: Easy to identify but hard to define

Authors

J. Bruce Morton, Western UniversityFollow
Fredrick Ezekiel, Western University
Heather A. Wilk, Western University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2011

Journal

Topics in Cognitive Science

Volume

3

Issue

2

First Page

212

Last Page

216

URL with Digital Object Identifier

10.1111/j.1756-8765.2011.01139.x

Abstract

Cognitive control is easy to identify in its effects, but difficult to grasp conceptually. This creates somewhat of a puzzle: Is cognitive control a bona fide process or an epiphenomenon that merely exists in the mind of the observer? The topiCS special edition on cognitive control presents a broad set of perspectives on this issue and helps to clarify central conceptual and empirical challenges confronting the field. Our commentary provides a summary of and critical response to each of the papers. © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.