Evolutionary Cognitive Enhancement: Reawakening Adaptive Cognitive-Emotional-Motor Systems

Abstract

Evolutionary psychology has provided a groundbreaking approach to understanding human cognitive architecture during the last few decades, yet this approach has been overlooked when investigating and designing cognitive enhancement therapies. In this article, we posit that understanding why integrated cognitive, emotional, and motor (CEM) systems evolved in the first place can help researchers develop more effective cognitive enhancement strategies. According to an evolutionary perspective, a wide range of CEM systems was designed by natural selection to deal with adaptive problems and maximize reproductive success. However, CEM systems that evolved with a spectrum of problem-solving capabilities may not be as active in modern times due to the environments and challenges in which they evolved no longer being relevant. In exploring this perspective, we propose a theoretical model that explains the evolution of CEM systems and highlights the selection pressures that shaped cognitive-motor mechanisms in ancestral environments. From this viewpoint, and considered in light of current cognitive enhancement strategies and successes from cognitive training, neurostimulation, and physical exercise, we establish a novel framework for evolutionary cognitive enhancement (ECE) therapy. Moreover, toward applying the ECE approach in both clinical and non-clinical contexts, we put forward principles and guidelines for designing ancestral-like environments and suggest methods for recreating adaptive problems in real-world settings.