What Is the Brain Basis of Intelligence?
2011

Understanding the Brain Basis of Intelligence

publication

Author Information

Author(s): Charles F. Stevens

Primary Institution: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Hypothesis

What is it about the human brain that endows us with the intelligence that provides the basis of our greatest achievements?

Conclusion

Duncan argues that our frontal lobes contain circuits that help break down complex problems into manageable parts and oversee their solutions.

Supporting Evidence

  • Duncan's main argument is that our frontal lobes contain circuits that break complex problems down into manageable subproblems.
  • The book is intended for a lay audience but is also informative for professionals.
  • Duncan draws on observations from artificial intelligence to explain human problem-solving.

Takeaway

The brain helps us solve problems by breaking them down into smaller parts, and this ability is mostly found in the frontal lobes.

Methodology

The book reviews various studies from psychology, neuropsychology, and artificial intelligence to develop a theory of human intelligence.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pbio.1001078

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication