Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - August 2012 - Volume 35, Issue 04  

Open Peer Commentary

The role of executive control in tool use

Gijsbert Stoeta1 and Lawrence H. Snydera2

a1 Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom. g.stoet@leeds.ac.uk http://volition.leeds.ac.uk/~stoet

a2 Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110. larry@eye-hand.wustl.edu http://eye-hand.wustl.edu

Abstract

Comparing cognitive functions between humans and nonhuman primates is helpful for understanding human tool use. We comment on the latest insights from comparative research on executive control functions. Based on our own work, we discuss how even a mental function in which non-human primates outperform humans might have played a key role in the development of tool use.

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