Theory Change in Cognitive Neurobiology: The Case of the Orbitofrontal Cortex

TL;DR

This paper explores how theories about the orbitofrontal cortex in the brain evolve, emphasizing the role of computational hypotheses in shaping scientific understanding.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel perspective on theory change in cognitive neurobiology, centered on computational hypotheses.

Findings

Theories of orbitofrontal cortex function differ in their principles and use of evidence.

Existing models of theory change are insufficient to explain changes in OFC theories.

Computational hypotheses provide a better explanation for theoretical shifts in cognitive neuroscience.

Abstract

How do theories of the functions of parts of the brain change? I argue that computational hypotheses help explain the nature of theorizing in cognitive neurobiology. I will focus on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a frontal region of the brain implicated in an array of cognitive functions. Different theories of OFC state different principles of OFC function and use different concepts to construct those principles. There are also differences in the patterns of use of evidence across different theories. I briefly survey several extant proposals for understanding theory change in science generally and cognitive neuroscience specifically, including paradigm shifts, tool innovation, mechanism discovery, conceptual innovation, exploratory experimentation, and changes in measurement techniques. While these extant approaches fall short at describing the nature of theory change illustrated by the case of OFC, they are compatible with my proposal that these theoretical changes and differences in the use of evidence result from different computational hypotheses about the region.

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