An integrated account for technological cognition.

Abstract

Understanding how the human brain generates, utilizes, and adapts to technology is one of our most urgent scientific questions today. Recent advances in cognitive neuroscience reveal a complex neurocognitive structure that underpins human interaction with technology. Here, we propose an integrated framework that considers the interplay of causal reasoning, semantic cognition, visuospatial skills, sensorimotor knowledge, and social learning in shaping our technological abilities. Drawing on neuroimaging, lesion studies, and evolutionary evidence, we identify key brain regions that act as specialized processors and integrative hubs within a distributed network supporting 'technological cognition.' We argue that different categories of technologies - mechanical versus digital - activate separate neural subsystems, reflecting their diverse cognitive demands. Ultimately, we situate technological cognition within the broader concepts of embodied cognition and extended mind theories, suggesting that technology can expand human mental capacities and actively influence the structure and functioning of the mind itself. This framework advocates for an interdisciplinary approach to deepen our understanding of how technology influences and integrates with human cognition.