The DOI matches its Crossref record.
The Modularity of Mind
Abstract
This study synthesizes current information from the various fields of cognitive science in support of a new and exciting theory of mind. Most psychologists study horizontal processes like memory and information flow; Fodor postulates a vertical and modular psychological organization underlying biologically coherent behaviors. This view of mental architecture is consistent with the historical tradition of faculty psychology while integrating a computational approach to mental processes. One of the most notable aspects of Fodor's work is that it articulates features not only of speculative cognitive architectures but also of current research in artificial intelligence. Bradford Books imprint
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“This contrasts with classical views that treat perception as a passive internal process in which the brain receives sensory input, processes it, and issues commands for action.”
From Toward Enactive Artificial Intelligence (2026) · cites this paper as Fodor, 1983
In the citing paper
“Enactive perspectives contrast with classical representationalist views, in which perception is framed as a passive process where sensory input is transmitted through the body's sensory apparatus and transformed into internal representations of the world.”
From Toward Enactive Artificial Intelligence (2026) · cites this paper as Fodor, 1983
In the citing paper
“which implies that phenomenal transparency-opacity is ‘cognitively impenetrable’”
From 'Seeing the Dark': Grounding Phenomenal Transparency and Opacity in Precision Estimation for Active Inference (2018) · cites this paper as Fodor, 1983
In the citing paper
“In other words, in contrast with earlier proposals, Gauthier and colleagues have emphasized a domain-general, but process-specific, understanding of FFA activity (for an extended discussion of domain-general vs. domain-specific cognitive processing, see Fodor 1983).”
From Activity in Right Temporo-Parietal Junction is Not Selective for Theory-of-Mind (2008) · cites this paper as Fodor 1983
In the citing paper
“Such models are thus ultimately functionalist in nature; particular behaviours are explained by appeal to a revision of modality-specific prediction errors, as computed by encapsulated, physically localized brain modules, without specifying a particular computational implementation (Fodor 1983).”
From From cognitivism to autopoiesis: towards a computational framework for the embodied mind (2018) · cites this paper as Fodor 1983
In the citing paper
“Our findings suggest that the effect of social and ecological complexity may be limited to influencing more specialized, and potentially domain-specific forms of cognition (188-196).”
From The evolution of self-control. (2014) · cites this paper as [191]
Citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 801–900 of 1,019
Chomsky, N. (2009) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oso/9780199544660.003.0003 · Cited by 107
Verb processing during sentence comprehension: Contextual impenetrability
Shapiro, L. P., Zurif, E., & Grimshaw, J. (1989) · Journal of Psycholinguistic Research · doi:10.1007/bf01067783 · Cited by 107
Cognitive processing load as a determinant of stuttering: Summary of a research programme
Bosshardt, H.-G. (2006) · Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics · doi:10.1080/02699200500074321 · Cited by 107
A cell assembly model of language
Friedemann Pulvermüller, A., & Preiβl, H. (1991) · Network Computation in Neural Systems · doi:10.1088/0954-898x_2_4_008 · Cited by 106
On reducing language to biology
Mehler, J., Morton, J., & Jusczyk, P. W. (1984) · Cognitive Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/02643298408252017 · Cited by 106
What a Rational Parser Would Do
Hale, J. (2010) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01145.x · Cited by 111
Rose, L. T., Rouhani, P., & Fischer, K. W. (2013) · Mind, Brain, and Education · doi:10.1111/mbe.12021 · Cited by 112
Connectionist Natural Language Processing: The State of the Art
Christiansen, M. H., & Chater, N. (1999) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1207/s15516709cog2304_2 · Cited by 126
How Moral Foundations Theory Succeeded in Building on Sand: A Response to Suhler and Churchland
Haidt, J., & Joseph, C. (2011) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2011.21638 · Cited by 114
Blattner, M. M., & Glinert, E. P. (1996) · IEEE Multimedia · doi:10.1109/93.556457 · Cited by 108
Cognitive Neuropsychologytwenty years on
Caramazza, A., & Coltheart, M. (2005) · Cognitive Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/02643290500443250 · Cited by 115
Orbitofrontal Cortex and the Computation of Economic Value
Padoa‐Schioppa, C. (2007) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1196/annals.1401.011 · Cited by 109
Mental summation: The timing of voluntary intentions by cortical activity
Eccles, J. C. (1985) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00044952 · Cited by 106
Multiple systems: A new approach to cognitive theory
Neisser, U. (1994) · The European Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/09541449408520146 · Cited by 103
Decoding the contents and strength of imagery before volitional engagement
Koenig‐Robert, R., & Pearson, J. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-39813-y · Cited by 110
Generalized Motor Abilities and Timing Behavior in Children With Specific Language Impairment
Zelaznik, H. N., & Goffman, L. (2010) · Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2009/08-0204 · Cited by 110
The function of consciousness or of information?
Navon, D. (1991) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00072022 · Cited by 104
Logicism, Mental Models and Everyday Reasoning: Reply to Garnham
Nick Chater, A., & Oaksford, M. (1993) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.1993.tb00271.x · Cited by 101
The reasoning skills and thinking dispositions of problem gamblers: a dual‐process taxonomy
Toplak, M. E., Liu, E., Macpherson, R., Toneatto, T., & Stanovich, K. E. (2007) · Journal of Behavioral Decision Making · doi:10.1002/bdm.544 · Cited by 103
Firestone, C., & Scholl, B. J. (2014) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-014-0711-5 · Cited by 103
Voluntary intention and conscious selection in complex learned action
Jung, R. (1985) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00044976 · Cited by 102
Sterelny, K. (1989) · Philosophical Studies · doi:10.1007/bf00354184 · Cited by 102
Gradual progression from sensory to task-related processing in cerebral cortex
Brincat, S. L., Siegel, M., von Nicolai, C., & Miller, E. K. (2018) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1717075115 · Cited by 101
Lexical effects on compensation for coarticulation: the ghost of Christmash past
Magnuson, J. S., McMurray, B., Tanenhaus, M. K., et al. (2003) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1207/s15516709cog2702_6 · Cited by 102
Category‐specificity in the human medial temporal lobe cortex
Litman, L., Awipi, T., & Davachi, L. (2008) · Hippocampus · doi:10.1002/hipo.20515 · Cited by 108
The theory of mind module in evolutionary psychology
Gerrans, P. (2002) · Biology & Philosophy · doi:10.1023/a:1020183525825 · Cited by 104
Resolution of lexical ambiguity: Evidence from an eye movement priming paradigm.
Sereno, S. C. (1995) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition · doi:10.1037//0278-7393.21.3.582 · Cited by 101
Modularity, comparative cognition and human uniqueness
Shettleworth, S. J. (2012) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0211 · Cited by 113
Frontal latching networks: a possible neural basis for infinite recursion
Treves, A. (2005) · Cognitive Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/02643290442000329 · Cited by 104
Hemispheric asymmetries in the resolution of lexical ambiguity
Coney, J. R., & Evans, K. D. (2000) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(99)00076-7 · Cited by 101
The Language System in Schizophrenia: Effects of Capacity and Linguistic Structure
Condray, R., Steinhauer, S. R., van Kammen, D. P., & Kasparek, A. (2002) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.schbul.a006955 · Cited by 104
CLIFTON, C. E., & Ferreira, F. (1989) · Language and Cognitive Processes · doi:10.1080/01690968908406364 · Cited by 101
Vihman, M. M. (2014) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781394260997.ch3 · Cited by 101
Processing of Morphological and Semantic Cues in Russian and German
Kempe, V. (1999) · Language and Cognitive Processes · doi:10.1080/016909699386329 · Cited by 100
INPUT, INTAKE, AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Truscott, J., & Smith, M. S. (2011) · Studies in Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.1017/s0272263111000295 · Cited by 104
THE USES AND ABUSES OF THE PERSONAL/SUBPERSONAL DISTINCTION
Drayson, Z. (2012) · Philosophical Perspectives · doi:10.1111/phpe.12014 · Cited by 100
Drew, P. (2005) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511489990.008 · Cited by 97
Resolving the Debate on Innate Ideas
Tooby, J., & Barrett, H. C. (2005) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195179675.003.0018 · Cited by 101
Constraints on Constraints: Surveying the Epigenetic Landscape
Keil, F. C. (1990) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1016/0364-0213(90)90029-v · Cited by 123
Repetition and reading: Perceptual encoding mechanisms are very abstract but not very interactive.
Carr, T. H., Brown, J. S., & Charalambous, A. (1989) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Learning Memory and Cognition · doi:10.1037/0278-7393.15.5.763 · Cited by 101
The Development of Coordination
Fentress, J. C. (1984) · Journal of Motor Behavior · doi:10.1080/00222895.1984.10735315 · Cited by 100
Evolutionary Approaches to Creativity
Gabora, L. M., & Kaufman, S. B. (2010) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511763205.018 · Cited by 105
The Concept of an Evolved Fear Module and Cognitive Theories of Anxiety
Öhman, A., & Wiens, S. (2004) · Feelings and Emotions · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511806582.005 · Cited by 99
The Folk Psychology of Consciousness*
ARICO, A., FIALA, B., GOLDBERG, R. F., & NICHOLS, S. (2011) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.2011.01420.x · Cited by 102
Towards a Computational Model of Actor-Based Language Comprehension
Alday, P. M., Schlesewsky, M., & Bornkessel‐Schlesewsky, I. (2013) · Neuroinformatics · doi:10.1007/s12021-013-9198-x · Cited by 101
Thinking in the Cloud: The Cognitive Incorporation of Cloud-Based Technology
Clowes, R. W. (2014) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-014-0153-z · Cited by 98
Working Memory Capacity Dissociates Lexical and Sentential Context Effects
Petten, C. K. V., Weckerly, J., McIsaac, H. K., & Marta Kutas, A. (1997) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00418.x · Cited by 101
Discourse influences during parsing are delayed
Rayner, K., Garrod, S., & Perfetti, C. A. (1992) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(92)90026-e · Cited by 99
On the origin of the hierarchy of color names
Loreto, V., Mukherjee, A., & Tria, F. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1113347109 · Cited by 98
Justus, T. C., & Hutsler, J. J. (2005) · Music Perception An Interdisciplinary Journal · doi:10.1525/mp.2005.23.1.1 · Cited by 102
The Epigenesis of Meaning in Human Beings, and Possibly in Robots
Zlatev, J. (2001) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1023/a:1011218919464 · Cited by 98
Limits of generalization between categories and implications for theories of category specificity
Bukach, C. M., Phillips, W. S., & Gauthier, L. (2010) · Attention Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/app.72.7.1865 · Cited by 98
Hoberg, E. P. (1999) · Systematic Parasitology · doi:10.1023/a:1006100629059 · Cited by 98
Fractured Phenomenologies: Thought Insertion, Inner Speech, and the Puzzle of Extraneity
LANGLAND‐HASSAN, P. (2008) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.2008.00348.x · Cited by 97
The psychophysics of subliminal perception
Macmillan, N. A. (1986) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00021427 · Cited by 102
Representing statics as forces in equilibrium.
Freyd, J. J., Pantzer, T. M., & Cheng, J. L. (1988) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037//0096-3445.117.4.395 · Cited by 97
Selectivity, scope, and simplicity of models: A lesson from fitting judgments of perceived depth.
Cutting, J. E., Bruno, N., Brady, N. P., & Moore, C. (1992) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037//0096-3445.121.3.364 · Cited by 108
Subcomponents of Second-Language Aptitude and Second-Language Proficiency
SPARKS, R. L., HUMBACH, N., PATTON, J., & GANSCHOW, L. (2011) · The Modern Language Journal · doi:10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01176.x · Cited by 66
The double empathy problem and the problem of empathy: neurodiversifying phenomenology
Ekdahl, D. (2023) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2023.2220180 · Cited by 116
Impaired artificial grammar learning in agrammatism
Christiansen, M. H., Kelly, M. L., Shillcock, R. C., & Greenfield, K. (2010) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.05.015 · Cited by 103
The value and costs of modularity: a problem‐solving perspective
Brusoni, S., Luigi Marengo, B., Prencipe, A., & Valente, M. (2007) · European Management Review · doi:10.1057/palgrave.emr.1500079 · Cited by 95
Grodner, D. J., Gibson, E. A. F., & Watson, D. G. (2005) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2004.01.007 · Cited by 95
Aberrant cerebellar connectivity in motor and association networks in schizophrenia
Shinn, A. K., Baker, J. T., Lewandowski, K. E., r, D. Ã. ⁄., & Cohen, B. M. (2015) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2015.00134 · Cited by 93
Better you than I: Perspectives and emotion simulation during narrative comprehension
Brunyé, T. T., Ditman, T., Mahoney, C. R., & Taylor, H. A. (2011) · Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/20445911.2011.559160 · Cited by 100
Semantics without semantic content
Harris, D. W. (2020) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/mila.12290 · Cited by 99
Emotions beyond brain and body
Stephan, A., Walter, S., & Wilutzky, W. (2013) · Philosophical Psychology · doi:10.1080/09515089.2013.828376 · Cited by 106
Memory mechanisms supporting syntactic comprehension
Caplan, D. N., & Waters, G. S. (2013) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-012-0369-9 · Cited by 98
Varieties of Moral Personality: Beyond the Banality of Heroism
Walker, L. J., Frimer, J. A., & Dunlop, W. L. (2010) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2010.00637.x · Cited by 95
Pathways From Prematurity and Infant Abilities to Later Cognition
Rose, S. A., Feldman, J. F., Jankowski, J. J., & Rossem, R. V. (2005) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00842.x-i1 · Cited by 95
Trading relations in speech and nonspeech
Parker, E. M., Diehl, R. L., & Kluender, K. R. (1986) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03211495 · Cited by 96
Psycholinguistic Research Methods
Garrod, S. (2006) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b0-08-044854-2/04155-9 · Cited by 97
McClelland, J. L., Hill, F., Rudolph, M., Baldridge, J., & Schütze, H. (2020) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1910416117 · Cited by 91
Embodied cognition and communication: studies with British fine woodworkers
Marchand, T. H. J. (2010) · Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9655.2010.01612.x · Cited by 94
(2002) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511489853 · Cited by 98
A Distributed Memory Model of the Associative Boost in Semantic Priming
Moss, H. E., Hare, M. L., Day, P. A., & TYLER, L. K. (1994) · Connection Science · doi:10.1080/09540099408915732 · Cited by 94
Human speech and birdsong: Communication and the social brain
Kuhl, P. K. (2003) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1733998100 · Cited by 91
Measuring Theory of Mind in Children. Psychometric Properties of the ToM Storybooks
Blijd-Hoogewys, E. M. A., van Geert, P. L. C., Serra, M., & Minderaa, R. B. (2008) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0585-3 · Cited by 100
C ROSSMODAL AGNOSIA FOR FAMILIAR PEOPLE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF RIGHT INFERO POLAR TEMPORAL ATROPHY
Gentileschi, V., Sperber, S. A., & Spinnler, H. R. (2001) · Cognitive Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/02643290125835 · Cited by 96
Real-time examinations of lexical processing in aphasics
Prather, P. A., Shapiro, L. P., Zurif, E., et al. (1991) · Journal of Psycholinguistic Research · doi:10.1007/bf01067219 · Cited by 94
Steedman, M. J., & Altmann, G. T. M. (1989) · Language and Cognitive Processes · doi:10.1080/01690968908406365 · Cited by 93
Ancient Worlds, Modern Reflections
Lloyd, G. (2004) · doi:10.1093/0199270163.001.0001 · Cited by 94
Seeking the supernatural: the Interactive Religious Experience Model
Leeuwen, N. V., & van Elk, M. (2018) · Religion Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1080/2153599x.2018.1453529 · Cited by 99
Williams, J. N. (1994) · The European Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/09541449408520143 · Cited by 93
An Evolutionary Perspective on Learning Disability in Mathematics
Geary, D. C. (2007) · Developmental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/87565640701360924 · Cited by 106
A class-modular feedforward neural network for handwriting recognition
Oh, I.-S., & Suen, C. Y. (2002) · Pattern Recognition · doi:10.1016/s0031-3203(00)00181-3 · Cited by 93
A connectionist model of sentence comprehension and production
Rohde, D. L. T., & Plaut, D. C. (2002) · Cited by 92
The Rational Analysis Of Mind And Behavior
Chater, N., & Oaksford, M. (2000) · Synthese · doi:10.1023/a:1005272027245 · Cited by 90
Samuels, R., Stich, S., & Faucher, L. (2004) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-1986-9_4 · Cited by 99
A perceptual account of symbolic reasoning
Landy, D. H., Allen, C., & Zednik, C. (2014) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00275 · Cited by 97
Embodied Cognition and Mindreading
Spaulding, S. (2010) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.2009.01383.x · Cited by 96
Dennis, M., Agostino, A., Roncadin, C., & Levin, H. S. (2009) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/13803390802572419 · Cited by 92
Rationality and the Normative/Descriptive Distinction
Over, D. E. (2004) · doi:10.1002/9780470752937.ch1 · Cited by 92
The Timing of Syllable Repetitions in Developmental Dyslexia
Wolff, P. H., Michel, G. F., & Ovrut, M. R. (1990) · Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research · doi:10.1044/jshr.3302.281 · Cited by 91
Moral Nativism: A Sceptical Response
Sterelny, K. (2010) · Mind & Language · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0017.2010.01390.x · Cited by 89
The role of embodiment in conceptual development
Pexman, P. M. (2017) · Language Cognition and Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/23273798.2017.1303522 · Cited by 89
Lexical acquisition and the modular lexicon
Forster, K. I. (1985) · Language and Cognitive Processes · doi:10.1080/01690968508402073 · Cited by 91
Gradiental approach to neocortical functional organization
Goldberg, E. (1989) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1080/01688638908400909 · Cited by 91
Unconscious perception: The need for a paradigm shift
Holender, D., & Duscherer, K. (2004) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03194980 · Cited by 91
Musical Parsing and Musical Affect
Jackendoff, R. S. (1991) · Music Perception An Interdisciplinary Journal · doi:10.2307/40285529 · Cited by 91
A Robotic Perceptual System Utilizing Passive Vision and Active Touch
Stansfield, S. (1988) · The International Journal of Robotics Research · doi:10.1177/027836498800700610 · Cited by 91
Metadata
- Authors
- Fodor, J. A.
- Corresponding author
- Fodor, Jerry A.
- Venue
- The MIT Press eBooks
- Publisher
- The MIT Press
- Published
- 1983-04-06
- OpenAlex
- W2888882506
- Cited by
- 7,734
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 232 · 2025: 241 · 2024: 224 · 2023: 181 · 2022: 186 · 2021: 192 · 2020: 252 · 2019: 402 · 2018: 243 · 2017: 205 · 2016: 180 · 2015: 196 · 2014: 256 · 2013: 181 · 2012: 178
- FWCI
- 87.69
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The MIT Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- UCLA - Biblioteca de Ciencias y Tecnologia Felix Morales Bueno (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Cognitive Science and Education Research
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Psychiatry, Mental Health, Neuroscience
- Keywords
- modularity of mind, Jerry Fodor, theory of mind, cognitive architecture, faculty psychology, computational theory of mind, artificial intelligence, cognitive processes
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
