ABSTRACT
One of the hallmarks of “higher” intelligence is the ability to act flexibly and adaptively, rather than being governed by simple habit. For example, we may drive the same route to and from work each day but we can pull ourselves out of this habit when necessary (e.g. to stop to do some shopping on the way home). Many findings point to the critical role of the prefrontal cortex in such flexible behaviour. However, the exact nature of its role is uncertain. In this chapter, we use neural network models to explore the role of the prefrontal cortex in the development of flexible behaviour in the first years of life.
