ABSTRACT
The evolution of behaviour started with simple stimulus-response relationships. Elementary sensorimotor modules link discrete sensory stimuli with discrete motor patterns that modify the external environment or change the position of the organism within the environment. Higher-order sensorimotor modules link regularities or patterns in sensory information with complex motor programs. A tendency for external resources to become sparse in a competitive environment is likely to provide an impetus for the gradual sophistication of stimulus-response transformations that bring the animal into contact with rewards that meet internal physiological needs. Accumulation of sensory evidence over time improves "the fidelity of perception and accuracy of decision-making". Accumulation of sensory information over time would be a prerequisite for activation of more complex sensory representations but also for competition between sensory representation. Events concern the behaviour of motivationally relevant objects or cues in a spatiotemporal context.
