Cognitive control

Cognitive control is part of a wider framework called cognitive dynamic systems, which builds on a paradigm of cognition composed of five elements: perception-action cycle, memory, attention, intelligence, and language. Any closed-loop feedback control system is based on the perception-action cycle. Adaptive control systems, it can be argued, incorporate the attention and intelligence aspects of the paradigm, but not memory. The language component becomes relevant to a network of cognitive agents. Cognitive control depends on an understanding of the information gap - the distance between relevant information extracted from measurements and the sufficient information that is required. Cognitive control should not be thought of as a replacement system design paradigm; it is additive in nature. It augments state-control paradigms such as adaptive control and neurocontrol. Using cognitive control, we can improve the utilization of computational resources and manage risk more effectively.