Subcortical Structures
and Cognition

Chapter 5

The Cerebellum: Quality Control, Creativity, Intuition, and Unconscious Working Memory

This chapter describes the anatomic and functional architecture of the cerebellum. The cerebellum is not only involved in the coordination of movement, but also in the modulation of cognition and affect. When the cerebellum malfunctions, this typically results in disturbances in the rate, rhythm, and force of behavior.

In the motor domain, the classic presentation includes dysmetria, in which movements become erratic in size and amplitude. Cognitive and affective analogues of dysmetria are presented.

The cerebellum is viewed as making an essential contribution to automatic behavioral control. It accomplishes this by copying and rehearsing or “practicing” the contents of working memory. This principle is applied to the concepts of expertise and giftedness.