In Marr's individuality proposal, what term did Jerry name as a key characteristic of modules?

• A. Information encapsulation
• B. Cross modal priming
• C. Double dissociation
• D. Gradual modularisation

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is that cognitive modules are self-contained units that operate without pulling in information from the rest of the system. Jerry’s term for this is information encapsulation: a module processes only the information available within its own domain and is insulated from outside knowledge or contextual data. This encapsulation explains why modules can run quickly and automatically, producing stable outputs even when surrounding information changes.

In Marr’s view of modular brain organization, this property helps distinguish modules as specialized, domain-specific processors with their own internal computations. Because their processing is encapsulated, changes in other parts of cognition don’t easily alter what a module does, at least not without explicit connections or learning that affect the module’s inputs or structure.

Cross modal priming describes how processing in one sense can influence another, which is a phenomenon rather than a defining feature of modules. Double dissociation is a pattern observed in neuropsychology that reveals separable cognitive processes but isn’t the characteristic that defines what a module is. Gradual modularisation isn’t a standard term tied to the defining properties of modules.