Sowing the seeds of intentionality: Motor intentions in plants

ABSTRACT

Motor intention/intentionality has been investigated from a wide variety of perspectives: some researchers have, for example, been focusing on the purely physical and mechanical aspects underlying the control of action, while others have been concentrating on subjective intentionality. Basically, all approaches ranging from the neuroscientific to phenomenological-inspired ones have been used to investigate motor intentions. The current study set out to examine motor intentions in connection to plant behavior utilizing the final goal of plant action as the definition of its motor intention. Taking a wide-angle approach, the first part of the review is dedicated to examining philosophical and psychological studies on motor intentions. Recent data demonstrating that plant behavior does indeed seem goal-directed will then be reviewed as we ponder the possibility of purposeful or intentional plant responses to stimuli and stress conditions in their environment. The article will draw to a close as we examine current theories attempting to explain plants’ overt behavior and corresponding covert representations.

KEYWORDS:

• motor control
• plants’ behavior
• plants' cognition
• motor intentions
• enactivism
• extended cognition

Disclosure statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from MIUR to the Department of General Psychology (art.1, commi 314–337 legge 232/2016); MIUR [DM 11/05/2017 n. 262].