Evolved Instruction Following Inductive Bias

---
name: evolved-instruction-following-inductive-bias
description: Evolutionary inductive bias enabling rapid instructed task learning (RITL) in humans - bridges cognitive science, neuroscience, and LLM instruction tuning
tags: [instruction-following, inductive-bias, RITL, cognitive-flexibility, zero-shot, instruction-tuning, LLM-analogy]
activation: evolved instruction following, inductive bias, RITL, instructed task learning, cognitive flexibility, instruction tuning, zero-shot task performance, cognitive architecture
source: arxiv 2606.29792
date: 2026-06-29
---

# Evolved Instruction-Following Inductive Bias for Rapid Task Learning

## Core Thesis

Humans possess an **evolved instruction-following bias** - an inductive bias shaped by evolution to interpret and execute linguistic instructions, enabling rapid instructed task learning (RITL). This bias functions analogously to how LLMs leverage instruction tuning for zero-shot performance.

## Key Insights

### 1. RITL as Cognitive Flexibility
- Human adults perform novel tasks correctly on first attempt after verbal/written instructions
- Hallmark of cognitive flexibility, yet mechanisms underexplored
- Parallels in artificial systems understudied across disciplines

### 2. Evolutionary Origin
- Instruction-following bias shaped by evolution for survival advantage
- Innate cognitive architecture feature in humans (not learned)
- Enables fast generalization from language to novel behaviors

### 3. LLM Analogy
- Humans: innate instruction-following architecture
- LLMs: instruction tuning during training
- Both achieve zero-shot task performance via different mechanisms

### 4. Cross-Disciplinary Evidence
Synthesizes:
- Cognitive science (task set formation)
- Neuroscience (prefrontal control, language networks)
- Machine learning (instruction tuning, zero-shot generalization)

## Testable Predictions

1. **Neural signatures**: Instruction-following engages specific prefrontal-language network circuits
2. **Developmental trajectory**: Instruction bias emerges early, independent of general intelligence
3. **Comparative studies**: Humans outperform primates on instruction-guided tasks even with equal associative learning
4. **AI design**: Explicit instruction biases improve sample efficiency in neural networks

## Applications

### AI/ML
- Design neural architectures with explicit instruction-following biases
- Improve few-shot learning via architectural priors
- Bridge gap between LLM instruction tuning and human cognitive flexibility

### Neuroscience
- Identify neural correlates of instruction vs. associative learning
- Map prefrontal-language network interactions during RITL
- Study individual differences in instruction-following capacity

### Cognitive Science
- Unify theories of task set formation and language-guided behavior
- Explain rapid cultural transmission of skills
- Model individual differences in cognitive flexibility

## Methodology Recommendations

1. **Behavioral experiments**: Compare instruction-guided vs. learning-by-doing conditions
2. **Neural imaging**: fMRI/EEG during instructed vs. discovered task learning
3. **Computational modeling**: Architectures with explicit instruction bias modules
4. **Cross-species**: Human vs. primate instruction-following comparisons

## Limitations

- Position paper - limited direct experimental validation
- Evolutionary claims require comparative evidence
- Instruction-following may not be a single unified mechanism
- LLM analogy may oversimplify human instruction processing

## Key Questions

- Is instruction-following a domain-general capacity or domain-specific modules?
- How does instruction bias interact with working memory and executive function?
- Can we quantify "instruction-following ability" as a cognitive trait?
- What neural circuits distinguish instruction-guided from associative learning?

## Connections

- Relates to **task set reconfiguration** (Miller & Cohen)
- Connects to **language-of-thought** hypotheses (Fodor)
- Parallels **meta-learning** in ML (learning to learn)
- Links to **cognitive control** and prefrontal function