Theories of Mind: An
Introduction to Cognitive
Science
Jay Friedenberg
Gordon Silverman
Chapter One
Introduction: Exploring Inner
Space
What is cognitive science?
•
•
•
•
The scientific interdisciplinary study of the
mind.
Uses the scientific method as well as other
methodologies.
Encompasses multiple diverse disciplines.
Cooperation and communication between
these disciplines is important.
Aspects of representation
•
•
•
A representation stands for something else;
it is symbolic.
The thing a representation stands for is
called its referent.
A representation is realized by an entity
such as a human or computer.
Categories of representation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Concepts. Stand for a single thing or group
of things. The word Apple.
Propositions. Statements about the world.
The sentence, “Mary has black hair.”
Rules. Specify the relationship between
propositions. “If it is raining, I will bring my
umbrella.”
Analogies. Allow us to make comparisons.
Relationship between shoes and tires.
Digital representations
•
•
•
•
Information is coded
discretely using fixed
symbols such as letters or
numbers.
Values can be specified
exactly.
Many operators can be
applied to the symbols.
Rules of these operations
are called syntax.
Analog representations
•
•
•
•
Information represented in
a continuous way.
Subject to fewer
operations than digital
representations.
Provide simple, direct
solutions to some
problems.
Visual images are a good
example.
The dual-code hypothesis
•
•
Ideas can be digital and analog. We can
form a verbal representation of a boat or a
visual image of it and convert between these
two codes.
However, concrete ideas such as
“automobile” lend themselves better to
analog representation while abstract ideas
such as “justice” are better suited to digital
symbolic representation.
Propositional hypothesis
•
•
•
More complex ideas are represented as
sentence-like propositions.
The code for propositions is believed to be
in an abstract logical format called a
predicate calculus.
A predicate calculus specifies the
relationships between elements.
Computation
•
•
•
Operations or transformations that are
performed on representations.
In mathematics, examples would include
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division.
Broad categories of mental operations
include sensation, perception, attention,
memory, language, reasoning, and problem
solving.
The tri-level hypothesis
•
•
•
The computational level. Specifies the
problem.
The algorithmic level. Specifies the way the
problem is solved.
The implementation level. Specifies the
medium or physical substrate in which the
problem-solving procedure is executed.
The interdisciplinary perspective
The story of the three blind men and the elephant
shows that a complex phenomenon is best
understood when studied from multiple
perspectives.
Cognitive science approaches
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
The philosophical approach.
The psychological approach.
The cognitive approach.
The neuroscience approach.
The network approach.
The evolutionary approach.
The linguistic approach.
The artificial intelligence approach.
The robotics approach.