Chapter 1: Exploring Inner Space

Question 1

What is Cognitive Science?

Answer 1

Cognitive Science is the scientific interdisciplinary study of mind and its processes. Cognitive Science is focused on studying the representational structures in the mind and its computational procedures.

Question 2

What are some main disciplines of Cognitive Science?

Answer 2

Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Linguistics, Neuroscience, Philosophy (also Computer Science, and Anthropology according to Miller)

Question 3

Does the study of Cognitive Science refer to the sum of all its disciplines or the intersection of them?

Answer 3

It is an intersection. In other words, it is not a unified study but a collaborative effort among researchers working in the various fields.

Question 4

How is Computation linked to the Mind?

Answer 4

Cognitive scientists view the mind as an information processor.

Question 5

What are the four crucial aspects of a representation according to Hartshrone, Weiss and Burks

Answer 5

A representation bearer (human or computer) the Contents (objects) the Referents (things in the external world) and a Grounded Representation. (how much contents and referents are related)

Question 6

Are mental representations symbolic and semantic?

Answer 6

Yes.

Question 7

How are referents linked with mental representations?

Answer 7

A referent triggers the mental representation which triggers behavior related to referent. (this is called appropriate causal relation)

Question 8

What is intentionality? Are mental states and events intentional?

Answer 8

Intentionality means “directed upon an object”. (another definition could be: the relationship between a representation and what it stands for)
Mental states and events are intentional.

Question 9

What are the two properties of intentionality?

Answer 9

Isomorphism (similarity of structure between a representation and its referent) and Appropriate Causal Relation (relationship between inputs and outputs)

Question 10

How is known the relation between inputs and outputs?

Answer 10

Appropriate causal relation

Question 11

What are three forms of representations? Give an example for each.

Answer 11

Digital or Symbolic (language) Analog (visual images) and Propositions (relations between concepts)

Question 12

What is Paivio’s Dual Code Hypothesis?

Answer 12

The belief that many ideas can be represented by either digital or image representations interchangeably.

Question 13

What is the propositional hypothesis?

Answer 13

The belief that mental representations take the form of abstract sentence-like structures. (for example: Mary looked at John) Propositions are believed to be neither visual nor verbal.

Question 14

What is a predicate calculus?

Answer 14

It is a general system of logic that accurately expresses a large variety of assertions and modes of reasoning.

Question 15

What was Chomsky’s view on Behaviorism?

Answer 15

He highly criticized it. He believed that behavior is just evidence, not the study itself.

Question 16

What was Skinner’s view on Behaviorism?

Answer 16

He was a supporter of Behaviorism. He believed that language learning is associated with stimulus-rewards.

Question 17

What are the three levels of Marr’s Tri-Level Hypothesis from more to less abstract?

Answer 17

Computational level, Algorithmic level, Implementational level.

Question 18

What is the Computational level of the Tri-Level Hypothesis?

Answer 18

Generic specification of the problem we are faced with

Question 19

What is the Algorithmic level of the Tri-Level Hypothesis?

Answer 19

Procedure of the problem’s solution

Question 20

What is the Implementation level of the Tri-Level Hypothesis?

Answer 20

The “hardware” (what the information processor is made of)

Question 21

What is a concept? (IN DEPTH section)

Answer 21

A concept is an idea that represents things we have grouped together. Concepts do not necessarily refer to concrete items.

Question 22

What is a proposition? (IN DEPTH section)

Answer 22

It is a statement or assertion posed in the form of a simple sentence. A proposition can be proved true or false.