Task 2- Presentation (M&M) Flashcards
What is neural network theory (NNT)?
How mental processes could be explained by neuron like components
2 assumptions of NNT
- cognition is parallel (nodes do what they do at same time)
- content- addressable memories
Components to build a NNT (1-6)
- Set of processing units (nodes); like neurons
- State of activation (threshold –> we‘re conscious; one or two: focus of attention; less activated: STM)
- Pattern of connections among nodes (excitatory or inhibitory)
- Input and output rules
- Learning rules (Hebb; strengthened if activated at same time)
- Environment for network
What are the steps of the creative process according to Wallas?
- Preparation (presumed relevant ideas are learned and manipulated)
- Incubation: setting problem aside; no solution
- Illumination: solution suddenly occurs (ideas previously thought to be irrelevant)
- Verification: intellectual scrutiny of ideas; finalizing it etc
How are creativity and age related?
- inverted U-shape with age
- experts are usually older –> not usually more creative and focus only on relevant ideas
Do creative people have a wide range of interests?
Yes
How are creativity and IQ related?
- correlation with IQ up to 120
- not amount of knowledge, but how it is accessed is important
Explain the theory of blind variation and selective retention.
- Which kind of event will be remembered?
- What is the process called?
–> Critic on theory
- Campbell: random event suggests solution –> will be remembered
- weak/indirect connection betw. nodes -> cortex activated -> activated nodes extremely activated and connection increased -> selective retention
- Process: creative insight or conditioning
–> Does not explain why some have no and some many creative ideas
Explain the theory of defocused attention by Mendelsohn in terms of creativity.
- What have been found regarding attention in creative people?
- What does NTT say about consciousness?
–> What does Martindale criticize?
- Mendelsohn: differences in attentional capacity
- the more you can attend to different features, the more you can combine
- Evidence: creative people have less focused attention
- NTT: consciousness ==> attention (the most activated nodes) and STM (nodes that are activated but less)
- -> Martindale: theory should be revised maybe generally more nodes can be activated in creative people
- Preparation: attention too focused (some nodes highly active ->ideas thought to be relevant)
- Incubation: nodes remain primed/ partially active in creative people, but not in uncreative people
Explain the theory of associative hierarchies.
- What happens when you focus your attention?
- What happens when your attention is defocused?
- Which kind of associative hierarchy is found when there is focused attention and defocused attention?
- What does Mednick’s theory of creativity say?
- What is the evidence for this theory?
- Focused attention -> few nodes highly activated -> lateral inhibiton on other nodes (-> not active)
- Defocused attention -> more nodes less activated (less lateral inhibition); nodes of STM more activated than the ones of focused attention
- Focused attention -> only few other nodes also activated -> steep associative hierarchy (uncreative people)
- Defocused attention -> more nodes activated (but less activated) -> flat associative hierachy
- People respond more variable (more connections) ; more likely to make remote associations -> creative (Mednick‘s theory of creativity)
- Evidence: creatives -> respond slower (nodes not as activated), respond with remote associations (more nodes activated)
Explain the theory of primary process thinking in terms of creativity.
- What is Primary Process Thinking?
- What is Secondary Process Thinking?
- What are creatives better at according to Ernst Kris?
- What evidence is there that supports it?
–> How does this theory relate to the others aforementioned theories?
- Primary process thinking (PPT): analogical, autistic, free associative-> discovery of new combinations more likely
- Secondary process thinking (SPT): abstract, logical, goal-oriented, reality-oriented (few nodes very active)
- –> Kris: creative people more able to alternate between primary process and secondary process cognition
- Moderate PPT facilitates creativity; extreme PPT (dreaming) not
–> creative people report more fantasy activity, remember their dreams better and are more easily hypnotized
-Many weakly and equally activated nodes = Mednick’s flat associative hierarchies
==> Kris, Mednick and Mendelsohn (defocused attention) same theory
How does arousal relate to creativity?
- Which kind of informational input does each node receive?
- How is the activation of a node computed?
- How are nodes activated when there is high and low arousal?
- Which kind of evidence is there?
-each node receives “informational” input from other nodes and nonspecific input from the arousal system
- Activation of a node is computed by adding up excitatory input, subtracting inhibitory input, and multiplying the result by input from the arousal system
- -> follows Hull’s behavioral law: increases in arousal make behavior more stereotyped
- Arousal -> one node very activated
- low arousal -> more nodes activated; thinking shifts from SPT so PPT
- Evidence: increased arousal -> decreased scores on creativity tests
- For creative subjects, arousal while taking creativity test was below resting or baseline levels
What is needed to build a neural network?
- Fill nodes with wide diversity of knowledge
- Present network with problem it cannot solve
- Nodes representing problem: partially activated -> “filter” other nodes corresponding to perception and thoughts
- If other nodes give a hint -> connections will be strengthened -> solution
- Relevant nodes: partially activated
- Low arousal-> more nodes will be activated
- Sometimes go to low-arousal state in order to “search” for a solution and return to higher arousal state to see if the solution is a good one
What is simulated annealing? Explain it by using crystals as an example.
- What is a local minimum?
- What is a global energy minimum?
-Flaws in a crystal -> when atoms misaligned
because crystal formed too quickly-> has gotten caught in a local minimum
- To fix crystal: annealing—heating the crystal until it is in a fluid state and then gradually cooling ( so atoms “communicate” information about their orientation throughout whole system)
- If done correctly: global energy minimum—a perfect crystal—reached
Explain simulated annealing by using NNT.
- What happens when there is high and low temperature in a network?
- What does high temperature correspond to?
- What happens when we solve problems?
- What does periodic annealing allow us to escape from?
- When is annealing more extreme?
-network that anneals periodically (= oscillates between high and low temperature)
- high temperature: network operates in a PPT
- Low temperature: it operates in a SPT
- -> high temperature corresponds to low arousal
- Smth like simulated annealing must occur in our thinking
- Problem solving: alternate between intense concentration (higher arousal) and pondering/ taking a break (lower arousal)
- Provides periodic annealing -> allow to escape from local minima
==> annealing is more extreme in creative insight than in day-to-day problem solving
