Week 7 Flashcards
What is embodied cognition?
A notion that moves away from cognition being only in the mind; considers the role of the external environment in cognition; many features of cognition are shaped by aspects of the entire body or organism; body is constituent of the mind, doesn’t just serve the mind
List some applications of embodied cognition
- psychotherapy: focusing, play therapy
- health psych: health intervention that enacts sensorimotor system e.g. flossing
- education: experiential learning
- sport psych: playing sport can help one become better referee
Explain the notion of embodiment in the presence and absence of acting agents
Embodied cognition can still arise without the presence of an actor. Robots do not have a conscious, but yet they can still learn from their environment
Describe Metzinger’s notion of Minimal Phenomenal Selfhood
It asks what the minimum requirement is to have a self. They discovered that you don’t need a body, but haven’t figured out what the minimum requirement is yet.
Consider how virtual reality provides an interface for embodied cognition
- interfacing in VR environments alters perception in non-VR environments post headset removal
- cognitive changes can occur based on environment
- evidence of cognition being extended into a virtual world
How do classical and EC differ on emergence?
Classical: properties are fixed
EC: properties emergent rather than symbolic representations
How do classical and EC differ on grounded cognition?
Classical: cognition isolated to brain and mind
EC: body is constraint, distributor and regulator for cognition
How do classical and EC differ on extended mind?
Classical: cognition does not extend beyond mind
EC: cognition extends into active environments and beyond brain and body
What kind of approach does EC take?
Dynamical systems: current state, behavioural trigger, set of possible states
Discuss EC’s view of integration and distribution
Information is distributed across nerves in the body, organs and CNS
What is perception-action coupling?
Perception and behaviour give rise to cognition-in-vivo, rather than all processing occurring in the brain first. All parts of the body have cognitive capacity.
