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From: mentifex@scn.org (SCN User)
Subject: Re: Models/theories in psychology
Message-ID: <E41J3G.Gns@scn.org>
Sender: news@scn.org
Organization: Seattle Community Network
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 08:18:52 GMT
Lines: 58


Spencer Bishop <sbishop@cs.utexas.edu> writes in comp.ai.philosophy:

> I'm seeking in particular to understand the role and status of
> models/theories in psychology, but my question turns out to be more
> general. First of all, I'm unsure of the exact function and status
> of models/theories in science at large.  [...]

> So it seems that models/theories in science can play either a
> predictive or explanatory role (maybe both!) with respect to the
> unfolding of some set of circumstances.  Assuming this way of
> looking at things is correct, my question is just what role models
> are supposed to play in psychology.  [...]

The linguistic theory of mind as depicted in the diagram below or at
http://www.newciv.org/Mentifex/ is meant to play an explanatory role
but it also predicts several things as we prepare to build AI minds:

- The I/O channels of the brain do not lead to a mind-compartment at
  their terminus, because they simply store memories without ending.
  Mind arises rather as the sideways association among the channels.

- Mappers of the brain will find that it retains massive-parallelism
  (for lightning speed among slow neurons and for secure redundancy)
  as patterns of memory and of thought flow over redundant pathways.

- The easiness and inevitabilty of the evolution of mind will become
  clear to those who make an effort to digest and understand the AI.
  It is especially valuable if you try to teach Mentifex to others:


>>>  /^^^^^^^^^^^\ concept-fibers ganged together as /^^^^^^^^^^^\
    /  -infancy-  \ 3 mini-grids of semantic memory /  -infancy-  \
   |               | including "grandmother" cells |               |
   | episodic      |  * $ H-----H * * H $ H * H $  | episodic      |
   | visual        |  * $ H $ * H *-* H $ H * H $  | auditory      |
   | memory        |  * $ H $ * H * * H $-------$  | memory        |
   | recognitions  |  * $---$ * H * * H $ H * H $  | activations   |
   |      /------- |  * $ H $ * H-------------H $  | at            |
   |      |        |  * $ H $-----------$ H * H $  | multiple      |
   |      +------- |  * $ H $ * H * * H---H * H $  | random        |
   |      |        |  *-------* H * * H $ H * H $  | intervals     |
   |      |        |  * $ H $ * H *-* H $ H * H $  | such          |
   |      +------- |  * $ H---------------H * H $  | as:           |
   |   ___|___     |  * $ H $ * H *---------* H $  |    ________   |
   |  /image  \    |  * $ H $ *---* * H $ H * H $  |   / stored \  |
   | / percept \<--|----->H $ * H * * H $ H * H----|->/ H-e-l-e-n\ |
   | \ of Helen/   |  * $ H $ * H * * H $ H * H $  |  \ phonemes / |
   |  \_______/    |  * $ H $ * H * * H $ H * H $  |   \________/  |
   |               |                               |               |
   |  -maturity-   | language ________ structures  |  -maturity-   |
   |      /--------|-------\ / syntax \            |               |
   |      |  recog-|nition | \________/<-----------|------------\  |
   |   ___|___     |       |    |flush-vector      |    ______  |  |
   |  /image  \    |    ___V____V___  word-fetch   |   /      \ |  |
   | / percept \<--|-->/ conceptual \--------------|->/ stored \|  |
   | \ engrams /   |   \ mini-grids / for thinking |  \ words  /   |
   |  \_______/    |    \__________/  in language  |   \______/    |
