Author of the summary: Azhar Cheema, 2012, acheema1@connect.carleton.ca
Cite this paper for:
Cognitive Science is the study of adaptive behavior. [p186]
Two biological fields that can aid Cognitive Science are immunology and evolution. [p186]
Better devices of the brain can be built as the field progresses. [p187]
The brain is not the ideal cognitive device. [p187]
The brain is the greatest adaptive model in existence. [p188]
Neurological knowledge can contribute to the development of Cognitive Science through the study of invertebrates. [p189]
The brain has and needs many built-in properties. [p189]
There are actually losses of built-in senses rather than acquisitions of new ones. [p190]
Certain areas of the brain are specialized for certain kinds of knowledge. [p191]
There are 6 general principles of neural circuits involved in complex adaptive behaviors. [p191]
The neurological sciences will have a progressing affect on the growth of Cognitive Science. [p193]
Herbert Simon said that most importantly Cognitive Science is the
study of strategies of adaptation, specifically to changing and
unpredictable environmental conditions. [p186]
Two biological fields that can aid Cognitive Science in the study of
astonishing adaptive behaviors are that of immunology and of evolution.
[p186]
The brain is not the ideal cognitive device due to biological
limitations. The brain is not static and some may be superior at
adapting to certain environmental changes while inferior at adapting to
others, and the opposite may occur in other brains. The brain is also
limited in size. It is limited in size at birth due to the size of the
birth canal, in its final size due to the amount of blood needed, and
therefore currently cannot be used maximally because of the lack of
blood flow. [p187]
Better devices of the brain can be built as this field progresses.
The best man-made devices do not need to be parallel to how they are
made naturally, just as a plane does not resemble the flight of a bird.
[p187]
Although the brain is not ideal, it is still the greatest adaptive
model in existence. It is able to sustain certain invariants without any
explicit exertion. Body temperature, blood pressure, and food intake
remain amazingly constant regardless of environmental conditions. The
brain also has the most excellent capability to learn, to store
information of changes in the environment, and to learn new strategies.
Humans are still the best at pattern recognition, classification, and
creativity. [p188]
Most of the problems separating the neural sciences and the
cognitive sciences are sociological rather than technical. The fear of
the unknown and love for one’s own discipline is preventing the
convergence. [p188] Neurological knowledge can also contribute to the
development of Cognitive Science through the study of invertebrates.
Their relatively simple nervous systems contain design principles which
would expand our understanding of adaptivity greatly. [p189]
The brain has many built-in properties which are often mistaken for
simply the effects of experience. For example, when the adult chimpanzee
responds with fear at the sight of a snake, it is perceived that this
is the result of experience. However, research has clearly shown that a
baby chimpanzee that sees a snake for the first time also reacts with
fear. Simon articulated that “Any system which has to learn everything
on its own is simply too slow and inefficient.” Therefore, it is
necessary for the presence of built-in properties. This can also be seen
on a child who may take years to learn how to tie their shoe laces but
can learn a much more complicated task like walking much faster. [p189]
In other experiments it was discovered that there are actually
losses of built-in senses, rather than acquisitions of new ones.
Nevertheless, the losses can also be deceiving. For example, a cat
raised in the wild will no doubt attack a rat by going after its neck.
However, when it was tested what a cat that was raised in a laboratory,
that has never seen other cats attack a rat, would do, about half of
them did not attack. The ones that did attack though also innately went
after the throat of the rat. The reason the ones didn’t was because
their built-in programs were inaccessible, yet still present. This was
shown when John Flynn was able to place electrodes in certain areas of a
cat’s brain which would cause it to attack the rat whereas when it was
place elsewhere it would not. [p190]
Certain areas of the brain are specialized for certain kinds of
knowledge. It was shown that children who suffered from syndromes
requiring a complete removal of a cortex, that the ones who lost their
left cortex completed linguistic tasks differently than ones who lost
their right cortex, which were more similar to those in the normal
control group. [p191]
General principles of neural circuits involved in complex adaptive behaviors: [p191]
1. There exist specialized systems for learning: it is known that there are specific systems for language.
2. There is no evidence of an all-purpose computer: rather,
there appears to be a variety of systems involved in special tasks. The
system for the detection of music seems to be different than the system
for language.
3. There are many startling dissociations in the brain:
Japanese patients suffering from brain damage have shown more difficulty
understanding a simpler syllable system than a more difficult one.
4. The study of the nervous system indicates the role of
emotion is cognitive tasks: the portions of the brain involved in memory
come from the portion of the brain involved with emotions.
5. Some behaviors cannot be understood at all without neural
considerations: there are patterns of the nervous system which can
solely explain the understanding of cognitive systems.
6. The most intricate component of cognitive systems is in
relation to attentional processes: attentional processes only function
properly if it focuses on the centre along with an examination of the
surroundings as well.
What should be kept in mind by the cognitive scientist studying human behavior: [p192]
1. Since brains differ from person to person, the solutions that
might work for some people may not work for others. The brain in
left-handers has less asymmetry than those right-handed.
2. The existence of certain innate cognitive strategies may
prevent the brain from using other strategies which may be best for
other problems. It is possible that some disorders are the result of
“high development of certain perceptual strategies at the expense of
others.”
3. Theories of cognitive strategies will be criticized by the
breakdown that might be expected after brain lesions. Thus, it may be
finer to test cognitive theories on disordered cognitive tasks.
Geschwind predicts that the neurological sciences and the study of
disordered cognitive function will have a progressing affect on the
growth of Cognitive Science and appeals that both fields should progress
together for the sake of mankind. [p193]
Summary author's notes:
The actual paper can be found at http://csjarchive.cogsci.rpi.edu/1980v04/i02/p0185p0193/MAIN.PDF