Lecture 4

Module 1
Finding the link in the ‘Sciences’

4
Dtd. 11th Jan. 2024

A computational mind
● Recall from the last lecture that we have been talking about language as a symbol
manipulation system.
● This also means that the mind itself is computational - this is famously known as the
Computational Theory of Mind (CTM).
● The main thesis of CTM: The mind is very similar to a Turing machine, and all
cognitive/mental processes including problem-solving, decision-making etc. involve
computations.
Behaviour
● Behaviour is an observable phenomenon. How is it generated?
● From a CTM perspective, the mind is an active space, with discrete symbols
(abstracted from the reality), computations and representations.
● Behaviour is the result of the workings of the mind and its interfaces with the
outside reality.
Behaviour-ism - an alternative
The primary features of Behaviour-ism (as an approach) are:
i. The discipline of psychology must concern itself with an understanding of behaviour,

not an understanding of the structure and intricacies of the mind.
ii. Behaviour can be studied without reference to mental events or “internal psychological
processes” (or Turing computations).
iii. The sources of behaviour are external and triggered by the environment; our
behaviour is learnt.
A behaviorist mind
● According to Behaviourism, the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa)
In contrast to
A Learning Mind Computational

Mind
Learning
● There are external/environmental stimuli which the mind has to respond to.
● Learning is our response to stimuli.
● Some are natural responses to stimuli. As for instance, our eyes close
automatically when someone else waves a hand in front of our eyes. We also
cry out loudly when hurt.
Learning
Classical Conditioning
Steps
i) Before Conditioning: Unconditioned stimulus produces an unconditioned
response.
ii) During Conditioning: A neutral stimulus (that produces no response) is associated

with an unconditioned stimulus. At this point, the neutral stimulus becomes a
conditioned stimulus.
iii) After Conditioning: The conditioned stimulus, after association with a

unconditioned stimulus evokes a new conditioned response.
Thorndike’s Laws
(till 3.45)
Verbal Behaviour
Verbal behavior is shaped and sustained by a verbal environment— by people who

respond to behavior in certain ways because of the practices of the group of which
they are members. These practices and the resulting interaction of speaker and
listener yield the phenomena which are considered here under the rubric of verbal
behavior.
(Skinner, 1957a, p. 226)

Infinity
● There is no upper limit on the number of sentences a language may have.
● I just created a sentence which I have never heard before.
(1) The friendly ghost who once befriended Pavlov on his daily walk to his lab
where he met up with all his animal subjects, had by the end of his life, started
questioning the validity of behaviourist principles.
No upper bound!
● There is no upper bound on the length of sentences.
(2) The linguist analyzed the sentence [that was made up of words [that were
created
by the people [who lived in that village [that was close to the mountains [which
had
tall trees [that …
Unpredicted responses
● There are no fixed responses to stimuli. How do we guarantee ‘responses’ to
specific ‘stimuli’?
No fixed Linguistic Behaviour
● Stimulus: A photo
● Responses: Two people are conversing.
There is a man in the picture.
There is a woman in the picture.
Two people are facing each other.
The background is blue and white in colour.
…
I am feeling hungry and should leave asap.
The air-conditioning in this hall is not working.
Summary
● A computational mind is creative. It is in active interaction with the
environment, inferring from the available data (images, languages), creating
new patterns and thoughts, and reacting to the stimuli in different (novel)
ways.
● In contrast, a behaviourist mind has to learn from what is provided in the

environment.
Readings
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/behaviorism/

Lecture 4

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 4

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 4

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module 1

Finding the link in the ‘Sciences’

Dtd. 11th Jan. 2024

i. The discipline of psychology must concern itself with an understanding of behaviour,

A Learning Mind Computational

● Learning is our response to stimuli.

ii) During Conditioning: A neutral stimulus (that produces no response) is associated

iii) After Conditioning: The conditioned stimulus, after association with a

Verbal behavior is shaped and sustained by a verbal environment— by people who

(Skinner, 1957a, p. 226)

● There is no upper limit on the number of sentences a language may have.

● I just created a sentence which I have never heard before.

● In contrast, a behaviourist mind has to learn from what is provided in the

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.