Contours of Cognition
Author
Summary, in English
This thesis concerns the nature of cognition. It posits that cognitive processes primarily are means to maintain allostasis in organisms whose ecological niches require movement to approach food-resources and avoid predation. Hence triggering, or motivation, of behaviours are a consequence of prediction errors from the body resulting from biological variables moving away from homeostasis.
Depending on circumstance and the nature of the particulars of the ecological niche, an organism may require the ability to find the way to a goal-site containing food or water, perceive its surroundings in order to trigger allostatic behaviour, make choices and priorities, and predict outcomes. Hence, cognition is situated in a larger context of staying alive, but efforts are also made to zoom in on exactly how some important cognitive processes may plausibly work, on the level of neural units and networks. These processes include visual perception, spatial cognition, predictive simulation processes (intelligence), and familiarity based trust, as well as reflection, decision-making, and memory.
Depending on circumstance and the nature of the particulars of the ecological niche, an organism may require the ability to find the way to a goal-site containing food or water, perceive its surroundings in order to trigger allostatic behaviour, make choices and priorities, and predict outcomes. Hence, cognition is situated in a larger context of staying alive, but efforts are also made to zoom in on exactly how some important cognitive processes may plausibly work, on the level of neural units and networks. These processes include visual perception, spatial cognition, predictive simulation processes (intelligence), and familiarity based trust, as well as reflection, decision-making, and memory.
Department/s
- Cognitive Science
- eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration
- Cognitive modeling
Publishing year
2022-05-30
Language
English
Publication/Series
Lund University Cognitive Studies
Issue
183
Full text
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Lund University
Topic
- Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Keywords
- computational
- cognitive
- neuroscience
- perception
- memory
- spatial cognition
- trust
- pupil dynamics
- reflection
- thinking
- intelligence
- reinforcement learning
- foraging
- allostasis
- decision making
Status
Published
Research group
- Cognitive modeling
Supervisor
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1101-8453
- ISSN: 1101-8453
- ISBN: 978-91-89415-24-9
- ISBN: 978-91-89415-23-2
Defence date
19 September 2022
Defence time
10:15
Defence place
LUX C121
Opponent
- Martin V Butz (professor)