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6 - Dynamical Systems Approaches to Cognition

from Part II - Cognitive Modeling Paradigms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2023

By
Gregor Schöner
Edited by
Ron Sun
Ron Sun
Affiliation:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York
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Summary

Dynamical systems thinking originated from the sensory-motor domain, but is hypothesized to reach all forms of cognition.Dynamic field theory (DFT) is a mathematically specific, neurally grounded formalization of dynamical systems thinking. Stable states of neural activation, realized as localized activation patterns in low-dimensional neural fields are the units of representation. Their dynamic instabilities lead to the emergence of events at discrete moments in time from continuous-time dynamics. These enable sequences of neural processing steps and flexible binding of multiple localist representations within neural dynamic architectures. Stability enables linking DFT accounts to sensory-motor systems and closed-loop behavior. Instabilities and coordinate transforms are key to reaching the flexibility and productivity of higher cognition. This chapter discusses the relationship between DFT and other approaches to cognition.

Keywords

neural dynamicssensory-motor processesselection decisionsworking memorysequence generationperceptual groundingcoordinate transforms
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Computational Cognitive Sciences , pp. 210 - 241
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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