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Home , Cognitive revolution

10/4/10

Miller, G. (2003). The cognitive revolution: A historical perspective. Trends in , 7, 3, 141-144.

 Experimental psychologists like Pavlov argued the only objective evidence was behavioral  Became an objective science based on scientific laws and behavior ◦ Perception – behavior ◦ Memory – learning ◦ – verbal behavior ◦ Intelligence – intelligence tests  Information measurement based upon probabilities, with those being more interesting than the logarithmic values, however neither of them shed light on the psychological processes involved  Participating in the standard of the day was necessary to maintain a reputation

 “Critical year for the development of information processing ” – Newell & Simon ◦ Conference on at Dartmouth ◦ Shannon and McCarthy edited “Automata Studies” ◦ Minsky circulated a initial draft of “Steps toward Artificial Intelligence” ◦ Bruner, Goodenough & Austin published “A Study of Thinking” ◦ Other articles on human capacity to process information, componential analysis that became models for cognitive and papers about the effects of language on thought

 Servo theory, information theory, signal-detection theory, computer theory and computers themselves also driving philosophical change in psychological theory

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 A new alternative emerges, syntactic theory  Cognitive processes responsible for the structural aspects of language  Mental hypotheses about cognitive processes responsible for the verbal behaviors observed  Mentalistic concepts began to explain behavioral data  Harvard Center for Cognitive Studies grew out of a smaller project

Articles being published which incorporate a cognitive perspective  Norman Wiener – cybernetics  & John McCarthy – artificial intelligence  Alan Newell & Herb Simon – computer simulated cognitive processes  – redefining

 Symposium at MIT  Simon & Newell paper "Logic Machine“  IBM presentation - largest computer to test Hebb's neuropsychological theory of cell assembly  Victor Yngve presentation -Statistical analysis of gaps relation to syntax  Chomsky- "outted" transformational (Elias's claims of language were backed by Chomsky)  GC Szikali discussed experiments in speed of perceptual recognition  Miller discussed short-term memory  Swets & Birdsall spoke of significance of signal detection theory for perceptual recognition

 Harvard- cognitive studies  Carnegie-Mellon- information-processing psychology  La Jolla - cognitive science

 Sloan Foundation program of '‘ ◦ Explored bridging the gap between brain & mind

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 Each expert in their field presented, but felt inadequate to assess another field  Miller advocated money for computers ( others wanted to focus on AI)  Miller identified and argued for 6 disciplines were needed to define ◦ cognitive science: ◦ Psychology ◦ Linguistics ◦ Neuroscience ◦ ◦ Anthropology ◦ Philosophy  Each area was now developed enough to recognize it needed information & research from other disciplines (very open-minded for scientists?)

 One figure was produced from the conference: (see handout-1978)  Use a thick line to connect the fields you KNOW are inter-related Use a dashed line to connect the fields you THINK are inter- related  Draw X's between fields that you think are NOT related

 Miller- " some veterans of those days question whether then program was successful, and whether there really is something now that we can call 'cognitive science'. For myself, I prefer to speak of the cognitive sciences, in the plural,". And as of 2003, Miller still dreams of a unified science between the brain and the mind - structurally, functionally, representationally, and computationally.

Questions:

 What international impact did the study Mentalism (Cognition) philosophy have?  Why was Psychology redefined as the science of behavior?  How and why did lose some of its luster?  Can you explain and defend the 6 areas Miller’s purports to be important to the field of cognitive sciences?  Written as an historical perspective, how much, if any of the article do you think is bias by Miller’s own relationship to the events?  How might Psychology be different today if the philosophy of behaviorism had lasted longer or prevailed?  How did the development of computers play a role in the evolution of ?

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