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Plasticity, Learning and Cognition Plasticity, Learning and Cognition An integrative approach to sensory substitution devices and embodied, enculturated skills Mirko Farina Department of Cognitive Science Faculty of Human Sciences Macquarie University Sydney July 2015 This thesis is presented in the fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor in Philosophy Table of Contents Table of Contents. .......................................................................................................................... i Thesis Summary ........................................................................................................................... vi Declaration ................................................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... ix Preface: thesis by publication....................................................................................................... xi PART 1: SENSORY SUBSTITUTION DEVICES, SKILFUL PERCEPTION AND SYNAESTHESIA .......................................................................................................................... INTRODUCTION: Inspirations, Themes and Methods ............................................................. 1 1.Thesis Overview ............................................................................................................... 2 2.Varieties of Approaches to Embodied Cognition ............................................................. 5 2.1 Minimal Embodiment ...................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Full Embodiment ............................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Radical Embodiment ..................................................................................................... 13 3.Empirical Domains for Embodied Cognition.................................................................. 17 3.1 Situated Robotics ........................................................................................................... 18 3.2 Vision ............................................................................................................................ 22 4.Two domains of inquiry: sensory substitution devices and culturally acquired skills .... 24 5.Methods ........................................................................................................................... 30 6.Another source of inspiration: Sterelny‘s work on human cognitive evolution .............. 36 7.Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 45 References .......................................................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 1:Substituting the Senses ........................................................................................ 69 Running Head: SUBSTITUTING THE SENSES ....................................................................... 73 Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 74 1.Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 75 2.Sensory Substitution and the Meta-Modal Brain ............................................................ 77 3.Keeley on the senses ....................................................................................................... 83 i 4.Does the substituting sense dominate in sensory substitution? ....................................... 91 5.Explaining distal attribution ............................................................................................ 94 6.Conclusions: Skills, Senses, and Substitution ................................................................. 97 References ........................................................................................................................ 101 Publisher Description ....................................................................................................... 108 Book Description ............................................................................................................. 108 List of Contributors .......................................................................................................... 109 CHAPTER 2: Neither Touch nor Vision: Sensory Substitution as Artificial Synaesthesia? ... 113 Running Head: NEITHER TOUCH NOR VISION: SENSORY SUBSTITUTION AS ARTIFICIAL SYNAESTHESIA? ............................................................................................ 117 Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 118 1. Sensory Substitution: a brief introduction ................................................................... 120 2.Does SSD perception remain in the substituting modality? .......................................... 125 3.Is SSD perception rather vision? ................................................................................... 129 3.1 Alleged similarities between natural vision and TDU perception .............................. 129 3.2 Inputs and Motor responses: the experience becomes distinctively visual ................. 130 4.Neither Touch nor Vision but something different: Beyond Vision or Artificial Synaesthesia? ................................................................................................................... 133 4.1 Synaesthesia in a nutshell ........................................................................................... 136 4.2 Synaesthesia, Sensory Substitution, and the Neuroscience behind them .................... 137 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 143 References ........................................................................................................................ 145 Journal Description .......................................................................................................... 150 CHAPTER 3:Patrolling the Boundaries of Synaesthesia: A critical appraisal of transient and artificially-acquired forms of synaesthetic experiences ............................................................ 151 Running Head: PATROLLING THE BOUNDARIES OF SYNAESTHESIA: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF ARTIFICALLY-ACQUIRED FORMS OF SYNAESTHETIC EXPERIENCES ........................................................................................................................ 155 Abstract ............................................................................................................................ 156 1.Synaesthesia: An introduction ...................................................................................... 157 2.Definitions of synaesthesia ........................................................................................... 160 ii 3.Transient forms of synesthetic experiences: post-hypnotic suggestion and drugs-use . 167 3.1. Synesthetic experiences triggered by post-hypnotic suggestion ................................. 167 3.2. Drug-induced synaesthesia ........................................................................................ 170 4.Acquired synaesthesia: flavor perception and use of sensory substitution ................... 173 4.1. Flavor perception ....................................................................................................... 173 4.2. Sensory substitution ................................................................................................... 177 5.Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 184 5.1 Summary of the analyses ............................................................................................. 184 5.2 Borderline cases: Closer to crossmodal correspondences than synesthetic experiences? ........................................................................................................................................... 187 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 189 References ........................................................................................................................ 190 Publisher Description ....................................................................................................... 203 Book Description ............................................................................................................. 203 Themes and questions ....................................................................................................... 203 List of Contributors .......................................................................................................... 204 PART 2:BRAIN PLASTICITY AND ENCULTURATED SKILLS IN THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN COGNITION ................................................................ CHAPTER 4:Three Approaches to Human Cognitive Development: Neo-Nativism, Neuroconstructivism, and Dynamic-Enskillment .....................................................................
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