Intention, Emotion, and Action: a Neural Theory Based on Semantic Pointers
Cognitive Science 38 (2014) 851–880 Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0364-0213 print / 1551-6709 online DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12100 Intention, Emotion, and Action: A Neural Theory Based on Semantic Pointers Tobias Schroder,€ Terrence C. Stewart, Paul Thagard Department of Philosophy, University of Waterloo Received 14 May 2012; received in revised form 3 March 2013; accepted 28 March 2013 Abstract We propose a unified theory of intentions as neural processes that integrate representations of states of affairs, actions, and emotional evaluation. We show how this theory provides answers to philosophical questions about the concept of intention, psychological questions about human behav- ior, computational questions about the relations between belief and action, and neuroscientific questions about how the brain produces actions. Our theory of intention ties together biologically plausible mechanisms for belief, planning, and motor control. The computational feasibility of these mechanisms is shown by a model that simulates psychologically important cases of intention. Keywords: Intention; Emotion; Action; Implementation intentions; Automatic; Deliberative; Planning; Neural engineering framework; Semantic pointers 1. The problem of explaining intention The concept of intention is important in many disciplines, including philosophy, psy- chology, artificial intelligence, cognitive neuroscience, and law. For example, criminal law treats cases where one person intends to kill another very differently from cases where death results unintentionally from negligence. Despite decades of discussions, how- ever, there is no received theory of intention within any of these disciplines, let alone a theory that accounts for all the phenomena identified across all of the disciplines. We propose a unified theory of intentions as neural processes that integrate representa- tions of states of affairs, actions, and emotional evaluation.
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