Embodied Mind and Cognition

Cognitive distribution and human communication

by Stephen J. Cowley

This appeared as:
Cowley, S.J. (2012) Cognitive distribution and human communication / Актуальные проблемы лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации: Мат-лы Всеросс. науч.-практ. конф-ции c междунар. участием, посвящ. 65-летию ф-та лингвистики и перевода / под ред.С.А. Песиной, И.Р. Пулехи, Ю.Л. Вторушиной, Л.В. Павловой. – Магнитогорск: МаГУ, 2012. – Вып. V. – с. 6-16.

The paper uses examples described elsewhere (Steffensen & Cowley, 2101; Cowley, 2010; 2012) to highlight the... more The paper uses examples described elsewhere (Steffensen & Cowley, 2101; Cowley, 2010; 2012) to highlight the pico-scale of human gestural and vocal communication. This shows how coaction lends unparalleled subtlety to human life as, together, we generate thoughts and actions that are inseparable from bodily coordination. This exemplifies how cognition is distributed as people draw on the (virtual) products of past behaviour to shape future prospects as, unwittingly, they change the circumstances in which they act. Cognitive distribution arises as people use the non-local constraints that dominate folk views of human communication. Given the verbal aspect of language, as Bakhtin saw, speaking (and writing) can renew the voices of others. The thoughts that result, however, are inseparable from interactivity or how bodies perceive, appraise, and re-evoke modes of action that sustain our human forms of life. Finally, having sketched a distributed view of how we communicate in familiar settings, I offer remarks on how scrutiny of human languaging can be pursued in the study of intercultural encounters.

Patterns of Synchronization of Non-verbal Cues and Speech in ECAs: Towards a More "Natural" Conversational Agent

by Nicla Rossini

In Esposito, A., Esposito, A. M., Martone, R. Mueller, V. C., Scarpetta, G. (Eds) Toward Autonomous, Adaptive, and Context-Aware Multimodal Interfaces: Theoretical and Practical Issues. Pp. 97-104. Springer-Verlag: Berlin.

N.B.: THIS IS A PRE-PUBLICATION EARLY DRAFT. IT MAY CONTAIN ERROS AND DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE PUBLISHED VERSION. FOR QUOTATION PURPOSES, PLEASE ASK ME A COPY OF THE PUBLISHED VERSION.

Please find it on Springer online: http://www.springerlink.com/content/l410238375431524/

This paper presents an analysis of the verbal and non-verbal cues of Conversational Agents, with a special focus on... more This paper presents an analysis of the verbal and non-verbal cues of Conversational Agents, with a special focus on REA and GRETA, in order to allow further research aimed at correcting some traits of their performance still considered unnatural by their final users. Despite the striking performance of new generation ECA, some important features make these conversational agents unreliable to the users, who usually prefer interacting with a classical computer for information retrieval. The users’ preference can be due to several factors, such as the quality of speech synthesis, or the inevitable unnaturalness of the graphics animating the avatar. Apart from the unavoidable traits that can render ECAs unnatural to the ultimate users, instances of poor synchronization between verbal and non-verbal behaviour may contribute to unfavourable results. An instance of synchronization patterns between non-verbal cues and speech is here analysed and re-applied to the basic architecture of an ECA in order to improve the ECA’s verbal and non-verbal synchronization. A proposal for future inquiry aimed at creating alternative model for the ultimate Mp4 output is also proposed, for further development in this field.

Organismo e determinazione: il corpo nella dottrina della scienza di Fichte

by Giovanni Cogliandro

published in Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics, XIII, 2011, 2, pp. 80-110

The essay is focused on J.G. Fichte‟s wide elaboration on the concept of body, mainly in the years from 1796 to 1799.... more The essay is focused on J.G. Fichte‟s wide elaboration on the concept of body, mainly in the years from 1796 to 1799. The point of view of transcendental philosophy is analyzed as a possible alternative both to the reductive empiricism and to the different forms of ideal-ism, by means of the concept of articulated and organized body. Further, I propose these concepts as useful tools for the analysis of some contemporary theories of perception (e.g., McDowell‟s and Brandom‟s).

Is a small apple more like an apple or more like a cherry? A study with real and modified sized objects

by Valentina Bazzarin

Co-authored with Anna Maria Borghi

In a categorization experiment we assessed whether seeingobjects automatically activates information on how... more In a categorization experiment we assessed whether seeingobjects automatically activates information on how tomanipulate them. The experiment also aims at investigatingthe role played in a categorization task by online, visualinformation (i.e., of information mediated by the dorsal system), and by information stored in memory (i.e.,information mediated by the ventral system). Participantscategorized photographs of objects manipulable either with apower or a precision grip into artifacts or natural kinds.Target-objects were preceded by primes consisting of photographs of hands in either grasping postures (precision orpower grip) or in a neutral posture (grip). Target-objects couldbe presented either in their real size or in modified size, sothat they activated a different kind of grip. For example, astrawberry was presented both in its real size and with the sizeof an apple, so that it activated a power grip. Results confirm that visual stimuli activate motor information. More importantly, they suggest a crucial role of online, visualinformation even in a categorization task. Results arediscussed in the framework of theories on the role of onlineand offline memory features.

The Neuroscience of the Tragic Mask

by Peter Meineck

Arion 19.1 2011

The Greek tragic mask was the focus of the entire visual and emotional experience of ancient drama. The close... more The Greek tragic mask was the focus of the entire visual and emotional experience of ancient drama. The close coordination of masked movement with music, song, and spoken word allowed the ambiguity of the mask to provoke a highly personal response in the mind of each individual spectator. Their neural processing mechanisms would have been stimulated by the context of what was presented, and then fired to create a deeply personal emotional image. In this way, the visual ambiguity of the mask greatly enhanced the presentation of tragedy. Thus, the tragic mask was far more powerful that the real face of an actor, as it constantly changed, reflecting the emotional realities of each person sitting before its compelling gaze.

From expressive gesture to sound: the development of an embodied mapping trajectory inside a musical interface

by Pieter-Jan Maes

This paper contributes to the development of a multimodal, musical tool that extends the natural action range of the... more This paper contributes to the development of a multimodal, musical tool that extends the natural action range of the human body to communicate expressiveness into the virtual music domain. The core of this musical tool consists of a low cost, highly functional computational model developed upon the Max/MSP platform that (1) captures real-time movement of the human body into a 3D coordinate system on the basis of the orientation output of any type of inertial sensor system that is OSC-compatible, (2) extract low-level movement features that specify the amount of contraction/expansion as a measure of how a subject uses the surrounding space, (3) recognizes these movement features as being expressive gestures, and (4) creates a mapping trajectory between these expressive gestures and the sound synthesis process of adding harmonic related voices on an in origin monophonic voice. The concern for a user-oriented and intuitive mapping strategy was thereby of central importance. This was achieved by conducting an empirical experiment based on theoretical concepts from the embodied music cognition paradigm. Based on empirical evidence, this paper proposes a mapping trajectory that facilitates the interaction between a musician and his instrument, the artistic collaboration between (multimedia) artists and the communication of expressiveness in a social, musical
context.

Krpic, T. 2007. Cognitive Body Agency. International Journal of the Humanities 5 (10): 141-148.

by Tomaž Krpič

The author’s prime aim is to introduce the concept of cognitive body agency into cognitive sociology. This is going to... more The author’s prime aim is to introduce the concept of cognitive body agency into cognitive sociology. This is going to be obtained in three steps. First, a brief review of cognitive sociology will be given with regards to the absence of the concept of carnal body, due to a complete preoccupation of the discipline with ‘the body from the neck up’. Secondly, several reasons will be given for the absence of the concept of the carnal body in sociology in general. Thirdly, the author will give the arguments for the concept of cognitive body agency by referring to communication theory and by accepting the body as a material force in its own right.

Cognitive dynamics: language as values realizing activity

by Stephen J. Cowley

These are proofs that appeared as:
Cowley, S.J. (2012). Cognitive dynamics: language as values realizing activity. In A. Kravchenko (ed). Cognitive Dynamics and Linguistic Interactions, pp. 15-46. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.

To challenge cognitivism it is important emphasise how human bodies function. Like other organisms, we evolved to act... more To challenge cognitivism it is important emphasise how human bodies function. Like other organisms, we evolved to act and perceive in changing environments. In spite of the fact that this can be described as representing aspects of the world, there is no reason to think that people use what are representations for the brain (Steiner 2010). The central nervous system deals in the body-world relations that sustain flexible, adaptive behaviour. Bodies use measurable physical events or cognitive dynamics to control how they coordinate with the world. Humans extend this general capacity by cooperating in cultural settings.

Biology thus becomes enmeshed with history and, in looking at language too, this must be traced to minded behaviour. It follows that language -and teaching languages -must be explicated with respect to how encounters with the world are experienced as meaningful (Gibson 1979). Far from being subjective or abstract, cognitive dynamics function as public opportunities and threats. Social activity realizes values that motivate inhibition, thinking and communication (Gibson 1950; Hodges & Geyer 2006; Hodges 2007). In language, successes and failures arise as we mesh wordings with experience of items that serve in a (partly) shared social world. Using this perspective, I turn to pedagogical design and signs of writing to consider how applied linguistics can be enriched by viewing language as values realizing activity. The main concern of applied linguists becomes, not learning, but SLA or 'skilled linguistic action'.

You’re it! Body, Action, and Object in STEM Learning (ICLS 2012 Symposium)

by Dor Abrahamson

FOREWORD:
I organized this symposium to encourage dialogue among design-based researchers of STEM learning whose work is grounded in an embodied-cognition epistemological perspective on what it means to know. My sense is that we're working in parallel, and that we could avail a great deal by beginning to reflect collectively. The proceedings paper, written in advance of the conference gathering, captures the sense of inviting this collective reflection among the variety of embodied-cognition "flavors." I hope you find it interesting.

CITATION:
Abrahamson, D. (Chair & Organizer). You’re it! Body, action, and object in STEM learning (M. Eisenberg, Discussant). In P. Freebody, T. de Jong, E. Kyza & P. Reimann (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference of the Learning Sciences: Future of Learning (ICLS 2012). Sydney: University of Sydney / ISLS.

ABSTRACT:
In this special double symposium, sixteen established and emerging scholars from seven US universities,... more ABSTRACT:
In this special double symposium, sixteen established and emerging scholars from seven US universities, who share theoretical perspectives of grounded cognition, empirical contexts of design for STEM content domains, and analytic attention to nuances of multimodal expression, all gather to explore synergy and coherence across their diverging research questions, methodologies, and conclusions in light of the conference theme “Future of Learning.” Jointly we ask, What are the relations among embodiment, action, artifacts, and discourse in the development of mathematical, scientific, engineering, or computer-sciences concepts? The session offers emerging answers as well as implications for theory and practice.

From adaptive behavior to human cognition: a review of Enaction

by Tom Froese

Book Review: "Enaction: Toward a New Paradigm for Cognitive Science," John Stewart, Olivier Gapenne, & Ezequiel A. Di Paolo (Eds.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2010

by Michael Kirchhoff

Published in Philosophical Psychology

Embodied Cognition and Mindreading

by Shannon Spaulding

(2010) Mind & Language, 25, 119-140.

Recently, philosophers and psychologists defending the embodied cognition research program have offered arguments... more Recently, philosophers and psychologists defending the embodied cognition research program have offered arguments against mindreading as a general model of our social understanding. The embodied cognition arguments are of two kinds: those that challenge the developmental picture of mindreading and those that challenge the alleged ubiquity of mindreading. Together, these two kinds of arguments, if successful, would present a serious challenge to the standard account of human social understanding. In this paper, I examine the strongest of these embodied cognition arguments and argue that mindreading approaches can withstand the best of these arguments from embodied cognition.

Review of Andy Clark's "Supersizing the Mind"

by Shannon Spaulding

with Larry Shapiro. (2009) Notre Dame Philosophical Review.

Introduction to debates on embodied social cognition

by Shannon Spaulding

(penultimate draft) forthcoming in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences

Embodied social cognition (ESC) aims to explicate how our embodiment shapes our knowledge of others, and in what this... more Embodied social cognition (ESC) aims to explicate how our embodiment shapes our knowledge of others, and in what this knowledge of others consists. Although there is much diversity amongst ESC accounts, common to all these accounts is the idea that our normal everyday interactions consist in non-mentalistic embodied engagements. In recent years, several theorists have developed and defended innovative and controversial accounts of ESC. These accounts challenge, and offer deflationary alternatives to, the standard cognitivist accounts of social cognition. As ESC accounts grow in number and prominence, the time has come for a dedicated, sustained debate on ESC and its most controversial and innovative elements. The goal of this special issue is to host such a debate with the aim of bringing clarity to the discussion of social cognition.

Embodied Social Cognition

by Shannon Spaulding

Forthcoming in Philosophical Topics

In this paper I evaluate embodied social cognition, embodied cognition’s account of how we understand others. I... more In this paper I evaluate embodied social cognition, embodied cognition’s account of how we understand others. I identify and evaluate three claims that motivate embodied social cognition. These claims are not specific to social cognition; they are general contentions about cognition. As such, they may be used in more general arguments for embodied cognition. I argue that we have good reasons to reject these claims. Thus, the case for embodied social cognition fails. Moreover, to the extent that arguments for embodied cognition in general rest on these premises, such arguments are correspondingly uncompelling.

Slaying the Chimera: a Complementarity Approach to the Extended Mind Thesis

by Mirko Farina

Supervisors : Andy Clark, Julian Kiverstein, Tillman Vierkant
Examiners: Michael Wheeler and Mark Sprevak

Place and Pedagogy: Toward an Embodied Environmental Conscience

by Zachary Piso

Presented at the Phi Sigma Tau conference at University of North Texas, 2011

Explores the implications of extended consciousness toward the teaching of environmental sustainable habits. Careful... more Explores the implications of extended consciousness toward the teaching of environmental sustainable habits. Careful attention to the built environment can foster an ecological conscience without requiring an intermediate environmental literacy.

The Ecology of Embodied Culture

by Zachary Piso

Presented at SIU - Carbondale, Building Bridges Conference (Theme: Waste and Philosophy), 2011

Further consideration of the struggles to enact social change given the influence that the built environmental has on... more Further consideration of the struggles to enact social change given the influence that the built environmental has on our habits and values

Ecological Pragmatism: Growing a Sustainable World (Undergraduate Honors Thesis)

by Zachary Piso

A consideration of evolutionary processes in nature, mind, and culture. The work seeks to synthesize these different... more A consideration of evolutionary processes in nature, mind, and culture. The work seeks to synthesize these different domains of natural selection in order to defend an embodied approach to ecological education that recognizes our development in a social and ecological world.

Social Brains, Simple Minds: Does Social Complexity Really Require Cognitive Complexity?

by Louise Barrett