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Contours of Cognition

Tjøstheim, Trond A. LU (2022) In Lund University Cognitive Studies
Abstract
This thesis concerns the nature of cognition. It posits that cognitive processes primarily are means to maintain allostasis in organisms whose ecological niches require movement to approach food-resources and avoid predation. Hence triggering, or motivation, of behaviours are a consequence of prediction errors from the body resulting from biological variables moving away from homeostasis.

Depending on circumstance and the nature of the particulars of the ecological niche, an organism may require the ability to find the way to a goal-site containing food or water, perceive its surroundings in order to trigger allostatic behaviour, make choices and priorities, and predict outcomes. Hence, cognition is situated in a larger context... (More)
This thesis concerns the nature of cognition. It posits that cognitive processes primarily are means to maintain allostasis in organisms whose ecological niches require movement to approach food-resources and avoid predation. Hence triggering, or motivation, of behaviours are a consequence of prediction errors from the body resulting from biological variables moving away from homeostasis.

Depending on circumstance and the nature of the particulars of the ecological niche, an organism may require the ability to find the way to a goal-site containing food or water, perceive its surroundings in order to trigger allostatic behaviour, make choices and priorities, and predict outcomes. Hence, cognition is situated in a larger context of staying alive, but efforts are also made to zoom in on exactly how some important cognitive processes may plausibly work, on the level of neural units and networks. These processes include visual perception, spatial cognition, predictive simulation processes (intelligence), and familiarity based trust, as well as reflection, decision-making, and memory. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • professor Martin V Butz, Universität Tübingen
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
computational, cognitive, neuroscience, perception, memory, spatial cognition, trust, pupil dynamics, reflection, thinking, intelligence, reinforcement learning, foraging, allostasis, decision making
in
Lund University Cognitive Studies
issue
183
edition
1
pages
160 pages
publisher
Lund University
defense location
LUX C121
defense date
2022-09-19 10:15:00
ISSN
1101-8453
1101-8453
ISBN
978-91-89415-24-9
978-91-89415-23-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
be63386b-e933-4132-8cf4-a727c40aa4ea
date added to LUP
2022-05-30 10:48:47
date last changed
2022-05-30 10:59:33
@phdthesis{be63386b-e933-4132-8cf4-a727c40aa4ea,
  abstract     = {{This thesis concerns the nature of cognition. It posits that cognitive processes primarily are means to maintain allostasis in organisms whose ecological niches require movement to approach food-resources and avoid predation. Hence triggering, or motivation, of behaviours are a consequence of prediction errors from the body resulting from biological variables moving away from homeostasis. <br/><br/>Depending on circumstance and the nature of the particulars of the ecological niche, an organism may require the ability to find the way to a goal-site containing food or water, perceive its surroundings in order to trigger allostatic behaviour, make choices and priorities, and predict outcomes. Hence, cognition is situated in a larger context of staying alive, but efforts are also made to zoom in on exactly how some important cognitive processes may plausibly work, on the level of neural units and networks. These processes include visual perception, spatial cognition, predictive simulation processes (intelligence), and familiarity based trust, as well as reflection, decision-making, and memory.}},
  author       = {{Tjøstheim, Trond A.}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-89415-24-9}},
  issn         = {{1101-8453}},
  keywords     = {{computational; cognitive; neuroscience; perception; memory; spatial cognition; trust; pupil dynamics; reflection; thinking; intelligence; reinforcement learning; foraging; allostasis; decision making}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{183}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Cognitive Studies}},
  title        = {{Contours of Cognition}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/119226969/Avhandling_Trond_web.pdf}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}