Journal

Volume 14, Issue 4 (December 31, 2013)

4 articles

• Is Global Workspace a Cartesian Theater? How the Neuro-Astroglial Interaction Model Solves Conceptual Issues
  by Samuel Bellini-Leite & Alfredo Pereira Jr.
  J. CS. 2013, 14(4), 335-360;
  Abstract The Global Workspace Theory (GWT) proposed by Bernard Baars (1988) along with Daniel Dennett’s (1991) Multiple Drafts Model (MDM) of consciousness are renowned cognitive theories of consciousness bearing similarities and differences. Although Dennett displays sympathy for GWT, his own MDM does not s... [Read more].
  Abstract The Global Workspace Theory (GWT) proposed by Bernard Baars (1988) along with Daniel Dennett’s (1991) Multiple Drafts Model (MDM) of consciousness are renowned cognitive theories of consciousness bearing similarities and differences. Although Dennett displays sympathy for GWT, his own MDM does not seem to be fully compatible with it. This work discusses this compatibility, by asking if GWT suffers from Daniel Dennett’s criticism of what he calls a “Cartesian Theater”. We identified in Dennett 10 requirements for avoiding the Cartesian Theater. We believe that some of these requirements are violated by GWT, but not all, hence there is partial incompatibility with MDM, and it is nonsense to answer if GWT is or is not a Cartesian Theater. However, by asking such question we conclude that the issues around this discussion involve fuzzy claims about degrees of consciousness and we show how the Neuro-Astroglial Interaction Model (NAIM) is fit for solving such conceptual issues. [Collapse]
• Language for Deep Learning: Cognitive Explorative Action Games for Teacher-Learner Interactions
  by Sebastian Feller
  J. CS. 2013, 14(4), 361-378;
  Abstract This paper explores the design of what I call explorative action games for teacher-learner interactions. I argue that explorative actions games scaffold the learner’s re-representation of knowledge in ways that facilitate higher-level thinking and deep reasoning. With reference to Weigand’s (2010) T... [Read more].
  Abstract This paper explores the design of what I call explorative action games for teacher-learner interactions. I argue that explorative actions games scaffold the learner’s re-representation of knowledge in ways that facilitate higher-level thinking and deep reasoning. With reference to Weigand’s (2010) Theory of Dialogic Action Games, I introduce the minimal form of the game, which consists of the explorative and the discovery speech act pair. Both speech acts are mutually related to each other. The explorative action game thereby revolves around knowledge re-representations in terms of Chi and Ohlsson’s (2005) types of changes with special emphasis on “greater complexity”, “higher level of abstraction”, and “shifted vantage point”. I illustrate explorative action games for these types and show how they are linked to deep learning and dialogic knowledge building. [Collapse]
• Remembering How: Language, Memory, and the Salience of Manner
  by Michele I. Feist & Paula Cifuentes Férez
  J. CS. 2013, 14(4), 379-398;
  Abstract Inspired by Talmy’s (1985, 2000) seminal work on the lexicalization of motion events, the linguistic encoding of elements of motion events has been an active area of research. Recently, Slobin (2003, 2004, 2006) refined Talmy’s typology, pointing out the differential salience of manner of motion acr... [Read more].
  Abstract Inspired by Talmy’s (1985, 2000) seminal work on the lexicalization of motion events, the linguistic encoding of elements of motion events has been an active area of research. Recently, Slobin (2003, 2004, 2006) refined Talmy’s typology, pointing out the differential salience of manner of motion across languages. Among the potential cognitive consequences of this differential salience of manner, Slobin (2003) postulates that manner might be more memorable for speakers of high-manner-salient languages than for speakers of low-manner-salient languages. In this paper, we take up this suggestion, asking whether English speakers and Spanish speakers will show different patterns of errors in a test of recognition for short video clips of motion events, consistent with the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis. We observed that English speakers produced fewer errors overall, and fewer errors in responses to previously unseen items. Responses to previously viewed items revealed a more subtle effect, with the number of videos viewed at study playing a role in the language effect: English speakers made fewer errors on previously viewed items when they had seen fewer items at study, while Spanish speakers made fewer errors when they had seen more items at study. We discuss the implications of these findings for the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis and for the role of manner salience in memory for motion events. [Collapse]
• What should be the Place of the Normative Database in Speech Perception Research?
  by Bernadine Cocks, Jana Smith, & Graham A. Jamieson
  J. CS. 2013, 14(4), 399-417;
  Abstract To assess the practice of using normative database values to control for confounds in English speech perception research, six separate surveys gathered normative data from a contemporary Australian population on a corpus of 140 English language words. After averaging across participants, these indiv... [Read more].
  Abstract To assess the practice of using normative database values to control for confounds in English speech perception research, six separate surveys gathered normative data from a contemporary Australian population on a corpus of 140 English language words. After averaging across participants, these individual word values were then compared with values retrieved from CELEX, the BNC and the MRC. Contrary to predictions, there were significant correlational differences between all four sources for familiarity/frequency, as well as significant mean corpus differences between the current study and the MRC for concreteness and imageability. Furthermore, significant differences were found between written and spoken presentations in both the current study’s surveys and the BNC. This suggests that although the use of normative database values may be common, the practice should be approached with a degree of caution. [Collapse]