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Representational Content in Representational Content in terms of Dynamics for Meta-terms of Dynamics for Meta-

CognitionCognition

  Jan TreurJan Treur

  

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Department of Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Artificial Intelligence

  

Utrecht UniversityUtrecht University

Department of PhilosophyDepartment of Philosophy

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Meta-CognitionMeta-Cognition

one of the principles used to obtain cognitive one of the principles used to obtain cognitive architectures for self-consciousnessarchitectures for self-consciousness

e.g., Zalla in TSC’00: e.g., Zalla in TSC’00:

the phenomenal character of the phenomenal character of experience experience

is conscious due to the fact that it is is conscious due to the fact that it is introspectively accessibleintrospectively accessible

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Meta-Level ArchitectureMeta-Level Architecture

has been investigated in some depth has been investigated in some depth within Artifical Intelligencewithin Artifical Intelligence

problem: what is the problem: what is the representational representational contentcontent of meta-level representations ? of meta-level representations ?

dynamics and interactiondynamics and interaction between the between the levels are levels are essential essential problematic to define semantics only in problematic to define semantics only in terms of the state of the object levelterms of the state of the object level

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Dynamics PerspectiveDynamics Perspective

dynamics of a meta-level architecture: dynamics of a meta-level architecture: transitions over timetransitions over time of combined of combined (object level and meta-level) states(object level and meta-level) states

semantics of a meta-level semantics of a meta-level representation:representation:temporal property of tracestemporal property of traces of the of the object level processobject level process

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Interactivist Perspective Interactivist Perspective on Mental States (1)on Mental States (1)

Dynamics of mental states and their Dynamics of mental states and their interaction with the environment are interaction with the environment are central:central:

‘‘When interaction is completed, the system will When interaction is completed, the system will end in some one of its internal states - some of end in some one of its internal states - some of its possible final states. Some environments will its possible final states. Some environments will leave the system in that same final state, when leave the system in that same final state, when interactions with this system are complete, and interactions with this system are complete, and some environments will leave the system in some environments will leave the system in different possible final states.different possible final states.’ ’ (Bickhard, 1993)(Bickhard, 1993)

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Past Interaction Histories Past Interaction Histories and Present Internal Statesand Present Internal States

presentpresentinternal statesinternal states

past interactionpast interaction

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‘‘The overall system, with its possible final states, The overall system, with its possible final states, therefore, functions as a therefore, functions as a differentiatordifferentiator of of environments, with the final states implictly environments, with the final states implictly defining the differentiation categories.defining the differentiation categories. (..) (..)

Representational content is constituted as Representational content is constituted as indications of potential further interactions.indications of potential further interactions. (..) (..)

The claim is that such differentiated functional The claim is that such differentiated functional indications in the context of a goal-directed indications in the context of a goal-directed system constitute representation - emergent system constitute representation - emergent representation.representation.’’

(Bickhard, 1993)(Bickhard, 1993)

Interactivist Perspective Interactivist Perspective on Mental States (2)on Mental States (2)

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Present Internal States and Present Internal States and Future Interaction TracesFuture Interaction Traces

presentpresentinternal statesinternal states

past interactionpast interaction future interactionfuture interaction

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presentpresent

pastpast futurefuture

world interaction world interaction tracetrace

timetime

Object Level Representational Object Level Representational Content as a Dynamic Interaction Content as a Dynamic Interaction

PropertyProperty

object level representationobject level representation

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In summary, representational content of In summary, representational content of mental states need to bemental states need to be

grounded in grounded in interaction historiesinteraction histories related to related to future interaction possibilitiesfuture interaction possibilities

Formalisations are needed that cover thisFormalisations are needed that cover this

Interactivist Perspective Interactivist Perspective on Mental States (3)on Mental States (3)

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tissue damagetissue damage causes pain causes pain heatheat causes pain causes pain

pain causes pain causes ouch!ouch! pain causes future pain causes future avoidance behaviouravoidance behaviour

for possible sources; e.g., waspsfor possible sources; e.g., wasps

Note: occurrence of this avoidance Note: occurrence of this avoidance behaviour behaviour

depends on events in the world depends on events in the world

Pain Example: Mediating RolePain Example: Mediating Role

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the set of histories of mental property painthe set of histories of mental property pain

PTRACES(InOnt, pain)PTRACES(InOnt, pain)

an example member an example member is the following interaction trace:is the following interaction trace:  

Pain Example: Past TracesPain Example: Past Traces

t1. input:t1. input: tissue damage,tissue damage, no heatno heat

t2. input:t2. input: tissue damage,tissue damage, no heatno heat

t0. input:t0. input: no tissue damage,no tissue damage, no heatno heat

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the set of future traces for mental the set of future traces for mental property painproperty pain

FTRACES(InterfaceOnt, pain)FTRACES(InterfaceOnt, pain)

an example member of this set:an example member of this set:

Pain Example: Future TracesPain Example: Future Traces

t0. input:t0. input: wasp presentwasp present output:output: ouch!ouch!

t3. input:t3. input: wasp present wasp present output:output: movemove

t2. input:t2. input: wasp presentwasp presentt1. input:t1. input: no wasp presentno wasp present

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Formalisation:Formalisation:Temporal Trace LanguageTemporal Trace Language

expressive language to specify dynamics:expressive language to specify dynamics: traces traces MM as first class citizens: as first class citizens:

explicit reference to, comparison of and explicit reference to, comparison of and quantification over interaction histories and quantification over interaction histories and interaction futuresinteraction futures

state properties state properties pp as first class citizens: explicit as first class citizens: explicit reference to and quantification over reference to and quantification over pp

explicit reference to, comparison of and explicit reference to, comparison of and quantification over time points quantification over time points tt and durations and durations dd

discrete, dense or real time frame possiblediscrete, dense or real time frame possible

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Pain Example: Past FormulaPain Example: Past Formula

MM a tracea tracett a time pointa time point

a past formula a past formula representing the set of representing the set of histories of the mental property painhistories of the mental property pain

PP((MM , t):, t):

t1 t1 ≤≤ t state( t state(MM , t1, input) |= injury , t1, input) |= injury t2 t2 ≤≤ t state( t state(MM , t2, input) |= heat, t2, input) |= heat

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Pain Example: Future Pain Example: Future FormulaFormula

MM a tracea tracett a time pointa time point

a future formula a future formula representing the set of representing the set of future traces of the mental property painfuture traces of the mental property pain

FF((MM , t), t)::

t1 t1 ≥≥ t state( t state(MM , t1, output) |= ouch! & , t1, output) |= ouch! & t2 t2 ≥ ≥ t [ state(t [ state(MM , t2, input) |= wasp_present , t2, input) |= wasp_present t3 t3 ≥ ≥ t2 state(t2 state(MM , t3, output) |= move ], t3, output) |= move ]

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Dynamics as Three-Level Dynamics as Three-Level TracesTraces

a a combinedcombined three-levelthree-level statestate: : < I, M, N >< I, M, N >

   where where NN a meta-state a meta-state MM an object state an object state

II an interaction state an interaction state

a a three-level tracethree-level trace: : a sequence of combined three-level a sequence of combined three-level

statesstates

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presentpresent

pastpast futurefuture

object process object process tracetrace

timetime

Meta-Level Representational Meta-Level Representational Content Content

as a Dynamic Object Process as a Dynamic Object Process PropertyProperty

meta-level representation meta-level representation

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meta-levelmeta-levelprocess trace process trace

object level object level process traceprocess trace

worldworldinteraction interaction tracetrace

timetime

Three Levels of Representational Three Levels of Representational Content and DynamicsContent and Dynamics

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Possible Transitions Possible Transitions within a Combined Tracewithin a Combined Trace

meta-state meta-state meta-state meta-state (meta-processing) (meta-processing) meta-state meta-state object stateobject state (control effectuation)(control effectuation) object state object state meta-statemeta-state (introspection)(introspection)object state object state object stateobject state (object (object processing)processing)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------object state object state interaction state interaction state

(effectuation of action)(effectuation of action)interaction state interaction state object stateobject state

(conceptualisation of sensory state) (conceptualisation of sensory state)interaction state interaction state interaction stateinteraction state

(sensory or motor event)(sensory or motor event)

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An Architecture for Meta-An Architecture for Meta-CognitionCognition

semantic content of object-representations:semantic content of object-representations:past and future interaction processespast and future interaction processes

semantic content of meta-representations:semantic content of meta-representations:past and future mental processespast and future mental processes

introspective capabilities in self-monitoring; introspective capabilities in self-monitoring; e.g., monitoring of the sensory processes by e.g., monitoring of the sensory processes by which information is acquired, and, in which information is acquired, and, in particular, of the modality (cf. Zalla, TSC’00)particular, of the modality (cf. Zalla, TSC’00)

meta-representations have control impact on meta-representations have control impact on the agent’s own future mental processes, the agent’s own future mental processes, focusing of sensory activities, and action focusing of sensory activities, and action

selectionselection

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Related ApproachesRelated Approaches

Zalla in TSC’00 (nr. 278) on source Zalla in TSC’00 (nr. 278) on source modellingmodelling

difference: difference: no formalized architecture proposedno formalized architecture proposed

Cunningham in TSC’00 (nr. 272) on Cunningham in TSC’00 (nr. 272) on axiomatic theoryaxiomatic theory

difference: difference: no explicit reference to traces within no explicit reference to traces within

languagelanguage

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interactivist perspective on grounding of interactivist perspective on grounding of mental states; relation between:mental states; relation between:

mental statemental state and and - interaction with the environment in the - interaction with the environment in the pastpast - potential further interactions in the - potential further interactions in the futurefuture

Conclusion (1)Conclusion (1)

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application of interactivist perspective on application of interactivist perspective on grounding of meta-cognitive states as well; grounding of meta-cognitive states as well; relation between:relation between:

meta-cognitive statemeta-cognitive state and and - mental processes in the past- mental processes in the past - potential mental processes in the future - potential mental processes in the future

Conclusion (2)Conclusion (2)

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result: three-level architecture for meta-result: three-level architecture for meta-cognition that supports cognition that supports introspective introspective capabilitiescapabilities and and self-awarenessself-awareness

Conclusion (3)Conclusion (3)