Metáforas computacionais: o surgimento das ciências cognitivas

História da Psicologia TV

4 Sept 202014:28

Summary

TLDRThis video script delves into the complex history of the human mind's study, from its exclusion in behaviorist psychology of the 1950s to the emergence of cognitive sciences. It highlights key figures like Alan Turing and John von Neumann, who contributed to the concept of the mind as an information processor. The script outlines the interdisciplinary nature of cognitive sciences, linking linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, and discusses the challenges and allure of understanding the mind's computational processes.

Takeaways

🧠 The human mind is a complex scientific and philosophical issue that has been studied since the 19th century but was largely ignored by behaviorist psychology in the 1950s.
📉 The behaviorist approach in American psychology dominated the 1950s, focusing on observable stimuli and behavioral responses, excluding the mind and its processes from research.
🛠️ In 1956, the landscape began to change with the emergence of cognitive sciences, marking a new approach to studying mental phenomena.
💡 Charles Babbage conceptualized the first programmable computer in 1822, and George Boole developed Boolean algebra, laying the groundwork for computer science.
🤖 Alan Turing formulated the idea of a Turing machine in 1936-1937, a theoretical device capable of performing automatic information processing, which is foundational to cybernetics.
🧠 John von Neumann proposed in 1948 that the brain functions like a digital computer, introducing the concept of mental representation as a key theoretical construct in cognitive sciences.
🔄 Mental representations involve the occurrence, transformation, and storage of information-bearing structures, suggesting that mental phenomena are both processes and information processing.
🤖 The Turing Test, introduced by Alan Turing in 1950, challenges the question of machine thinking by asking if a digital computer can perform tasks indistinguishable from human performance.
📚 George Miller's 1956 paper 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two' used computational language to describe cognitive processes, influencing the development of cognitive sciences.
🗣️ Noam Chomsky's 'Syntactic Structures' (1957) argued for the independence of syntax and semantics in language, which is considered a mental phenomenon rather than just behavior.
🔍 Cognitive sciences integrate various disciplines like linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, based on concepts like mental representation and computational theory of mind.
🌐 The rise of cognitive sciences was influenced by the development of computational devices and the telecommunications industry, using computational metaphors to analyze the mind.

Q & A

What was the dominant approach in American psychology during the 1950s?
-During the 1950s, American psychology was dominated by behaviorism, which focused on the empirical study of the relationship between observable stimuli and behavioral responses, largely excluding the concept of mind and its processes from research.
What significant shift occurred in psychology in the mid-20th century?
-In the mid-20th century, there was a significant shift with the emergence of cognitive sciences, which marked a new approach to studying mental phenomena and brought the concept of mind back into scientific inquiry.
Who is credited with the concept of a programmable computer?
-Charles Babbage, a British mathematician, is credited with formulating the concept of a programmable computer for the first time in 1822.
What is Boolean algebra and why was it fundamental for computer creation?
-Boolean algebra, developed by George Boole, is a mathematical system that allows for the use of arithmetic in the field of logic. It was fundamental for computer creation as it enabled the automatic processing of information and the writing of logical connectives in mathematical language.
What was Alan Turing's contribution to the field of cognitive science?
-Alan Turing contributed by formulating the concept of the Turing machine, a theoretical device capable of performing automatic information processing, which laid the groundwork for the development of cybernetics and computational theories of mind.
What is the Turing Test and what does it aim to demonstrate?
-The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing, is a game where a human judge communicates with a computer and a human, without knowing which is which. It aims to demonstrate whether the computer can perform a task in a way that is indistinguishable from a human, thus mimicking human intelligence.
What is the concept of mental representation in cognitive science?
-Mental representation in cognitive science refers to the idea that cognitive states and processes are constituted by the occurrence, transformation, and storage of information-carrying structures. It is a key theoretical construct that underpins cognitive sciences.
What is the significance of George Miller's 'Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two'?
-George Miller's work highlighted the limitations of human information processing capacity, suggesting that the mind can handle between 4 to 9 bits of information per stimulus, and indicated that psychology should follow the path of information science for further exploration.
What is the significance of Noam Chomsky's 'Syntactic Structures' in cognitive science?
-Noam Chomsky's 'Syntactic Structures' introduced the concept of generative grammar, which posits that language is a mental phenomenon rather than just behavioral output. It challenged the behaviorist view of language and contributed to the cognitive approach to linguistics.
How did the cognitive sciences develop in the context of the behaviorist era?
-Cognitive sciences developed as a reaction against the limitations of behaviorism, which excluded the internal structure of the mind from study. Researchers like Chomsky and Miller used computational concepts and theories to describe cognitive processes, leading to a resurgence of interest in the mind.
What are some of the interdisciplinary areas that cognitive sciences integrate?
-Cognitive sciences integrate various interdisciplinary areas such as linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, all based on concepts like mental representation and computational theories of mind.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 The Evolution of Cognitive Science

The study of the human mind has long been a complex scientific and philosophical challenge. In the 19th century, psychology began grappling with this issue. However, by the 1950s, American psychology was dominated by behaviorism, which focused on observable stimulus-response relationships and largely ignored mental processes. This began to change in 1956, marking the start of a new approach to studying mental phenomena. This video discusses the re-emergence of the mind as a subject of scientific study with the advent of cognitive sciences, which blend various disciplines to explore mental representation and information processing.

05:00

💻 Turing's Impact on Cognitive Science

The concept of a programmable computer, first proposed by British mathematician Charles Babbage in 1822, and further developed through George Boole's Boolean algebra, set the stage for the rise of cybernetics and cognitive science. Alan Turing's creation of the Turing Machine in the 1930s, which could process information automatically, was a significant milestone. By 1948, John von Neumann compared the brain to a programmed digital computer, introducing the notion of mental representation as a key concept in cognitive sciences. This metaphorical view of the mind as a computer paved the way for the development of cognitive science.

10:00

🤖 Turing Test and the Rise of Cognitive Sciences

In 1950, Alan Turing explored whether machines could think, proposing the Turing Test, where a computer's ability to perform human-like tasks was examined. This idea, combined with cybernetics and discussions from the 1956 Symposium on Information Theory, contributed to the birth of cognitive sciences. Cognitive science, as defined by Professor Henrique Del Nero, is an interdisciplinary effort to understand the mind and its relationship to the brain. These sciences, which integrate psychology, linguistics, AI, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology, emerged in the mid-20th century, challenging the dominance of behaviorism.

🔢 Miller’s Magic Number and Cognitive Processing Limits

George Miller's 1956 paper, 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two,' explored cognitive processing limits, suggesting that the human mind can hold 4 to 9 bits of information at once. Miller's work used computational language to describe cognitive processes and highlighted the limitations of behaviorism in studying the mind. His research, alongside others, supported the shift towards cognitive science, focusing on the mind's capacity for information processing.

📝 Chomsky’s Influence and Cognitive Science Expansion

Noam Chomsky’s 1957 book, 'Syntactic Structures,' argued for the independence of syntax from semantics, challenging behaviorist views. Chomsky critiqued B.F. Skinner's behaviorist approach to language, advocating instead for the study of internal mental structures. His work, along with contributions from other scholars, played a key role in the development of cognitive sciences. These disciplines continue to explore the complexities of the mind, though they face challenges in addressing emotions, consciousness, society, and the body's role in thought.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Mind

The mind is a central theme in the video, referring to the human cognitive processes and consciousness. It was a subject of scientific and philosophical inquiry, particularly in the 19th century and re-emerged as a key object of study with the advent of cognitive sciences in the mid-20th century. The video discusses the mind's role in processing information and its comparison to computational models.

💡Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a psychological theory that dominated American psychology in the 1950s, focusing on observable behaviors and responses to stimuli, excluding the study of the mind and its processes. The script mentions how behaviorism was challenged by the emergence of cognitive sciences, which reintegrated the concept of the mind into academic discussions.

💡Cognitive Sciences

Cognitive Sciences represent an interdisciplinary field that emerged in the 1950s, aiming to understand the mind and its relationship with the human brain. The video outlines the development of cognitive sciences as a response to the limitations of behaviorism, incorporating concepts like mental representation and computational theories of the mind.

💡Alan Turing

Alan Turing is a pivotal figure in the video, known for his work on the concept of a programmable computer and the Turing machine, which laid the groundwork for modern computing and contributed to the development of cognitive sciences. His famous Turing Test is mentioned as a way to evaluate a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human.

💡Mental Representation

Mental representation is a key theoretical construct in cognitive sciences, referring to the occurrence, transformation, and storage of information-bearing structures in the mind. The video explains that cognitive processes involve these representations, which are central to understanding how the mind functions, akin to a computer processing information.

💡George Miller

George Miller is highlighted for his work 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two,' which is foundational in cognitive psychology. The script uses his research to discuss the capacity of the human mind for processing information, measured in bits of input and output, and its implications for understanding cognitive limitations.

💡Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a prominent figure in the video for his work on linguistics and the development of generative grammar, which posits that language is a mental phenomenon rather than a behavioral one. His critique of behaviorism and emphasis on internal cognitive structures challenge the limitations of behaviorist theories.

💡Information Processing

Information processing is a concept used in the video to describe how the mind handles and transforms sensory input into cognitive representations. It is central to the computational metaphor of the mind, where mental processes are likened to the functioning of a computer.

💡Interdisciplinarity

The video emphasizes the interdisciplinarity of cognitive sciences, which draws from various fields such as linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of the mind, integrating different perspectives and methodologies.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness is mentioned in the video as one of the unresolved challenges for cognitive sciences. It refers to the awareness and perception of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings, which cognitive sciences aim to understand in relation to the brain's functioning and mental processes.

💡Computational Metaphor

The computational metaphor is a central analogy in the video, comparing the mind to a computer in terms of processing information. This metaphor has been influential in shaping the direction of cognitive sciences, emphasizing the mechanistic and algorithmic aspects of cognitive processes.

Highlights

The human mind is a complex scientific and philosophical problem that has been studied since the 19th century but was largely ignored by behaviorist psychology in the 1950s.

Behaviorist psychology focused on observable stimulus-response relationships and excluded mental processes from research.

The emergence of cognitive science in the 1950s marked a shift towards studying mental phenomena again.

Charles Babbage first conceived the idea of a programmable computer in 1822.

George Boole developed Boolean algebra in the mid-19th century, which was crucial for computer creation.

Alan Turing formulated the concept of the Turing machine in 1936-1937, a mechanical device for automatic information processing.

Turing machines combined Boolean logic with arithmetic, paving the way for cybernetics.

In 1942, Norbert Wiener, Arturo Rosenblueth, and others laid the groundwork for cybernetics.

John von Neumann proposed a comparison between the brain and a digital computer in 1948, introducing the concept of mental representation.

Mental representations are structures that carry information, forming the basis of cognitive processes.

The mind can be metaphorically described as a computer that receives, processes, and represents information.

Alan Turing's 1950 article questioned whether machines can think and proposed the imitation game, now known as the Turing Test.

George Miller's 1956 paper 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two' used computational concepts to describe cognitive processes.

Miller's work suggested that human information processing capacity varies between 4 to 9 bits per stimulus.

Noam Chomsky's 1957 book 'Syntactic Structures' argued for the independence of syntax and semantics in language.

Chomsky's work is seen as addressing language as a mental phenomenon, not just behavior.

B.F. Skinner criticized behaviorism's limitations in studying internal mental structures and information processing.

Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field combining concepts from linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, neuroscience, and anthropology.

Cognitive scientists use computational theories and metaphors to understand the mind and its relationship with the human brain.

The development of cognitive science was influenced by advances in computer technology and telecommunications.

Cognitive science has yet to definitively answer complex questions about emotions, consciousness, and the role of society and environment in thought.

Cognitive science has revived interest in the millennia-old problem of mind and consciousness, exploring various theoretical and experimental approaches.