Metáforas computacionais: o surgimento das ciências cognitivas

Summary

This 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.