Modeling adaptive cooperative and competitive metaphors as mental models for joint decision making

In this paper, joint decision making processes are studied and the role of cognitive metaphors as mental models in them. A second-order self-modeling network model is introduced based on mechanisms known from cognitive and social neuroscience and cognitive metaphor and mental model literature. The cognitive metaphors were modeled as specific forms of mental models providing a form of modulation within the joint decision making process. The model addresses not only the use of these mental models in the decision making, but also their hebbian learning and the control over the learning. The obtained self-modeling network model was applied to two types of metaphors that affect joint decision making in different manners: a cooperative metaphor and a competitive metaphor. By a number of scenarios it was shown how the obtained self-modeling network model can be used to simulate and analyze joint decision processes and how they are influenced by such cognitive metaphors.     

A second-order adaptive network model for emotion regulation in addictive social media behaviour

Social media addiction has spread rapidly among young people in recent years. Individuals with social media addiction are more likely to avoid and suppress negative emotions instead of reappraising these emotions, which can cause psychological and even physical harm. This study presents a second-order adaptive mental network model to simulate the process of emotion regulation in social media addicts and the impacts of stress and therapy in this process. This network model can use three types of emotion regulation strategies: suppression, avoidance (by escaping to social media), and reappraisal. Using this model, two scenarios for a person with social media addiction are compared: with and without therapy. It is found that if therapy successfully improves the regulation by reappraisal, the use of suppression and avoidance can be reduced. Characteristics of this model were tuned by simulated annealing, using data points estimated from psychological literature, indicating that the model matches well with empirical information. The presented mental network model may also be used for other types of addictions which involve avoidance of emotions, such as alcohol abuse and game addiction.     

Learning Łukasiewicz logic

The integration between connectionist learning and logic-based reasoning is a longstanding foundational question in artificial intelligence, cognitive systems, and computer science in general. Research into neural-symbolic integration aims to tackle this challenge, developing approaches bridging the gap between sub-symbolic and symbolic representation and computation. In this line of work the core method has been suggested as a way of translating logic programs into a multilayer perceptron computing least models of the programs. In particular, a variant of the core method for three valued Łukasiewicz logic has proven to be applicable to cognitive modelling among others in the context of Byrne’s suppression task. Building on the underlying formal results and the corresponding computational framework, the present article provides a modified core method suitable for the supervised learning of Łukasiewicz logic (and of a closely-related variant thereof), implements and executes the corresponding supervised learning with the backpropagation algorithm and, finally, constructs a rule extraction method in order to close the neural-symbolic cycle. The resulting system is then evaluated in several empirical test cases, and recommendations for future developments are derived.     

Typicality, graded membership, and vagueness

This paper addresses theoretical problems arising from the vagueness of language terms, and intuitions of the vagueness of the concepts to which they refer. It is argued that the central intuitions of prototype theory are sufficient to account for both typicality phenomena and psychological intuitions about degrees of membership in vaguely defined classes. The first section explains the importance of the relation between degrees of membership and typicality (or goodness of example) in conceptual categorization. The second and third section address arguments advanced by Osherson and Smith (1997), and Kamp and Partee (1995), that the two notions of degree of membership and typicality must relate to fundamentally different aspects of conceptual representations. A version of prototype theory-the Threshold Model-is proposed to counter these arguments and three possible solutions to the problems of logical selfcontradiction and tautology for vague categorizations are outlined. In the final section graded membership is related to the social construction of conceptual boundaries maintained through language use.     

Mass Nouns in a Logic of Classes as Many

A semantic analysis of mass nouns is given in terms of a logic of classes as many. In previous work it was shown that plural reference and predication for count nouns can be interpreted within this logic of classes as many in terms of the subclasses of the classes that are the extensions of those count nouns. A brief review of that account of plurals is given here and it is then shown how the same kind of interpretation can also be given for mass nouns.     

On Modal <Emphasis Type="Italic">μ</Emphasis>-Calculus and Gödel-Löb Logic

We show that the modal μ-calculus over GL collapses to the modal fragment by showing that the fixpoint formula is reached after two iterations and answer to a question posed by van Benthem in [4]. Further, we introduce the modal μ ^~-calculus by allowing fixpoint constructors for any formula where the fixpoint variable appears guarded but not necessarily positive and show that this calculus over GL collapses to the modal fragment, too. The latter result allows us a new proof of the de Jongh, Sambin Theorem and provides a simple algorithm to construct the fixpoint formula. Presented by Melvin Fitting     

Pentylenetetrazole as an unconditioned stimulus for olfactory and contextual fear conditioning in rats

The association of five footshocks with a neutral odor is able to establish an olfactory fear conditioning in rats. The present study sought to investigate whether the systemic administration of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ; 3.75–15 mg/kg) would turn the coffee odor in a conditioned stimulus in the fear conditioning paradigm. The results showed that rats started to display risk assessment and avoidance after PTZ (15 mg/kg)–coffee odor pairing. When three mild footshocks (0.4 mA for 2 s) were delivered during this pairing, the conditioned response exhibited was greater than before. In both cases, however, pretreatment with the benzodiazepine midazolam (MDZ. 0.5 mg/kg i.p.) fully counteracted the expression of these defensive behaviors. Moreover, after being paired with 15 mg/kg of PTZ alone or combined with footshocks, the coffee odor was able to promote a new fear conditioning related to the context where it was re-exposed. The present findings point out the usefulness of PTZ as an unconditioned stimulus to promote fear conditioning to olfactory and contextual cues in rats.     

"Articulation"与后马克思主义的偶然性逻辑--从拉克劳和墨菲的"articulation"谈起

该文认为,“articulation”是拉克劳、墨菲的后马克思主义的一个核心概念,它的基本意思是“链结”。该文从词源上考察了“articulation”一词的意义及其历史演变,并对其基本含义和特征做了深入的分析。该文认为,链接是理解后马克思主义的偶然性逻辑的核心概念。链接是发生在主体身份之间的,话语性的,偶然性的建构实践活动。但拉克劳、墨菲的链接虽然力图避免近代哲学的本质主义和还原主义,但却仍然避免不了其精致的“唯心”倾向和向上的还原论的嫌疑。我们对此要有清晰的认识。