Mental states as generalizations from experience: a neuro-computational hypothesis |
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Authors: | Marco Mazzone |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Human Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italymazzonem@unict.it |
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Abstract: | The opposition between behaviour- and mind-reading accounts of data on infants and non-human primates could be less dramatic than has been thought up to now. In this paper, I argue for this thesis by analysing a possible neuro-computational explanation of early mind-reading, based on a mechanism of associative generalization which is apt to implement the notion of mental states as intervening variables proposed by Andrew Whiten. This account allows capturing important continuities between behaviour-reading and mind-reading, insofar as both are supposed to be just different kinds of generalization from perceptual experience. Specifically, I will argue that the projection of inner experiences to others which is involved in early mind-reading does not imply a computational leap beyond associative generalization from perceptual experience. |
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Keywords: | mind-reading behaviour-reading mental states intervening variables associative processes |
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