Description
Book SynopsisWhat are the processes, from conception to adulthood, that enable a single cell to grow into a sentient adult? The processes that occur along the way are so complex that any attempt to understand development necessitates a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating data from cognitive studies, computational work, and neuroimaging - an approach till now seldom taken in the study of child development.Neuroconstructivism is a major new 2 volume publication that seeks to redress this balance, presenting an integrative new framework for considering development. Computer and robotic models provide concrete tools for investigating the processes and mechanisms involved in learning and development. Volume 2 illustrates the principles of ''Neuroconstructivist'' development, with contributions from 9 different labs across the world. Each of the contributions illustrates how models play a central role in understanding development. The models presented include standard connectionist neural network mo
Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Constructing visual function through prenatal and postnatal learning ; 3. Learning the best first: interactions between visual development and learning ; 4. Why let networks grow? ; 5. Modeling cognitive developmental transitions in neural networks: bifurcations in an adaptive resonance theory model ; 6. Connectionism in an artificial life perspective: simulating motor, cognitive and language development ; 7. Using robots to study the mechanisms of imitation ; 8. What neuro-robotic models can teach us about neural and cognitive development ; 9. Phonological deficits and developmental language impairments: evidence from connectionist models ; 10. A neural network model of autism: implications for theory and treatment ; 11. Conclusion - the future of neuroconstructivism
