Browsing by Subject "Context"

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Cognition in dynamical systems
(2017-12-07) Hall, John Wendell; Sentis, Luis; Fernandez, Benito R.; Djurdjanovic, Dragan; Stinchcombe, Maxwell; Miikkulainen, Risto
Cognition is the process of knowing. As carried out by a dynamical system, it is the process by which the system absorbs information into its state. A complex network of agents cognizes knowledge about its environment, internal dynamics and initial state by forming emergent, macro-level patterns. Such patterns require each agent to find its place while partially aware of the whole pattern. Such partial awareness can be achieved by separating the system dynamics into two parts by timescale: the propagation dynamics and the pattern dynamics. The fast propagation dynamics describe the spread of signals across the network. If they converge to a fixed point for any quasi-static state of the slow pattern dynamics, that fixed point represents an aggregate of macro-level information. On longer timescales, agents coordinate via positive feedback to form patterns, which are defined using closed walks in the graph of agents. Patterns can be coherent, in that every part of the pattern depends on every other part for context. Coherent patterns are acausal, in that a) they cannot be predicted and b) no part of the stored knowledge can be mapped to any part of the pattern, or vice versa. A cognitive network's knowledge is encoded or embodied by the selection of patterns which emerge. The theory of cognition summarized here can model autocatalytic reaction-diffusion systems, artificial neural networks, market economies and ant colony optimization, among many other real and virtual systems. This theory suggests a new understanding of complexity as a lattice of contexts rather than a single measure.
Comparability and the Analysis of National Constitutions
(2013) Elkins, Zachary
Considerations of the estrous cycle and female gonadal hormones in reward learning and memory
(2021-07-27) Hilz, Emily N.; Lee, Hongjoo Joanne; Monfils, Marie H; Gore, Andrea C; Morikawa, Hitoshi
Reward learning informs adaptive behaviors that allow us to advantageously engage with our environment; however, this learning can become maladaptive in some individuals and result in disordered behaviors like compulsive eating or drug-dependency. While the behavioral and neural substrates of reward learning are well established in males, much less attention has been given to these same systems in females. As females are at increased risk of disordered reward-seeking and female sex steroid hormones are potent modulators of the neural circuitry that underlies reward learning, developing a thorough understanding of how female hormonal states modulate this type of learning will help inform the development of individual-specific therapeutic interventions. In this dissertation, the findings of several studies using rat models of the estrous cycle in both food- and drug-learning are presented. Two aspects of reward learning are explored: renewal of extinguished conditioned food-seeking behavior, and conditioned place preference for amphetamine (AMP). Both paradigms provide novel methodologies for considering endogenous gonadal hormone states as a modulator of female conditioned responding and explore underlying neural mechanisms. Each experiment also considers conditioned orienting behavior as a potential indicator of individual differences in reward learning and memory. The experiments outlined here (1) consider the estrous cycle in the renewal of extinguished food-seeking, (2) examine estrous cycle modulation of immediate early gene Arc mRNA activity following exposure to separate learning contexts in the renewal paradigm, (3) consider conditioned orienting as a predictor of AMP place preference in female rats and, (4) modulate the estrous cycle with hormonal contraceptives to observe subsequent AMP place preference and related response measures. Behaviorally, a consistent result was found wherein the stage of the estrous cycle associated with high endogenous sex steroid hormone levels (i.e., proestrus or P) stimulated female conditioned responding (either increasing the likelihood of renewed food-seeking or contributing to increased drug preference and hedonic drug responsivity). Functionally, P modulated activity in the brain either in dopamine cells or in downstream targets such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These effects depended on the specific learning windows when cycle-stage was considered. From this research it is apparent that the hormonal state of the female learner contributes to behavioral outcomes.
Context matters : the role of settings in sport development
(2011-08) Bowers, Matthew Thomas; Green, B. Christine; Chalip, Laurence; Harrison, Tracie; Hunt, Thomas M.; Todd, Janice
Sport participation in the United States is often characterized as a unitary experience that naturally instills a standardized set of values. In this work, however, I challenge the mythology of a unitary conceptualization of sport participation and examine how the experiences and outcomes of playing sports change depending on the setting in which the participation occurs. Specifically, I undertake an investigation into the differences between playing sports in an organized setting and playing them in an informal, unstructured setting. Drawing from the findings of three distinct studies, I first demonstrate through a mixed-method historical study how the field of sport management has narrowed its focus over time to exclude the more playful forms of sport and physical activity. In the second and third studies, I show the experiential and developmental outcomes that are potentially overlooked by maintaining a narrow definition of sport that excludes sport played in unstructured settings. In the second study, a phenomenological examination of pre-teen youth sport participants reveals that the meaning of the experience of playing youth sports derives not from playing in one setting alone, but emerges through the synthesis of experiences accrued in both organized and unstructured settings. In the third study, the relative influences of time spent participating in organized sports and informal sports during childhood are assessed with respect to the development of participant creativity. Like the phenomenological study, the results of this quantitative analysis again point to the importance of balancing participation in both organized and unstructured settings. The most creative individuals are those who split their sport participation time across both settings, as opposed to individuals with below-average creativity, who spent the majority of their sport participation time in organized settings. Combined, the results of these three studies demonstrate the historical shift (in both research and practice) away from unstructured sport settings, and highlight the potentially transformative sport development implications of reincorporating unstructured sport settings on the overall experiences and outcomes of sport participation.
The Effect of Implicit Context on Memory Integration
(2019-12) Miller, Alexandra A.
While recent work has shown implicit context effects on memory (i.e. memory effects of learning in a shared context without testing the item-context association) in recall and recognition, none have used shifts in natural environments, limiting the translation of these findings to real learning environments. Further, the role of implicit memory in memory integration, the process of bridging across related experiences through the extraction of overlapping features, has not been described. This study examines the degree to which implicit context influences the ability to bridge across related experiences to form integrated memories, using associative inference as a behavioral measure of memory integration. In Experiment 1, an across subject’s associative inference task described by Preston et al, was used to examine implicit context effects on memory integration. In this task initial pairs (AB) were learned in one context followed by the learning of overlapping (BC) and non-overlapping (XY) pairs in the same or different context. Following learning of the overlapping AB and BC pairs, participants were asked to infer the indirect AC relationship. We found both a significant facilitation of the BC learning as compared to XY learning and reduction in response time when the AB and BC pairs had been learned in the same context. To test the individual variance in the encoding of implicit context, in Experiment 2 we used a within subject design. We found that while there was no significant effect of context shift on the inference task, there was a facilitation of the overlapping pair (BC) learning as compared to nonoverlapping pairs (XY) when they were learned in the same environment as the overlapping AB pairs. The inability to replicate the effect on inference, may be attributed to the added contextual shift before the AC inference test. Thus, we hypothesize that the context of the inference test may also be vital in facilitating implicit context effects on memory. Importantly we found that implicit context exhibits memory effects in an associative inference design, affecting the speed with which inferences are made, suggesting that shared implicit context is important in facilitating memory integration.
The effect of situated learning on knowledge transfer of students with and without disabilities in inclusive classrooms : a meta-analysis
(2012) Kim, Jiyoung; Rieth, Herbert J.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the effect of situated learning on the academic performance of students with and without disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms. While previous research has reported the overall effectiveness of situated learning, relatively few studies have been conducted to investigate how situated learning influences students' academic performances in inclusive settings where students with and without disabilities work together. Moreover, although the main interest of situated learning is about how to apply basic knowledge and skills to an authentic context and, beyond this, how to transfer them into a similar but novel situation in everyday life, little has been known about its effectiveness on students' achievement in terms of knowledge transfer. In this study, a meta-analytical statistical method was employed to investigate the effect of situated learning, and its effectiveness was examined according to the three levels of knowledge transfer (knowledge acquisition, application, and transfer). A total of 19 situated-learning studies, both published and unpublished, were analyzed. Each primary study's effect sizes were calculated using Hedges' g with the bias correction and then combined into the three weighted average effect sizes regarding the levels of knowledge transfer. This meta-analytic study found that, on all of the levels of knowledge transfer, the situated learning is effective for the learning of students with and without disabilities in inclusive general education classrooms. In the random effects model, the situated instruction produced a weighted mean effect size estimate of 2.049 for knowledge acquisition, 1.836 for knowledge application, 1.185 for knowledge transfer. In addition, the percentage of students with special needs in general education classrooms had a negative influence on the effectiveness of situated learning. However, the pattern of results also showed that the proportion of students with special needs in general education classrooms does not influence as greatly the learning of knowledge transfer as it does knowledge acquisition or application.
The evaluation of contemporary art with art historical and market criteria : the 3C Model
(2011-12) Richter, Till Florian Alexander; Shiff, Richard; Magee, Stephen P.; Barnitz, Jacqueline E.; Rather, Susan W.; Mahajan, Vijay
For the most recent contemporary art no art historical or price records exist that can testify of its value. However, the market for contemporary art is enormous and the art historical interest in it is equally important. If we can find out how to evaluate contemporary art, it will further the art historical understanding, the market transparence and the sales of contemporary art thus having an influence also on the creation of art (William Grampp). The art historical verdict and the market verdict are linked. This has been proven by a number of economists (Frey, Galenson, Grampp). The question is how they are linked. Basically, both art history and the market contribute to the creation of value in art. What is it that makes art valuable? What are the criteria used in art history and in the market to evaluate art? The focus is on European and US American art between 1970 and today. Evaluation, be it aesthetic or financial, is a process of decision making. Decisions are based on criteria that must be conscious at least after the decision is made (Clement Greenberg). In the art world, certain decision makers are more influential than others. Therefore the dissertation analyzes the most influential positions in art theory and in the art market and distills the essential criteria used. The dissertation seeks to advance the research on this fundamental question of the evaluation of art through a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary study than those previously undertaken. It presents a model that integrates the most important criteria from both sides and allows a more reliable evaluation of contemporary art. The 3C Model explains the ensemble of Quality-Value-Price through three criteria: Change, Connectivity and Context (Time, Space, People). The 3C Model can be used as a general basis in the discourse on value and quality. It is a structural method that can be applied to almost any art from any period. The model is exercised here using Gerhard Richter, François Morellet, Julian Schnabel, Jeff Koons, Sophie Calle and Pipilotti Rist as examples.
Experimental modification of appraisal style : benefits of seeing the big picture
(2014-05) Miller, Janna Virginia; Rude, Stephanie Sandra
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether computer-based cognitive bias modification (CBM) procedures could alter appraisal style toward viewing events from a big picture perspective and thereby influence emotional reactivity. Big picture appraisal entails viewing difficult situations and one's reactions to them in terms of a larger context. Appraisal training was implicit in that participants completed a series of vignettes, framed as a reading comprehension task, which trained either a big picture perspective or a personal/evaluative focus. When subsequently confronted with novel vignettes, participants produced interpretations that were consistent with assigned training condition. In addition, participants trained in big picture as compared to personal/evaluative appraisal subsequently demonstrated less emotional reactivity to a stressful task.
Generic system architecture for context-aware, distributed recommendation
(2016-12) Shah, Neel Harish; Julien, Christine, D. Sc.
In the existing literature on recommender systems, it is difficult to find an architecture for large-scale implementation. Often, the architectures proposed in papers are specific to an algorithm implementation or a domain. Thus, there is no clear architectural starting point for a new recommender system. This paper presents an architecture blueprint for a context-aware recommender system that provides scalability, availability, and security for its users. The architecture also contributes the dynamic ability to switch between single-device (offline), client-server (online), and fully distributed implementations. From this blueprint, a new recommender system could be built with minimal design and implementation effort regardless of the application.
The influence of emotion on the organization of memories
(2024-05) Nadiadwala, Ayesha; Preston, Alison R.; Dunsmoor, Joseph E.; Lila Davachi; Monfils, Marie; Lewis-Peacock, Jarrod
As we continue to live through our experiences, we learn and create memories that may be related or separated from the memories of prior experiences. We separate discrete event memories from a continuous stream of experience across time and combine these discrete memories for generalized knowledge. These remarkable abilities of separation across time and memory integration are central tenets of memory organization that guides behavior. Understanding how emotion may influence both these abilities may suggest a direction in understanding how we adapt behavior in emotional situations. Across and over time, we may either combine and integrate the relevant emotional experiences in memories and/or differentiate them from the rest, preserving the individual memories. In the following dissertation, we explored how memory organizes across time and across discrete memory episodes considering emotional events. We leveraged memory paradigms with neutral events alongside emotional events to understand whether memory organization is any different if emotion is involved. Our findings suggest that negative emotional events may be kept as discrete episodes to preserve details. However, these episodes may combine and integrate over time. While emotion may seem to have an interaction with time, it is not clear how emotion influences the separation and creation of the discrete memories from a continuous experience. Further, our results show that emotion does not influence the mnemonic processes in representing elapsed time itself. Research presented in this dissertation suggests the importance of differences in emotional influences on two different strategies of memory organization across continuous and discrete experiences: differentiation and integration. By considering emotional events, we encourage a future direction towards exploring how these organizational strategies may become maladaptive under extreme circumstances of traumatic events.
Whistle while you work it : the role of energetic state and audience identity in singing mouse vocal effort
(2020-12) Giglio, Erin Marie; Phelps, Steve Michael, 1970-; Ryan, Michael J; Kirkpatrick, Mark; Gore, Andrea C; Cummings, Molly E
Elaborate animal displays serve crucial functions as animals attempt to deploy displays precisely to maximize reproductive rewards and minimize potential costs. These costs include both the potential wasted resources from a failed display and the possibility that a display might evoke attack from a rival or predator. To achieve this, individuals must integrate both internal and external information before deciding whether to signal and how much energy to invest into a given signal. Here we examine display effort in Alston’s singing mouse, Scotinomys teguina. using leptin, a hormone secreted by adipose tissue that regulates energy allocation. We manipulated individual perception of energy balance through intraperitoneal injection of exogenous leptin and social context through playback of conspecific song. Leptin-injected mice responded with song to playback more frequently and quickly than saline-injected controls. Although leptin promoted increased song effort, we found that leptin also reduced song duration. Playback of conspecific songs also increased song effort. We next focused on social context by recording focal males when alone, in the presence of a familiar female mouse, with an unfamiliar female mouse, and with an unfamiliar male mouse. Singing mice produce two distinctive types of songs: the long, well-studied advertisement song and a short “strophe” song that is disproportionately produced in the presence of females. Advertisement songs produced in the presence of females are quieter but longer than those produced in other treatments. These advertisement songs also contain enough information to identify individuals. Upon further analysis of recordings, we find that singing mice also produce short vocalizations that are similar to the ultrasonic vocalizations common in rodents. These are almost never found when alone and are vastly more common in female-directed treatments than in other treatments. A cluster analysis shows that they fall into four distinct types: peeps, sweeps, and warbles, plus the short “strophe” songs discussed previously. All are more commonly produced to female audiences than to other males, and all contain identity information similarly to advertisement songs.