Derived Embodiment in Abstract Language

246 Pages·2017·2.18 MB·English

by  Theresa Schilhab (auth.)

Theresa Schilhab
Derived
Embodiment in
Abstract Language
Derived Embodiment in Abstract Language
Theresa Schilhab
Derived Embodiment
in Abstract Language
123
Theresa Schilhab
DPU, FutureTechnologies,
Culture andLearning,
DanishSchoolof Education
University of Aarhus
Copenhagen
Denmark
ISBN978-3-319-56055-7 ISBN978-3-319-56056-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56056-4
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017935557
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This is rather as if you imagine a puddle
waking up one morning and thinking, ‘This is
an interesting world I find myself in—an
interesting hole I find myself in—fits me
rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me
staggeringly well, must have been made to
have me in it!’ This is such a powerful idea
that as the sun rises in the sky and the air
heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets
smaller and smaller, it’s still frantically
hanging on to the notion that everything’s
going to be alright, because this world was
meant to have him in it, was built to have him
in it; so the moment he disappears catches
him rather by surprise (Adams 1998).
Preface
This book is about learning and knowledge as the abilities that ground appropriate
responses to an ever-changing world. It is also a synthesis of many disciplines.
Although the neurobiological and the cognitive perspectives frame the work,
throughout, the assumption has been that learning and knowledge are multifaceted
phenomena and that transgression of traditional academic boundaries is necessary
in order to grasp them in their entirety.
Thus, this multidisciplinary attempt mirrors the complexity and heterogeneity
of the theme. Learning and knowledge are both tacit and automatic as well as
voluntary and socially endorsed processes. Any attempt to address these phe-
nomena must cope with the risk of internally contrasting perspectives and the
challenge of numerous blind spots since only a selection of academically relevant
sources may be covered.
However,explaininghumanknowledgeacquisitionwiththeevolutionaryorigin
ofcognitionin mindinanattempttoaddresshumansaspartofthebiologicalworld
is worth the putative vulnerability and in some places academic weakness.
I have benefited tremendously from generous readers who commented on
chaptersintheirareasofexpertise:GitteBalling,SimonNørby,CathrineHasseand
Claus Emmeche. I also wish to thank the many students who have participated in
inspiring exchanges throughout the years.
In particular, I wish to thank my mother Ute Schmidt who in her professional
career as teacher impersonates what I attempt to scientifically address. I thank
my geologist husband Niels Hansen to whom I always turn because of his
exceptionally competent ability to grasp ideas outside his own discipline and
awaken them to life. Uncountable are the numbers of days we migrated with our
dogs sharing thoughts. Lastly, my greatest debts are to my children, Maximilian,
Nathalia, Ruben, Adrian and Rakel, my main teachers with whom I daily
re-experience and interpret life and to whom I dedicate this work.
Hareskov, Denmark Theresa Schilhab
April 2017
vii
Contents
1 Introduction to the Book . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 The Material World .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.2 Embodied Cognition.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 3
1.3 Interactional and Contributory Knowledge.. .... .... ..... .... 6
1.4 Themes.... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 10
1.4.1 On the Agenda ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 11
1.4.2 Other Approaches... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
1.4.3 Introducing ‘Derived Embodiment’.. .... .... ..... .... 16
1.5 Obvious Objections .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 21
1.5.1 Embodied Cognition and Representations. .... ..... .... 21
1.5.2 Language as Representation ... .... .... .... ..... .... 23
1.5.3 The Concrete and the Abstract . .... .... .... ..... .... 25
1.5.4 Linguistic Stages.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 28
1.6 Content of the Book.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 30
2 Interactional Expertise ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 35
2.1 The Tacit Dimension . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 35
2.2 Red Herrings?... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 38
2.3 Empirical Results .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 40
2.4 The Midwife Case ... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 43
2.5 The Role of the Body. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 44
2.6 The Body-Language Relation.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 47
2.7 The Primacy of Language... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49
2.8 Pretence and Lying... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 50
2.8.1 Misinformation Studies... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 53
3 Grounded Cognition. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 57
3.1 Empirical Results .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 58
3.2 Biological Considerations... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 60
ix
x Contents
3.3 Links Between Language and Perception... .... .... ..... .... 63
3.3.1 Process of Linguification.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 66
3.4 Fire Together, Wire Together.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 68
3.4.1 What Correlates to the Correlate?... .... .... ..... .... 69
3.4.2 Neural Aggregates and Categories—An Example.... .... 71
3.5 Bottom-Up and Top-Down.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 72
3.5.1 Zooming in on Selection.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 73
3.6 Implicit Processes in Linguification ... .... .... .... ..... .... 75
3.6.1 What About Accessibility? .... .... .... .... ..... .... 77
3.6.2 Entering the Correlate Using ‘Back Doors’.... ..... .... 79
3.7 Attention and Top-Down Processing .. .... .... .... ..... .... 82
3.8 Summing up Linguification Processes, Back Doors,
and Linguistic Handles..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 84
4 Concrete and ‘Abstract’ Knowledge . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 87
4.1 World Constraints on Concrete Knowledge . .... .... ..... .... 89
4.2 The Switch from Bottom-Up to Top-Down . .... .... ..... .... 93
4.3 The Concrete and the Abstract... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 95
4.3.1 Four Neural Modes of Existence.... .... .... ..... .... 97
4.3.2 Differences in on-Line and off-Line Representations?. .... 100
4.4 The Phenomenal Feel in Linguification .... .... .... ..... .... 102
4.4.1 Emotion Words..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 106
4.4.2 A-Consciousness Versus P-Consciousness .... ..... .... 107
4.4.3 b- and t-Re-enactments Reconsidered .... .... ..... .... 110
4.4.4 Automatic or Voluntary Activation of Imagery?..... .... 111
4.5 Rumination Studies: When Words Are Imageless. .... ..... .... 113
4.6 The Switch from External Perception to Internal
Representation .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 115
4.6.1 Cognitive Load..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 117
4.6.2 The Internal State ... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 118
4.7 The Role of the Conversational Partner .... .... .... ..... .... 121
4.7.1 Repair in Conversation ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 123
5 Derived Embodiment and Interactional Expertise .. .... ..... .... 127
5.1 Particular Neural Correlates as Handles .... .... .... ..... .... 128
5.2 Words as Perceptual Inducers.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 130
5.2.1 The Virtual Room... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 132
5.3 Interlocutor Tricks of the Trade .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 134
5.3.1 Instructions, Top-Down and Bottom-Up
Linguistic Tools .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 135
5.4 Conversations Are Cooperative Constructs.. .... .... ..... .... 139
5.4.1 Varying Levels of the Interlocutor .. .... .... ..... .... 141
Contents xi
5.5 Derived Embodiment . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 142
5.5.1 Example 1: Aversive Fear Conditioning.. .... ..... .... 143
5.5.2 Example 2: Metaphorical Expressions in Singer
Education .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 146
5.6 Metaphors in Neural Terms . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 148
5.6.1 Single Use and Common Metaphors. .... .... ..... .... 150
6 Mental Applications . .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 153
6.1 Effects on Cognitive Content and Functioning... .... ..... .... 155
6.1.1 Cultivation of Phenomenal Processes .... .... ..... .... 155
6.1.2 Degrees of Freedom . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 158
6.2 Cognitive Changes... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 160
6.3 Increasing Working Memory Capacity. .... .... .... ..... .... 162
6.4 What Meditation Says About Mind Training .... .... ..... .... 166
6.5 Perceptual Agility.... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 169
6.6 Reading as Exemplification of WMC.. .... .... .... ..... .... 171
6.7 Advanced Cognition and Imagination.. .... .... .... ..... .... 173
7 Educational Implications.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 179
7.1 Neural Considerations in Education ... .... .... .... ..... .... 181
7.2 Direct Experience and Entry by Back Doors .... .... ..... .... 183
7.2.1 Thoughts on Deeper Understanding . .... .... ..... .... 186
7.2.2 Phenomenal Richness and Cognitive Load .... ..... .... 188
7.3 Cognitive Load and Attention Restoration Theory (ART) ... .... 189
7.4 Post-competent Language Phase and Concrete Crutches..... .... 191
7.5 Japanese Interpreters in Brazil ... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 193
8 Issues to Consider... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 197
8.1 Limiting Conditions .. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 199
8.2 Expanding the Vocabulary—ToM .... .... .... .... ..... .... 201
8.2.1 Two Categories of Mental State Contribution.. ..... .... 203
8.2.2 Learning ToM and Derived Embodiment Mechanisms.... 204
8.2.3 Empirical Studies on Top-Down Control of ToM.... .... 207
8.3 The Definition of Abstract Knowledge in Derived
Embodiment? ... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 211
8.3.1 How Is the ‘Weather’ Concept Acquired?. .... ..... .... 212
8.4 Phenomenal and Interoceptive Crutches.... .... .... ..... .... 214
8.5 Status of Derived Embodiment Knowledge . .... .... ..... .... 216
8.6 Linguistic Tolerance.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 217
8.7 Concluding Remarks . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 220
References.... .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 223
Chapter 1
Introduction to the Book
1.1 The Material World
To biologists, cognition is the set of abilities that permits organisms to navigate
aptly in relation to both their physical and social environment. In evolutionary
terms, any organism that successfully tracks regularities in the surroundings as
signsofconcealedphenomenaorevents(e.g.,anticipates)increasesitscompetitive
fitness and the chance of contributing to successive generations. Apparently, the
ability to track and appropriately respond connects organisms to the world’s con-
tingencies.Incessantexperienceswiththeenvironmentandsubsequentretentionin
memory drive cognitive abilities. Why is this important? First, the dependence on
immersion accentuates that reality in the form of concrete perceptible material
locatedintimeandspaceiscentraltotheprinciplesgoverningcognitiveprocesses.
Thus,cognitionandlearningarecontextuallyandprocessuallydefinedphenomena
which only make sense in a dynamically changing world. Second, cognitive pro-
cesses, which in humans include linguistic processes, involve some kind of rep-
resentation of ‘real’ phenomena. Philosophically, representations are met with
skepticism.Inbiologicalterms,however,itmakessensetomaintainthatorganisms
represent their worlds, somehow. What is actually meant by representation will
soonbecomeclear.Here,itsufficestopositthatrepresentationsarecorrelatesofthe
‘now’ of the organism. The now entails both responses to the environment, inte-
roception and memory (Barrett, 2009). Thus, it is important to note that any rep-
resentation is a conglomerate of several processes spread over time and space and
not merely based on the here and now of the body in the world. Furthermore, the
conglomeratemaybeinterpretedatanumberoflevels.Attheneurallevel,whichis
tosomeextentpursuedhere,theconglomeratemaybedissectedasongoingneural
activity based on molecular processes. Representations could, however, also be
addressed at the functional survival level, phenomenologically, at the level of the
experience of the current state of mind, at the level of external influences, at the
level of social groups, etc. The ambition to describe cognition will often traverse
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T.Schilhab,DerivedEmbodimentinAbstractLanguage,
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-56056-4_1