Neuroconstructivism Volume TwoPerspectives and Prospects

Abstract

What 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. This book 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. This book illustrates the principles of neuroconstructivist development, with contributions from nine 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 models as well as multi-agent models. Also included are robotic models emphasizing the need to take embodiment and brain-system interactions seriously. A model of autism and one of specific language impairment also illustrate how atypical development can be understood in terms of the typical processes of development but operating under restricted conditions.