# Associative memory and reference values

**URL:** <http://discourse.iapct.org/t/associative-memory-and-reference-values/1337>\
**Category:** CSG2015\
**Created:** [September 17, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/associative-memory-and-reference-values/1337 "2015-09-17T22:38:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PHILIP\_JERAIR\_YERANO](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/bc79bd/32.png) [@PHILIP\_JERAIR\_YERANO](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/PHILIP_JERAIR_YERANO)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/associative-memory-and-reference-values/1337/1 "2015-09-17T22:38:08Z")

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I want to bounce this thought off somebody. (I hypothesize that) when an event occurs very suddenly, the selection of a reference level may occur unconsciously (straight through associative memory) rather than consciously (via a higher level control system output). For instance, suppose you accidentally say something related to what somebody else just said _while_ you were speaking about something else (whatever it is you were talking about). After it occurs, you realize that you did something because of a rapid association caused by some stimulus (what he said made me think of A, which made me say B). This would be a situation where the stimulus (at the input function) has an effect on the reference value through associative memory. Only later does a higher system adjust the reference value. Is this an illusion?

![image269.png](http://discourse.iapct.org/uploads/default/original/1X/3dc5c5268788d142a12ebe529ffdfcba5688efbf.png)

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**Author:** ![rupert](http://discourse.iapct.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/f14d63/32.png) [@rupert](http://discourse.iapct.org/u/rupert)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](http://discourse.iapct.org/t/associative-memory-and-reference-values/1337/2 "2015-09-18T20:17:19Z")

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[From Rupert Young (2015.09.18 22.00)]

> ```
> I want to bounce this thought off somebody. (I hypothesize
> 
> ```
> 
> that) when an event occurs very suddenly, the selection of a  
> reference level may occur unconsciously (straight through  
> associative memory) rather than consciously (via a higher  
> level control system output). For instance, suppose you  
> accidentally say something related to what somebody else just  
> said _while_ you were speaking about something else  
> (whatever it is you were talking about). After it occurs, you  
> realize that you did something because of a rapid association  
> caused by some stimulus (what he said made me think of A,  
> which made me say B). This would be a situation where the  
> stimulus (at the input function) has an effect on the  
> reference value through associative memory. Only later does a  
> higher system adjust the reference value. Is this an  
> illusion?

```
Not sure I follow you, but have been thinking about this sort of

```

thing. Do you mean at the same level? I would see associative  
memory working up the levels to activate higher nodes/systems and  
the outputs set different references for lower systems than those  
that were being controlled.

```
Here's an example that might be similar to what you are thinking.

```

Suppose you are in a foreign shop and want to ask for some  
strawberries, but don’t know the word, so can’t ask for them.  
However, someone tells you that the word is jagoda, so now you  
associate that word with “strawberry” and are able to use jagoda as  
a reference in your language. So the components “ja” “go” “da” at a  
lower system activates, at a higher system, “strawberry”. Likewise  
“strawberry”, at the higher level now, through association,  
activates the lower level components “ja” “go” “da”, in sequence.

```
Incidentally, in this situation one has learned something new

```

(jagoda) and it is an interesting question whether this involves  
reorganisation. It doesn’t seem so, as you are already familiar with  
the components sounds (or letters) and are easily able to associate  
them with the concept. If the language had been Klingon, say, the  
sounds and symbols with which you are unfamiliar you would not have  
been able to make the association until reorganisation had taken  
place to learn the basic components.

```
I would think that events like this happen often unconsciously and

```

result in control going off in directions not originally intended.  
Though I would think it occurs up and down the levels rather than  
within a level, as indicated by your diagram.

> ![image269.png](http://discourse.iapct.org/uploads/default/original/1X/3dc5c5268788d142a12ebe529ffdfcba5688efbf.png)

```
Regards,

Rupert

```

> **···**
>
> On 18/09/2015 00:38, PHILIP JERAIR YERANOSIAN wrote: