[From Rick Marken (2003.05.07.0910)]
I'm budding in a bit on this conversation between Marc and Dick.
Marc Abrams (2003.05.06.2100) to Dick Robertson
The purpose of this dialogue is not about "being right"
( see my open letter to Bruce Gregory ). It's about how we each understand
the model.
I don't know what dialog you're talking about. But if it's a dialog about PCT then
it's seems to me that, if the goal of such a dialog is understanding the model,
then the dialog has to be about being right (regarding one's understanding of the
model). Why go through all the trouble of trying to learn PCT if the result will
be understand understanding that might be right or wrong.
Hey, maybe I'm wrong. Anyone validate here?
Ah. So you do care about whether your understanding is right or wrong.
Perceptions are "built" from
both sensory data and memory inputs going _up_ the hierarchy, as they are
going up they are continuously coming back down as error signals this is the
control process.
Perceptions are built only from lower level perceptions, the lowest level of
perceptions being sensory data -- perceptions of intensity caused by direct
stimulation of the sensory organs. Memory is not an input; it's a process of
switching reference signals directly into perceptual signals, so that you perceive
what you want to perceive. But the perceptions resulting from this memory process
are still perceptual signals. Higher level perceptions that are built from these
memory-produced perceptions are still built from perceptions. So I think it's best
to think of the hierarchical concept of perception in PCT in terms of higher level
perceptions being built from (or function of) lower level perceptions. Though you
are right that at any time many of these lower level perceptions are likely to
have the source in memory. How much of our perception is built from
memory-produced perceptions is an empirical question. My guess is relatively
little for normal people, quite a bit more for so-called schizophrenics.
The HPCT model ( i.e. our
"understanding" of Awareness, Memory, composition of the hierarchy, etc. )is
largely incomplete.
I think the PCT model of awareness and memory and the hierarchy is far more
complete than any other model I know of in the behavioral sciences. What is far
from complete are the empirical tests of these aspects of the model.
Best regards
Rick
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Richard S. Marken, Ph.D.
Senior Behavioral Scientist
The RAND Corporation
PO Box 2138
1700 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
Tel: 310-393-0411 x7971
Fax: 310-451-7018
E-mail: rmarken@rand.org