Where am I? : the cognitive architecture of spatial reorientation
Navigation is of fundamental importance to humans, just as it is for other species. And, like most other animal species, we possess a number of distinct navigational processes. This thesis examines navigation, focusing particularly on the widely studied phenomenon of reorientation following disruption to spatial behavior. In typical reorientation experiments, subjects rely on the three-dimensional surface layout of an environment to find a desired goal following disorientation, and they do so to the exclusion of other important spatial cues. An influential explanatory framework aims to account for such findings by holding that subjects possess a modular mechanism known as the geometric module, which only operates on geometric information about three-dimensional extended surfaces. This thesis provides a sustained defense of this framework and develops a new type of geometric-module theory of reorientation. I begin by making the case that, if the general geometric-module framework is right, it has deep implications for two foundational debates in philosophy of psychology: the debate about the nature of mental representations and the debate about the structure of the mind. I then address the two most pressing
Duval, Alexandre
Where am I? : the cognitive architecture of spatial reorientation. Navigation is of fundamental importance to humans, just as it is for other species. And, like most other animal species, we possess a number of distinct navigational processes. This thesis examines navigation, focusing particularly on the widely studied phenomenon of reorientation following disruption to spatial behavior. In typical reorientation experiments, subjects rely on the three-dimensional surface layout of an environment to find a desired goal following disorientation, and they do so to the exclusion of other important spatial cues. An influential explanatory framework aims to account for such findings by holding that subjects possess a modular mechanism known as the geometric module, which only operates on geometric information about three-dimensional extended surfaces. This thesis provides a sustained defense of this framework and develops a new type of geometric-module theory of reorientation. I begin by making the case that, if the general geometric-module framework is right, it has deep implications for two foundational debates in philosophy of psychology: the debate about the nature of mental representations and the debate about the structure of the mind. I then address the two most pressing
cognitive architecture spatial reorientation navigation fundamental_importance human specie like animal specie possess number_distinct navigational process examines navigation focus_particularly widely study phenomenon reorientation follow disruption spatial behavior typical reorientation subject rely three_dimensional surface layout environment desire goal follow exclusion important spatial cue influential explanatory_framework aim account finding hold subject possess modular mechanism know geometric module operate geometric information three_dimensional extended surface provide sustain defense framework_develop new_type geometric module theory reorientation begin make_case general geometric module framework right deep implication foundational debate philosophy psychology debate_nature mental_representation debate structure mind address pressing