Understanding memory and knowledge

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In spite of its obvious importance to understanding thought, we have only recently found a way to represent the meaning of words in a way that is both mathematically tractable and psychologically / physiologically plausible. The research proposed here addresses how to use the newly discovered representation of meaning in formal models of memory and thought. The proposal includes an analysis of how the structure of our semantic space changes when our vocabulary stabilizes as we age. An applied aspect of the analysis lies in the possibility that abnormal changes in structure may provide an early and simple-to-administer diagnosis for dementia. The work also focuses on the dynamics of semantic classification by asking whether semantic classification exhibits the shifts in representation known to occur from trial to trial in perceptual classification. Current theory assumes that classification should work the same way in both perceptual and semantic examples. If both perceptual and semantic classification do not share common dynamics, current accounts of the classification process will have to be revised. I also consider how meaning is used in standard learning tasks by considering the mechanism underlying proactive interference and the mechanism by which people organize material when they are asked to learn it. Finally, I consider how an analysis of memory and thought informed by the newly discovered representation of meaning can be reconciled with established accounts of memory. The work is important for theory on cognition: it is the beginning of a revolution in thinking that includes meaning as a driver of basic processes. Heretofore, theory largely ignored meaning in favour of structural ideas exemplified by the modal model's focus on short- and long-term memory. The work has the potential to benefit medical diagnosis and to impact planning and treatment of dementia. Finally, the work will train graduate students and PDFs in cutting edge work in the mathematical understanding of thought.