Understanding the Cognitive and Neurobiological Systems Involved in Categorization Behaviour

了解分类行为涉及的认知和神经生物学系统

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-05914
• 负责人: Minda, John
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=715842
• 关键词: Understanding; Cognitive; Neurobiological; Systems; Involved

The primary goal of my work is to develop a comprehensive theory of how categories are learned and how conceptual knowledge is utilized. Classification involves perceiving an object, activating memory representations, assessing similarity to these representations, and making a decision. Some theories have focused on the nature of the representations and there is evidence that categories are represented as clusters of similar memories or as single, abstract prototypes. Other theories have focused on how learners formulate rules in the decision process. Collectively, these theories account for a wide variety of existing phenomena but many models are lacking in how they map onto brain structure and function. As well, some models and theories account for the same phenomena with differing assumptions. In order for the field to progress, research should strive to reconcile these differences and to identify how these models account for biological and well as cognitive phenomena. The proposed research advances our understanding of the science of categorization and creates new opportunities for exploration and discovery. I am proposing several studies to examine the fundamental cognitive mechanisms that operate when people learn categories. The data will be used to validate and refine existing computational models of categorization that were developed in my previous NSERC grants. These models will be used to generate predictions for advancing the computational cognitive neuroscience of categorization. I will build on recent work in my lab that measured electrophysiology in the brain by collecting EEG while participants learned novel concepts. I am also proposing an fMRI study to examine the role of a specific area of the human hippocampal system, the perirhinal cortex, that may play a role in the integration of new percepts with existing memory. This region may be less active in older adults and this reduced activity may be responsible for age-related deficits observed in our earlier work. My research is significant to the cognitive sciences in general because an understanding of categorization is crucial to the understanding of other abilities such as language, problem solving, and reasoning. The results of my research also help to inform the field on the optimal learning and performance environments in different scenarios. My research program has been enhanced by recent investments by the University and the Federal and Provincial governments targeting the study of cognitive neuroscience at Western University. This includes a new research building completed in 2017 that houses the Brain and Mind Institute. My research lab, doctoral students, master's students, and undergraduates, are housed in this new facility. These students will be involved in all stages of the proposed research program, will co-author peer-reviewed publications, and will present the research at national and international conferences.

我工作的主要目标是发展一个关于如何学习类别和如何利用概念知识的综合理论。分类包括感知一个物体，激活记忆表征，评估与这些表征的相似性，并做出决定。一些理论关注表征的本质，有证据表明，类别被表征为相似记忆的集群或单个抽象原型。其他理论关注的是学习者如何在决策过程中制定规则。总的来说，这些理论解释了各种各样的现有现象，但许多模型缺乏如何映射到大脑结构和功能。同样，一些模型和理论用不同的假设来解释相同的现象。为了使该领域取得进展，研究应该努力调和这些差异，并确定这些模型如何解释生物和认知现象。提出的研究促进了我们对分类科学的理解，并为探索和发现创造了新的机会。