Publisher's Synopsis
Consolidating a series of recent advances in cognitive science, this work describes an animal-based, largely non-symbolic approach to understanding basic mechanisms in adaptive intelligence. It explains concepts and techniques in 20 contributions that provide a balance of both theoretical and empirical approaches.;The essays are connected by the idea that our understanding of cognition is likely to be enhanced by consideration of mechanisms and processes at its foundation - mechanisms that are shared by both human and non-human animals - and which may be implemented and tested in some simulated animals or built robots.;The themes described in the book include: considerations of the perceptual and motor abilities of animals as the evolutionary and conceptual foundation of more complex abilities; modelling focused as much on connections and constraints as on language and symbols; an interest in simple adaptive processes in animals and robots as the basis for more complex forms of learning and adaptation; and a consideration of animals and robots as integrated and situated systems in contrast to the reductionist and environment-free frameworks often seen in standard cognitive science.;The book also considers the question of intentionality in animals - whether they "know they know" or have beliefs - and how that might implicate behaviour. Other sections address how representation, communication, motivation and emotion affect behaviour.
