Reinforcement framework for cognitive learning: imagery as perception-like experience producing learning under ordinary principles¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The paper develops a provisional framework in which an organism equipped with many cognitive S-R habits responds to problem situations by reeling off imaged responses, one of which evokes imagined punishment or reinforcement. Because perception and imagery are "essentially similar functions," imaging a series of events is to some extent perceiving it, so "to image a series of events produces essentially the same neural changes as would be produced by direct experience with the events themselves." Learning from imaged sequences thus links new responses to the situation, and cognition gives rise to behavior in a completely determinate way under ordinary learning principles, with no free decision to use cognitive experience.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A complete reinforcemental view of cognitive learning must offer a self-consistent answer to how cognitive activity can guide overt behavior, per the article's own framing

Constraints¶

• The framework is explicitly provisional, and the author notes the underlying premise that an organism can learn from a sequence of its own images must be regarded as reasonable

Target Learners¶

• organisms generally, including humans, as described in the paper's learning-theory framing

Target Learning Objectives¶

• formation and strengthening of cognitive associations
• guidance of overt behavior by covert cognitive activity

Claims¶

• Imaged Sequences As Surrogate Learning [+M]

Related Theories¶

• Behaviorism
• Programmed instruction framework: six-element operant-conditioning lesson format
• Three-hypothesis framework for the neural relationship between visual imagery and visual perception

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Smith, Kendon. (1973). On the Possibility of a Reinforcement Theory of Cognitive Learning. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED085078