The schema-of-the-moment: cognition as a transient functional organization of simultaneously active neuronal elements¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 theoretical), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The paper's central construct is the schema-of-the-moment, a momentary functional pattern created by the simultaneous activity of distributed neuronal elements, replacing the structural view of stored mental templates. The authors state that "it is in/terms of this 'functioning mass of the 'moment,'asBartlett(1932)andHead '(1920)'. 'calledit,thatallcognitiveactivity(including perception, affection, learning, etc.) takes place". It is assumed to be the only structural cognitive pattern existing in an individual at a given time; everything else is neuroanatomic.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A group of neuronal elements must be in a state of simultaneous functioning for a functional pattern to form
• Theoretical terms with unclear referential status should eventually be characterized in terms more closely tied to the biological hardware

Constraints¶

• The account is offered as a theoretical proposal; the authors note the functional view is less fortunate than the structural approach in empirical support
• The authors note compatibility with the nervous system is frequently conspicuously absent from psychological theories, citing Schmitt and Gallistel

Target Learners¶

• adult readers and cognitive theorists
• cognitive theorists and researchers designing theories of cognition and learning

Target Learning Objectives¶

• understanding the functional organization of cognition, comprehension, memory, and learning
• building biologically plausible theories of cognition, memory, and comprehension

Claims¶

• Cognition is a transient phenomenon created by the functioning of distributed components of the nervous system [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Functional-relations typology: logical, pragmatic, and pure consonance, with dissonance as a post-functional unstable state
• Cognitive learning theory: learners are active, build on prior learning, and learning is a change in mental structures
• Cognitivism

Examples¶

Key Sources¶

• Iran-Nejad, Asghar & Ortony, Andrew. (1982). Cognition: A Functional View. Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED215308