From the perspective of information system, no matter what mysterious content it contains, it is always reflected in some data in the brain. These data express the attributes of cognitive objects and their relationship with other things, which can be maintained (stored), awakened (read) and modified repeatedly.
Firstly, a basic assumption about "expression" (or information representation) is introduced: the expression of information can be divided into two basic forms: "image" and "sentence", and only these two basic forms. Wherein "image" is a feature presentation; A statement is a linguistic expression, that is, a text. These two expressions are not mutually exclusive and are often mixed together.
This proposition is based on experience and intuition-I can't seem to find an exception in the observation of information expression, but I don't know how to prove it, so I take it as a hypothesis. This is the first time I put forward this hypothesis, and it is also a basic premise of this topic discussion.
We will discuss the information involved in cognitive activities directly from these two types, and put forward some more detailed types in the process.
In the discussion of cognitive process, it is pointed out that "feeling" is the process of collecting original data. The most primitive data obtained by the brain is data obtained through the senses, that is, data that can be directly obtained through sight, hearing, smell, taste or touch. For example, we can re-identify the scenery we visited, or identify specific people only by sound. By tasting, we can easily distinguish grapefruit from orange. You can remember the taste of a specific taste for a long time and compare it with a new feeling. These sensory memories are not "concepts" (such as spicy taste and red color), but some original sensory data. The brain can induce some concepts (such as red, spicy, osmanthus, phonetic symbols, baby face, aquiline nose, etc.). ) and connect them with other things (data), but this description is essentially different from the original sensory memory-as a basic experience, we can't reconstruct a specific sensory memory through language, but can only reproduce or use it through the same sensory process. The only way for us to empathize with others is to reproduce through the same sensory process with the help of some template, for example, drawing or identifying the people we have seen in the painting; By comparing different fragrance templates repeatedly, we can get a template that is "similar" to the fragrance in memory, and so on. Others must use the same sensory process-such as looking at a painting or smelling a template-to really get similar sensory memory.
The above observation is very important. Simply put, the brain can store, modify and reuse the memories brought by the senses (such as comparison and correlation), but the original sensory data can not be directly expressed in language, and can only be reproduced through the same sensory process. Although it is difficult to guess the specific form of these sensory memories stored in the brain, combined with the assumptions introduced in the last section, I think this primitive sensory memory that cannot be expressed in words is a real "image". The above basic features can be called "reproduction features" of images.
Image is the most basic sensory data, but it is not the only data "by feeling". We often make such "statements": the drinks we drink at dinner taste like oranges, and the kung pao chicken we eat is very spicy. On the one hand, these statements are related to specific image materials, on the other hand, they are also related to other concepts or materials. Their form of expression is "statement" of language, which is directly dependent on or related to it, and uses a variety of sensory images, which is "statement of facts". Sometimes, it can also be called "phenomenon statement" or "experience" in general.
In my opinion, sensory images and factual statements are two basic materials produced in the process of cognitive perception, which can be imagined as text mixed with illustrations or pictures annotated with words. On the other hand, even simple and original images are not simple "pictures", but the organization of many images with complex relationships (including spatial and temporal relationships), which can also be collectively called "experience".
On the basis of "factual statement", "theoretical statement" can be further introduced. Humans can obtain information directly through language and form cognition. For example, you can make the following statement about grapefruit in words: "Grapefruit is pear-shaped, but it is bigger. When it is ripe, its skin is yellow, soft and thick, its flesh is orange, but its granules are more solid, its juice is almost transparent and colorless, and its taste is sweet and often slightly sour. A person who has never seen grapefruit can correctly distinguish it from some strange fruits by reading this statement.
For those who directly observe and taste grapefruit and make the above statement, this is an observation record, that is, a factual statement; For the brain that has no relevant experience and needs to read and understand the above statement, it is an "external theory". The theory and facts here are relative to the cognitive state of a specific brain. For the latter, with the accumulation of experience in observing and tasting grapefruit, similar statements gradually become an experience, which is the change of cognitive state of specific cognitive individuals.
Although in practice, the boundary between theoretical statement and factual statement is vague and dynamic, I think it is an important distinction. Further discussion on this issue may need to involve the level of hypothesis, proof, reasoning and even theory (logical system), as well as some substantive issues in the process of advanced feeling and thinking (such as complex measurement, the theory of measurement system itself, etc.). ).
The cognitive state of a specific individual is classified as a credible foreign or pre-known theoretical statement, which can also be called "knowledge". They are regarded as transcendental and instructive things in the process of individual cognition, and will be directly used for reasoning and guiding actions. It can be noted that in this concept of knowledge, those sensory images that cannot be expressed in words are actually quietly excluded. (Of course, there are many complicated problems behind this, such as fictional or virtual images. ) Knowledge (or theory) is relative and dynamic in individual cognitive state. In the real world, any normal brain will absorb a lot of knowledge and accumulate its own sensory experience (image) and factual statements. In this way, for a specific individual, the relative boundary between factual statement and theoretical statement (knowledge) changes with the accumulation of his own experience, but his state can be determined in a specific brain at a specific time.
As shown in the figure, the cognitive process discussed above involves three basic data types, namely, the relationship between sensory images, factual statements, theoretical statements and cognitive objects. In fact, sensory image and its explanation-fact statement may be closely combined and play an important role in the whole cognitive structure, that is, the model.
The basic cognitive process is the cognitive process of some specific objects. Obviously, the brain can't directly deal with the external world objects in its mind, so it is necessary to establish some kind of "substitute" as a "model" of cognitive objects. In the process of understanding a specific object, the model represents "fact", and in the cognitive cycle, it depends on "feeling", which is composed of sensory images and explanations (factual statements) of the cognitive object and is related to other materials.
In the model of cognitive objects, images and sentences may be closely matched and inseparable, just like "articles and illustrations" or "charts with text descriptions". In fact, a large number of practical models, such as software/information field and business modeling field, are just a mixture of these two types-statements and mappings. For abstract or fictional things, there is no real-world entity at all, but only some original "statements" or possible fictional images.
In the field of general information system, the combination of images and sentences in the model is a highly operational topic. This article is not going to discuss it, but only emphasizes that this combination may be very close. Chinese characters may be a typical example in the field of cognition. For example, "Sun and Moon" can be regarded as a simple constant symbol, while "Ming" is an abstract concept. In fact, this word can be regarded as a combination of words: the concept of light is illustrated by examples. The word "insert" contains the symbol of the basic element of this action and an image of the "insert" state, which can be regarded as a comprehensive statement of an image and a process. These words, as well as the characters using these Chinese characters, can be regarded as an example of the close combination of images and sentences. A more general example is "pictures". A hand-drawn picture contains some images or semi-abstract symbols, or it is simply an "abstract painting". Which expression does it belong to? This is a puzzling question. However, through the essential difference between the two basic expressions, at least in the field of technical solutions (such as computer information systems and related modeling fields) will bring us very direct help.
We pointed out earlier that in the specific cognitive process, we need to establish an alternative model for the cognitive object, which is the basis of "thinking". At the same time, there are two kinds of declarative data in the cognitive process, one is a factual statement that depends on sensory data, and the other is a theoretical statement that is used for reasoning and guiding actions. The former is usually closely combined with sensory images to form a model, while the latter can be summarized as another important role in the cognitive process, namely knowledge.
In the state that cognition is basically achieved, the three basic elements in the cognitive process, namely, object, model and theory, constitute the basic cognitive structure, and there is also a triangular relationship between them, which can be called the "cognitive structure triangle", as shown in the figure. These include:
From the perspective of cognitive completion, the data in the form of statement partly depends on the sensory image (fact) of a specific object and belongs to the model; The other part is not only related to the content of a specific model, especially to other data in the brain, or has broader significance, and can be used for other objects/models, belonging to the theory.
In this cognitive picture, there is a layer between theoretical statements and actual things-what connects them is a "model", which is the representative of the actual cognitive object in the cognitive (thinking) process. Perhaps the most important point revealed by this model is the dual relationship between this model and its object and theory. Through the concrete model composition and theoretical essence, the key theoretical basis separated from previous model research-model theory and homomorphism mapping is linked.
In model theory, "theory" is a collection of formal language propositions (sentences), that is, language statements; A "model" is a mathematical structure, which corresponds to a theory and makes all the propositions in the theory effective (not contradictory, meaningful). Conversely, the "model" of model theory is called the "explanation" of theory (note: the concept of model in model theory is not equal to the "mathematical model" that people often say, or even the opposite). Another basic understanding of the concept of model is that the model is regarded as a homomorphic mapping of its object, which has a corresponding relationship with the elements of the object (hence the name "homomorphic model"). In some information about the model, we can see that one side is mentioned, but it is rarely mentioned at the same time, let alone the explanation of their relationship. The cognitive structure triangle proposed in this paper reveals the relationship between the two profound properties of "model" from the perspective of brain cognitive state.
People may question that the concepts of "image", "theory", "statement" and "model" in this paper do not conform to the relevant definitions in model theory, for example. That's true. For example, the form of the statement part in the "mixed" model is also a theory in the sense of model theory, and its correspondence with the image may be a simple "model theory correspondence". This more detailed relationship pattern is shown in the first diagram retained in this paper. A mathematical model with a complete relationship between these elements will have a more complicated scheme. But through the preliminary exposition of this paper, such as the distinction between factual statement and theoretical statement, the composition of comprehensive model, and the connection between theory and object through model, I believe a directional idea has been demonstrated. This is one of the basic viewpoints discussed by the author in this field and will be further discussed in the future.
On the basis of discussing the cognitive process, this paper introduces a basic structural model of cognitive structure, namely "cognitive structure triangle", with the help of construction. It is the basic composition and structure of information (data) in the brain under the state of cognitive achievement. One of its important meanings is to reveal the relationship between the two important concepts of "model of model theory" and "homomorphic model". We have not tried to assume or verify whether it is the only cognitive state model, or whether it covers all aspects of brain cognition, but we think it is objective, general and operable.
In addition to the triangular model of cognitive structure and its related concepts such as models and theories, this paper also involves some important topics, including:
These brain-based discussions about cognitive processes are conducted under the basic concepts of information systems. On the one hand, we examine the cognitive process and state of the brain from the perspective of general information system. On the other hand, the results of this investigation can directly inspire or guide various types of information systems (such as computer systems), in other words, it may also be some useful "theories" about general information systems.
[Note 1] See the article Cognitive Process Triangle.
Original: Enterprise Engineering Forum, 20 10-04- 13.
http://www . ee-forum . org/WP/pub/ty/20 10-04-p 134 1 . html
Author's seal: dcb442
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