TR: An Interpretation of the `Self` from the Dynamical Systems Perspective:

[Jun.Tani (SONY CSL)]

Dear connectionists,

The following new technical report is avairable.
"An Interpretation of the `Self` from the Dynamical Systems
Perspective: A Constructivist Approach" by Jun Tani, Sony CSL.
This paper will be published from Journal of Consciousness Studies, Vol.5 No.5-6, 1998.

The TR can be retrieved from:
(1) ftp.csl.sony.co.jp/CSL/CSL-Papers/98/SCSL-TR-98-018.ps.Z (you need 
to uncompress in Unix.)
(2) ftp.csl.sony.co.jp/CSL/CSL-Papers/98/SCSL-TR-98-018.pdf
(3) http://www.csl.sony.co.jp/person/tani.html.

ABSTRACT
This study attempts to describe the notion of the "self" using dynamical
systems language based on the results of our robot learning
experiments.
A neural network model consisting of multiple modules is proposed, in 
which the interactive dynamics between the bottom-up perception and the
top-down prediction are investigated.
Our experiments with a real mobile robot showed that the incremental
learning of the robot switches spontaneously between steady and unsteady phases.
In the steady phase, the top-down prediction for the bottom-up
perception works well when coherence is achieved between the internal
and the environmental dynamics.
In the unsteady phase, conflicts arise between the bottom-up perception
and the top-down prediction; the coherence is lost, and a chaotic attractor
is observed in the internal neural dynamics.
By investigating possible analogies between this result and the
phenomenological literature on the "self", we draw the
conclusions that (1) the structure of the "self" corresponds to the
"open dynamic structure" which is characterized by co-existence of
stability in terms of goal-directedness and instability caused by
embodiment; (2) the open dynamic structure causes the system's
spontaneous transition to the unsteady phase where the "self" becomes
aware.

Best regards,
jun
------------------------------------------------
Jun TANI, Ph.D
Senior Researcher                         
Sony Computer Science Laboratory Inc.
Takanawa Muse Building, 3-14-13 Higashi-gotanda,
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141 JAPAN
email: tani at csl.sony.co.jp
http://www.csl.sony.co.jp/person/tani.html
Fax +81-3-5448-4273
Tel +81-3-5448-4380

** Joint Appointment 
Visiting Associate Professor
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
University of Tokyo