The 150-year-old science of “active virtual machines”

Abstract

Precirculated abstract. In 1888-9, E.H. Weber discovered one of the first basic principles of Experimental Psychology: equal ratios of the quantity of stimulation to the senses were rated as equally different in intensity, when the levels of input were moderate. This semilog linear range of an input/output function for physical or chemical stimuli is plain linear when the stimuli are symbolic such as quantitative descriptions. This discriminative sensitivity of an output can therefore be used as a scaling unit for quantities of any input. Furthermore, inputs that are treated as the same by an output will summate in discrimination units from the level to which the person or animal has learnt: that is, an information-transmitting channel through an adapted intelligent system constitutes a mental dimension. If two transforms operate over different channels, then their interaction is orthogonal. Hence the simplest account of a mind is as a Euclidean hyperspace of distinct causal processes. When two outputs are observed from one input, two distinct ways of processing the input may be distinguished. With sufficiently independent multiple inputs tested on specific outputs as well as on an overall output of interest, the set of possible processes and their interactions can be tested against each other on the individual’s multiple discrimination performance in acting on variants of a specific situation (Booth & Freeman, 1993; data-analytic program in Java: ‘Co-Pro’, 2006). Several examples of such cognitive diagnosis will be given: empathy, sympathy and compassion; emoticons; craving fior chocolate; appetite for foods in pictures. An argument offered for discussion -- made in a response to EC FP5 Models of Consciousness 2003 in an MS now on epapers.bham.ac.uk -- is that the development of intelligent robots needs to include a science of artificial performance, analogous to this psychological science of natural performance – i.e., ‘POEMS’, Psychology Of Emerging Machine Souls / Sentients / Symbolisers / Subjectivities!