The Synthetic Psychology of the Self

Prescott, Tony J.; Camilleri, Daniel

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-97550-4_7

Cited by 37 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…However, given the complexity of pathological circumstances, this kind of testing seems to be more adequate to test H1 and H2 rather than H3. Interestingly, the simulation environment can work as a lab of synthetic psychology ( Braitenberg, 1984 ; Dawson, 2004 ; Prescott and Camilleri, 2018 ), where not only attachment phenomena can be reproduced, but new situations can be generated to further test and extend the model.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Our Caregivers Shape Who We Are: The Seven Dimensions of Attachment at the Core of Personality

Gagliardi

2021

Front. Psychol.

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Psychology defines personality as the stable traits of an individual, and cognitive research suggests that a set of core beliefs is at the root of these traits. From this perspective, two major questions remain unanswered: (1) What are the core beliefs that make up personality? (2) How are they acquired? An interesting answer is provided by attachment theory, according to which attachment is at the basis of personality. The current theoretical formulation, however, does not sufficiently clarify the relationship between the two. Adopting a cognitive-clinical approach, we put forward a novel version of attachment theory, arguing that it can better account for the relationship between attachment and personality, thereby providing more convincing answers to questions (1) and (2). In particular, we propose that: (A) attachment information is acquired over seven dimensions; (B) the acquisition of each dimension is induced by a specific caregiving feature and (C) realized through a specific acquisition mechanism – imprinting. In a nutshell, we propose an Attachment-Personality Model (APM) according to which seven attachment dimensions constitute the knowledge core of personality. We finally discuss the significant implications of the model, especially its clinical application in terms of conception, assessment, and treatment of mental disorders. The model can be empirically tested, and we suggest three ways to do that.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Our Caregivers Shape Who We Are: The Seven Dimensions of Attachment at the Core of Personality

Gagliardi

2021

Front. Psychol.

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“…We are also developing multisensory SSMs that combine vision, touch and proprioception to create a robot self-model and to represent the peripersonal space around the robot (see [50–52] for related work in this direction). Such models could provide the basis for safer human–robot interaction, and could support the development of a robot self-other distinction [3].…”

Section: Discussion and Ongoing Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To disconnect from the present, in order to contemplate the past or future, allows the mind to reflect on its own existence in space and time. MTT, and the memory systems underlying it, thus make an important contribution to human self-awareness [1] and to the temporally extended sense of self [3]. These same systems also support our capacity for episodic/autobiographical memory—the ability to recall and relive episodes from our own life history [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memory and mental time travel in humans and social robots

Prescott

Camilleri

Martinez-Hernandez

et al. 2019

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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From neuroscience, brain imaging and the psychology of memory, we are beginning to assemble an integrated theory of the brain subsystems and pathways that allow the compression, storage and reconstruction of memories for past events and their use in contextualizing the present and reasoning about the future—mental time travel (MTT). Using computational models, embedded in humanoid robots, we are seeking to test the sufficiency of this theoretical account and to evaluate the usefulness of brain-inspired memory systems for social robots. In this contribution, we describe the use of machine learning techniques—Gaussian process latent variable models—to build a multimodal memory system for the iCub humanoid robot and summarize results of the deployment of this system for human–robot interaction. We also outline the further steps required to create a more complete robotic implementation of human-like autobiographical memory and MTT. We propose that generative memory models, such as those that form the core of our robot memory system, can provide a solution to the symbol grounding problem in embodied artificial intelligence. This article is part of the theme issue ‘From social brains to social robots: applying neurocognitive insights to human–robot interaction’.

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“…Anthropomorphism in Brain Inspired AI Anthropomorphic assumptions seem to underlie the descriptions of the mutual relationship between neuroscience and AI, claimed to be critical for advancing both fields. One initial goal of creating correspondences between the functionalities of AI and the human brain was to promote better understanding of the brain, the self, and the behavior of biological organisms (Prescott 2015, Prescott andCamilleri 2018). If we add to this the fact that at the beginning of AI, in the early 50 s, the only known systems carrying out complex computations were biological nervous systems, AI researchers' focus on the brain as a source for inspiration in the nascent field of AI is understandable (Ullman 2019b).…”

Section: Anthropomorphism In Ai Developers and Researchersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropomorphism in AI

2020

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AI research is growing rapidly raising various ethical issues related to safety, risks, and other effects widely discussed in the literature. We believe that in order to adequately address those issues and engage in a productive normative discussion it is necessary to examine key concepts and categories. One such category is anthropomorphism. It is a well-known fact that AI's functionalities and innovations are often anthropomorphized (i.e., described and conceived as characterized by human traits). The general public's anthropomorphic attitudes and some of their ethical consequences (particularly in the context of social robots and their interaction with humans) have been widely discussed in the literature. However, how anthropomorphism permeates AI research itself (i.e., in the very language of computer scientists, designers, and programmers), and what the epistemological and ethical consequences of this might be have received less attention. In this paper we explore this issue. We first set the methodological/theoretical stage, making a distinction between a normative and a conceptual approach to the issues. Next, after a brief analysis of anthropomorphism and its manifestations in the public, we explore its presence within AI research with a particular focus on brain-inspired AI. Finally, on the basis of our analysis, we identify some potential epistemological and ethical consequences of the use of anthropomorphic language and discourse within the AI research community, thus reinforcing the need of complementing the practical with a conceptual analysis.

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The Synthetic Psychology of the Self

Cited by 37 publications

References 57 publications

How Our Caregivers Shape Who We Are: The Seven Dimensions of Attachment at the Core of Personality

How Our Caregivers Shape Who We Are: The Seven Dimensions of Attachment at the Core of Personality

Memory and mental time travel in humans and social robots

Anthropomorphism in AI

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