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Modelling concept prototype competencies using a developmental memory model

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Paladyn

Abstract

The use of concepts is fundamental to human-level cognition, but there remain a number of open questions as to the structures supporting this competence. Specifically, it has been shown that humans use concept prototypes, a flexible means of representing concepts such that it can be used both for categorisation and for similarity judgements. In the context of autonomous robotic agents, the processes by which such concept functionality could be acquired would be particularly useful, enabling flexible knowledge representation and application. This paper seeks to explore this issue of autonomous concept acquisition. By applying a set of structural and operational principles, that support a wide range of cognitive competencies, within a developmental framework, the intention is to explicitly embed the development of concepts into a wider framework of cognitive processing. Comparison with a benchmark concept modelling system shows that the proposed approach can account for a number of features, namely concept-based classification, and its extension to prototype-like functionality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems, Cognition Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK

    Paul Baxter, Joachim de Greeff & Tony Belpaeme

  2. Intelligent Computer Systems, Faculty of Information & Communication Technology, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Rachel Wood

Authors
  1. Paul Baxter
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  2. Joachim de Greeff
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  3. Rachel Wood
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  4. Tony Belpaeme
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul Baxter.

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Baxter, P., de Greeff, J., Wood, R. et al. Modelling concept prototype competencies using a developmental memory model. Paladyn 3, 200–208 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13230-013-0105-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13230-013-0105-9

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