E.D. Kazimirova - Researcher, NSN Group (Neuro Semantic Networks Group) (Moscow). E-mail: tidenwiden@gmail.com

The model of the symbol-image architecture of cognition [1] describes how the elements of a stored image relate to the symbols that combine them. Images consists of attributes and are marked by symbols and groups of symbols can be in turn combined by other symbols. This model describes the architecture of the cognitive system and raises the question of representing the act of thinking in this system. What is the act of thinking in such system - We assume that the act of thinking is not just processing information. It should lead to a certain mental and, as a consequence, to the linguistic phenomenon. We propose that various combinations of elements within such cognitive architecture generate different mental phenomena, which are reflected in the language. Synthesis of new information (i.e. the act of thinking) can arise as a result of recombination and completion of the data stored in memory. What would be the mechanisms of such recombination and how are they related to the cognitive phenomena - We propose that elements of the image-symbol architecture can merge in various combinations, part of them arising due the associative links between the images. There are several possible combinations of the images and symbols: ● symbol - symbol (abstract thinking) ● symbol - attribute (of this symbol) (metonymy) ● symbol - attribute (of another symbol) (version of metonymy) ● symbol of one image - symbol and attributes of another image (metaphor) It is widely accepted that in the process of abstract thinking we operate with symbols. A strong association of the «symbol and one of its attribute» type can be considered as metonymy, known in linguistics as a type of transfer, when something is named by one of its parts or one of tis attributes (for example, saying «the bass is sick» about a musician being absent from the rehearsal). An associative combination «symbol of one image - a symbol and other attributes of another image» can be interpreted as a metaphor (a well-known example from [2]: «argument is war», in this case attributes of war - attack, defense, military deception, victory and defeat are transferred to the symbol «argument»). Such combinations as «a symbol of one image - symbol and attributes of another image» are widely used in poetry. Thus, various linguistic phenomena and the cognitive phenomena can be derived from the model of the symbol-image architecture of the cognitive system. This model does not preclude insertion of a new symbol with artificial attributes (e.g., related to learning, propaganda, advertisement). We propose that such mechanism of cognitive (and as a consequence, linguistic) phenomena generation can help to build the basis for the intuitive algorithms of artificial intelligence systems.

 

1. Chernavskaya O.D., Chernavskii D.S., Karp V.P., Nikitin A.P., Shchepetov D.S.An architecture of thinking system within the Dynamical Theory of Information // Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures. 2013. № 6. P. 147-158.
2. Lakoff G., Johnson M. Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press. 2003.