This book is designed to usher the reader into the realm of semiotic studies. It analyzes the most important approaches to semiotics as they have developed over the last hundred years out of philosophy, linguistics, psychology, and biology. As a science of sign processes, semiotics investigates all types of com munication and information exchange among human beings, animals, plants, internal systems of organisms, and machines. Thus it encompasses most of the subject areas of the arts and the social sciences, as well as those of biology and medicine. Semiotic inquiry into the conditions, functions, and structures of sign processes is older than anyone scientific discipline. As a result, it is able to make the underlying unity of these disciplines apparent once again without impairing their function as specializations. Semiotics is, above all, research into the theoretical foundations of sign oriented disciplines: that is, it is General Semiotics. Under the name of Zei chenlehre, it has been pursued in the German-speaking countries since the age of the Enlightenment. During the nineteenth century, the systematic inquiry into the functioning of signs was superseded by historical investigations into the origins of signs. This opposition was overcome in the first half of the twentieth century by American Semiotic as well as by various directions of European structuralism working in the tradition of Semiology. Present-day General Semiot ics builds on all these developments."

Recent years have witnessed important advancements in our understanding of the psychological underpinnings of subjective properties of visual information, such as aesthetics, memorability, or induced emotions. Concurrently, computational models of objective visual properties such as semantic labelling and geometric relationships have made significant breakthroughs using the latest achievements in machine learning and large-scale data collection. There has also been limited but important work exploiting these breakthroughs to improve computational modelling of subjective visual properties. The time is ripe to explore how advances in both of these fields of study can be mutually enriching and lead to further progress. This book combines perspectives from psychology and machine learning to showcase a new, unified understanding of how images and videos influence high-level visual perception - particularly interestingness, affective values and emotions, aesthetic values, memorability, novelty, complexity, visual composition and stylistic attributes, and creativity. These human-based metrics are interesting for a very broad range of current applications, ranging from content retrieval and search, storytelling, to targeted advertising, education and learning, and content filtering. Work already exists in the literature that studies the psychological aspects of these notions or investigates potential correlations between two or more of these human concepts. Attempts at building computational models capable of predicting such notions can also be found, using state-of-the-art machine learning techniques. Nevertheless their performance proves that there is still room for improvement, as the tasks are by nature highly challenging and multifaceted, requiring thought on both the psychological implications of the human concepts, as well as their translation to machines.

Gertrudis Van de Vijver. Seminar of Logic and Epistemology University of Ghent Before being classified under the fashionable denominators of complexity and chaos, self-organization and autonomy were intensely inquired into in the cybernetic tradition. Despite all rejections that cybernetics has gone through in the second half of this century, today its importance is more and more recognized. Its decisive influence for connectionist theories, autopoietic and constructivist theories, for different forms of applied or experimental epistemology, is being more and more understood and generally accepted. It is mainly due to the success of connectionist models that we observe today a revival of interest for cybernetics. The 1943 article by McCulloch and Pitts is evidently a founding article. Cybernetics has however a much broader interest than the one linked to technical-mathematical details relevant to the construction of networks. For instance, the evolution from first to second order cybernetics, the ways of approaching biological and cognitive phenomena in the latter and the limits that were formulated there, are particularly meaningful to understand current developments and divergences in connectionism. A nuanced picture of cybernetic's history and its present state is therefore clearly epistemologically essential."

As a growing area of research, the philosophy of time is increasingly relevant to different areas of philosophy and even other disciplines. This book describes and evaluates the most important debates in philosophy of time, under several subject areas: metaphysics, epistemology, physics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, rationality, and art. Questions this book investigates include the following. Can we know what time really is? Is time possible, especially given modern physics? Must there be time because we cannot think without it? What do we experience of time? How might philosophy of time be relevant to understanding the mind-body relationship or evidence in cognitive science? Can the philosophy of time help us understand biases toward the future and the fear of death? How is time relevant to art-and is art relevant to philosophical debates about time? Finally, what exactly could time travel be? And could time travel satisfy emotions such as nostalgia and regret? Through asking such questions, and showing how they might be best answered, the book demonstrates the importance philosophy of time has in contemporary thought. Each of the book's ten chapters begins with a helpful introduction and ends with study questions and an annotated list of further reading. This and a comprehensive bibliography at the end of the book prepare the reader to go further in their study of the philosophy of time.

This book illustrates how to access the right information for making the best decisions during turbulent times. It is written from an experienced-based perspective that is beneficial for those looking for the development and improvement of the decision-making process. The approach is centered on the author's experience in developing and implementing effective and efficient approaches to decision-making in business and government. Based on those experiences, this book provides insights into how to improve the decision making process of your organization, whether it be large or small. For decision makers and those providing market information for making decisions, this book provide guidelines for a framework which includes systems thinking. For those interested in change management and corporate governance, the book presents examples where it was done well and some examples where it was not and the ensuring consequences. Praise for Systems Thinking Decision-Making Process... "This is an absolutely incredible book by a distinguished practitioner. The range of knowledge and experience that Vince Barabba has had is astounding. I urge everyone who is interested in complex, messy problems to read this amazing book." --Ian I. Mitroff "...Vince has masterfully blended the art of organizational respect with the science of data inquiry to drive change and realize strategic vision. A master storyteller, he does not just teach, his book brings his learnings to life in a meaningful way that if carefully listened to, can change the course of a career." -- Paul D'Alessandro Principal, Health Industries, PwC US "In his latest book, Vince Barabba integrates his vast knowledge from 50 years of dedicated work in both the public and private sectors in order to provide leaders with an actionable framework for radically improving how their organizations collect and use information to make the best decisions for all the wicked messes that now appear in our global village... This book can save your company from living in the dark with false assumptions about all your key stakeholders." -- Ralph H. Kilmann, Ph.D. CEO, Kilmann Diagnostics Co-Author, The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) "Absorbing just a few of the many smart ideas in this book will make you a better leader and decision maker. Thinking systemically about how the hard-earned lessons from Vince Barabba's brilliant career apply to your enterprise could make you a great one." - Chunka Mui Co-Author, A Brief History of a Perfect Future and Billion Dollar Lessons "...if you are interested in 'thinking in systems,' this book is for you. The 'On Star' story demonstrates to you how the initial product-centered thinking was proselytized to 'thinking in systems'." -- John Pourdehnad Visiting Professor, IESE Business School and Faulty of Systems Leadership, Thomas Jefferson University "In writing Systems Thinking Decision-Making Process: How to Avoid Burnt Toast, Vince Barabba is addressing the limits of knowledge management systems which enable 'organizations as usual' to share best practices on how to scrape toast faster and cheaper... The examples shared by Vince, from his first-hand experiences in corporate America or his services as a marketing consultant, contribute invaluable clarity to his goal of providing a "sketch of an Inquiry Center Learning and Support System" for those with the ambition to lead efforts to work smarter, not harder, firmly against the grain of 'organizations as usual'..." -- Bill Bellows, Ph.D., President, InThinking Services Adjunct Professor, California State University, Northridge and Southern Utah University Advisory Council Member and Former Deputy Director, The W. Edwards Deming Institute (R) "In his 'last book', Vince weaves the experiences and learning of a lifetime into whole cloth of insight and wisdom. He helps us to find relevant information from a rapidly changing world and apply it to making good decisions. This is a masterpiece of knowledge presented in a very entertaining way." -- Carl Spetzler Chairman, Strategic Decisions Group International LLC "This is a truly inspiring and mind changing book directly relevant for our times... Vince has shown through his remarkable work that business and government are a force for good when leaders think long term, work with, not against nature, and use their influence and resources for the many, not the few..." -- Osvald Bjelland Founder and President, Xynteo Founder, The Performance Theatre Foundation

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) is a clinician rated measure that can be used to code various forms of narrative material. It is comprised of eight dimensions which are scored using a seven-point Likert scale, where lower scores are indicative of more pathological aspects of object representations and higher scores are suggestive of more mature and adaptive functioning. The volume is a comprehensive reference on the 1) validity and reliability of the SCORS-G rating system; 2) in depth review of the empirical literature; 3) administration and intricacies of scoring; and 4) the implications and clinical utility of the system across settings and disciplines for clinicians and researchers.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of cognitive enhancement, the use of different substances and actions (e.g., meditation, video game, smart drugs, food supplements, nutrition, brain stimulation, neurofeedback, physical exercise, music, or cognitive training) to enhance human perception, attention, memory, cognitive control, and action in healthy individuals. Chapters contain research on enhancing procedures and activities that will help to further develop enhancement based on individual needs and interests. Chapters also discuss the underlying mechanism of how these means influence and change behaviors and moods. In addition, the book also provides "real-life" examples in which the several means of cognitive enhancement have been successfully applied. It concludes with a call to develop more specific, mechanistic theories to guide cognitive enhancing programs as well as the editor's own tailored-approach proposal for enhancing cognition for individuals. Featured topics include: The effect of caffeine on cognitive abilities. Aerobic exercise and its short-term and long-term effects on cognition. The effect, if any, of Ritalin and Modafinil on promoting cognitive enhancement. Temperature variations and its influences on behavior. The effect of food supplements across the lifespan. "Theory-Driven Approaches to Cognitive Enhancement is a must-have resource for psychologists, physicians, sport and exercise scientists, medical scientists, and teachers". "This book provides a state-of-the-art overview of different aspects of cognitive enhancement. The chapters are very focused, well-structured, in-depth, and rounded up by excellent illustrations. I highly recommend the book to readers interested in the matter". Dr. Julia Karbach, Goethe University "It is overall a highly original book on a timely topic, with a fresh approach and rich in practical and societal implications. The book is written in a very clear way and it is a pleasure to read." Dr. Anna M. Borghi, Sapienza University of Rome

Chapters 1 and 6 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book takes a sociocultural, developmental and dialogical perspective to explore the constructive and interconnected nature of remembering and imagining. Conceived as cognitive-affective processes, both emerge at the border of the person and his or her socio-cultural world. Memory is approached as a functional adaption to the environment using the resources of the past in preparation for action in the present. Imagination is tightly related to memory in that both aim to escape the confines of the concrete here-and-now situation; however, while memory is primarily oriented to the past, imagination looks to the future. Both are embedded in the exchanges with the social and cultural milieu, and thus theorizing them has relied on key ideas from Lev Vygotsky, Frederic Bartlett and Mikhail Bakhtin. Thus, this book aims to integrate theories of remembering and imagining, through rich empirical studies in diverse cultural settings and concerning the development of self and identity. These two groups of studies compose the subparts that organize the book.

How Creativity Happens In The Brain is about the brain mechanisms of creativity, how a grapefruit-sized heap of meat crackling with electricity manages to be so outrageously creative. It has a sharp focus: to stick exclusively to sound, mechanistic explanations and convey what we can, and cannot, say about how brains give rise to creative ideas.

This book argues that contemporary neuroscience compliments, extends, and challenges recent and influential posthuman and new materialist accounts of the relations between rhetoric, affect, and writing pedagogy. Drawing on cutting-edge neuro-philosophy, Comstock re-thinks both historical and current relations between writing and power around questions of affect, attention, and plasticity. In considering the uses and limits of exciting new findings from the neurobiology, this volume both theorizes and offers pedagogical strategies for teaching writing in a digital age characterized by the erosion of wonder and pervasive disaffection. Ultimately, in response to recent critiques transcendental reason and subjectivity, and related calls for the increased inclusion of multi-modal and digital writing and rhetoric, Comstock argues for an embodied pedagogy that values the substantial relations between writing and pedagogical care.

This book analyzes the philosophical foundations of sensorimotor theory and discusses the most recent applications of sensorimotor theory to human computer interaction, child s play, virtual reality, robotics, and linguistics.

Why does a circle look curved and not angular? Why does red not sound like a bell? Why, as I interact with the world, is there something it is like to be me? An analytic philosopher might suggest: if we ponder the concept of circle we find that it is the essence of a circle to be round . However, where does this definition come from? Was it set in stone by the Gods, in other words by divine arbiters of circleness, redness and consciousness? Particularly, with regard to visual consciousness, a first attempt to explain why our conscious experience of the world appears as it does has been attributed to Kevin O Regan and Alva Noe, who published their sensorimotor account of vision and visual consciousness in 2001.

Starting with a chapter by Kevin O Regan, "Contemporary Sensorimotor Theory" continues by presenting fifteen additional essays on as many developments achieved in recent years in this field. It provides readers with a critical review of the sensorimotor theory and in so doing introduces them to a radically new enactive approach in cognitive science."

Do you want to learn to read people's minds? In this student-friendly, practice-focussed textbook on EEG and biosignal analysis, you will learn how to: Implement your experiment in E-Prime or OpenSesame; Run your study in the psychophysiological laboratory; Analyse data in MATLAB by following simple steps. This textbook follows a unique approach by guiding you through a single EEG study, each part introducing the relevant core knowledge and commonly available software. Practical exercises help you master the skills to independently implement every aspect of an experiment, from setting up the lab to analysing the data. Suitable for developing both basic levels of skill for undergraduates as well as advancing towards a stronger command of analysis and understanding at postgraduate level. Michiel Spape is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology at the University of Helsinki.

A New York Times bestseller * A New York Times Notable Book "The tale of how Konnikova followed a story about poker players and wound up becoming a story herself will have you riveted, first as you learn about her big winnings, and then as she conveys the lessons she learned both about human nature and herself." -The Washington Post It's true that Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn't even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee and winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings, and convinced him to be her mentor. But she knew her man: a famously thoughtful and broad-minded player, he was intrigued by her pitch that she wasn't interested in making money so much as learning about life. She had faced a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance had led her to a giant of game theory, who pointed her to poker as the ultimate master class in learning to distinguish between what can be controlled and what can't. And she certainly brought something to the table, including a Ph.D. in psychology and an acclaimed and growing body of work on human behavior and how to hack it. So Seidel was in, and soon she was down the rabbit hole with him, into the wild, fiercely competitive, overwhelmingly masculine world of high-stakes Texas Hold'em, their initial end point the following year's World Series of Poker. But then something extraordinary happened. Under Seidel's guidance, Konnikova did have many epiphanies about life that derived from her new pursuit, including how to better read, not just her opponents but far more importantly herself; how to identify what tilted her into an emotional state that got in the way of good decisions; and how to get to a place where she could accept luck for what it was, and what it wasn't. But she also began to win. And win. In a little over a year, she began making earnest money from tournaments, ultimately totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. She won a major title, got a sponsor, and got used to being on television, and to headlines like "How one writer's book deal turned her into a professional poker player." She even learned to like Las Vegas. But in the end, Maria Konnikova is a writer and student of human behavior, and ultimately the point was to render her incredible journey into a container for its invaluable lessons. The biggest bluff of all, she learned, is that skill is enough. Bad cards will come our way, but keeping our focus on how we play them and not on the outcome will keep us moving through many a dark patch, until the luck once again breaks our way.

This book offers a unique perspective on the topic of boredom, with chapters written by diverse representatives of various mental health disciplines and philosophical approaches. On one hand, studying boredom involves the mental processes of attention, memory, perception, creativity, or language use; on the other, boredom can be understood by taking into account many pathological conditions such as depression, stress, and anxiety. This book seeks to fill the knowledge gap in research by discussing boredom through an interdisciplinary dialogue, giving a comprehensive overview of the past and current literature within boredom studies, while discussing the neural bases and causes of boredom and its potential consequences and implications for individual and social well-being. Chapters explore the many facets of boredom, including: Understanding the cognitive-affective mechanisms underlying experiences of boredom Philosophical perspectives on boredom, self-consciousness, and narrative How boredom shapes both basic and complex human thoughts, feelings, and behavior Analyzing boredom within Freudian and Lacanian frameworks Boredom Is in Your Mind: A Shared Psychological-Philosophical Approach is a pioneering work that brings together threads of cross-disciplinary boredom research into one comprehensive resource. It is relevant for graduate students and researchers in myriad intersecting disciplines, among them cognitive psychology, cognitive neurosciences, and clinical psychology, as well as philosophy, logic, religion, and other areas of the humanities and social sciences.

This important new volume discusses the role of emotion, resilience, and well-being in many contexts of human life, including home, school, and workplace. Leading researchers and academicians from around the world and from various fields-such as health, education, information and technology, military, and manufacturing-explore the theoretical and practical implications of many studies in this area. They present new concepts, models, and knowledge for practical applications that address challenges to well-being. The volume also considers the roles of several other influencing factors, such as emotional intelligence, performance, productivity, and employee's health and happiness. The book's editors state that, "At this juncture of human and technological development, when artificial intelligence and automation are slowly taking over the world, holding on to the study of emotions, well-being, and resilience has become imperative, as these influence sustainable performances and growth by individuals as well as organizations."

This ambitious and important second edition of the Handbook of Medical Neuropsychology takes an in-depth approach to the medical conditions and methods of neurorehabilitation. Comprehensive in scope and highly detailed in its coverage, the second edition, like the first, characterizes the effects of disease and the impact of interventions in the current state of advanced medicine at a level appropriate both for researchers and for clinicians. Featuring the most up-to-date information and quantitative research on cognitive neuroscience of autism, HIV/AIDS, cancer, head injury, respiratory diseases, endocrine diseases, early birth injury, dementia, and other disorders, the book handles theory, historical background, practical considerations, and controversial areas with evidence based disease indicators, clinical expertise, and real-world insight. It seeks to critique diagnostic and assessment tools specific to disorders. The new chapters in this inclusive second edition reflect the changes in prominent problems found in the clinic and provide worthy insights for research investigation in their review of: Substance use disorders. Nutrition in neurocognition and mental health. Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Traumatic brain injury in very early childhood. Cognitive functioning in asthma. The role of mindfulness in neurorehabilitation. The Handbook of Medical Neuropsychology, 2nd Edition continues to be an essential resource for the neuropsychology clinician, researcher, practitioner or graduate student. It will be stimulating and relevant reading for years to come.

Do you want to learn to read people's minds? In this student-friendly, practice-focussed textbook on EEG and biosignal analysis, you will learn how to: Implement your experiment in E-Prime or OpenSesame; Run your study in the psychophysiological laboratory; Analyse data in MATLAB by following simple steps. This textbook follows a unique approach by guiding you through a single EEG study, each part introducing the relevant core knowledge and commonly available software. Practical exercises help you master the skills to independently implement every aspect of an experiment, from setting up the lab to analysing the data. Suitable for developing both basic levels of skill for undergraduates as well as advancing towards a stronger command of analysis and understanding at postgraduate level. Michiel Spape is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology at the University of Helsinki.

Originally published in 1978, this volume provided a broad survey of the latest research and theory, at the time, concerning the potential detrimental effects of inappropriate uses of tangible rewards to modify behaviour. Overall, this research questions the dominant paradigm within which reinforcers, by definition, have positive effects on performance and subsequent behaviour, and suggests new directions for the study of human motivation. In a series of five original integrative essays, the contributors summarize their own and related research programmes. These theoretical essays are complemented by two introductory chapters, that provide a historical context for this research, and four discussion chapters, that speak to broader issues, including both the implications and limitations of the research presented. This was the latest information on a most provocative area.

This book is a newly revised version of the highly influential text, Rational Emotive Behavioral Approaches to Childhood Disorders: Theory, Practice and Research, based on an earlier volume by Bernard and Ellis. The revised edition incorporates recent significant advances in applying this approach to younger populations, updates best practice guidelines, and discusses the burgeoning use of technology to deliver mental health services. Featuring content from experts across a variety of areas, the book provides clinical guidance to a range of professionals working with children, including counselors, social workers, clinical and school psychologists. It also offers extensive illustrated material, self-test questions, and other useful resources to aid with use as a graduate level text or training reference. Among the topics addressed: Developing therapeutic skillsets for working with children and adolescents Promoting self-acceptance in youth Building resilience in youth Parent counselling and education Teacher stress management Cognitive-Behavioral, Rational Emotive Treatment of Childhood Problems highlights the potential for evidence-based services to reach and positively influence child and adolescent populations that remain underserved by today's clinical and educational systems.

This new, and heavily revised, edition of Psychopharmacology, provides a comprehensive scientific study of the effects of drugs on the mind and behaviour. With the growing prevalence of psychiatric and behavioral disorders and the rapid advances in the development of new drug therapies, this textbook offers an essential understanding of the necessary details of drug action. The book presents its coverage in the context of the behavioral disorders they are designed to treat, rather than by traditional drug classifications, to strengthen understanding of the underlying physiology and neurochemistry, as well as the approaches to treatment. Each disorder from the major diagnostic categories is discussed from a historical context along with diagnostic criteria and descriptions of typical cases. In addition, what we presently know about the underlying pathology of each disorder is carefully described. Providing a solid foundation in psychology, neuroanatomy and physiology, the book also offers a critical examination of drug claims, as well as coverage of evidence-based alternatives to traditional drug therapies. Throughout, this text discusses how drug effectiveness is measured in both human and animal studies. Topics new to this edition include: a stronger emphasis on the environmental impacts on drug effectiveness; more on the mechanisms of adverse reactions to drugs and information on managing drug side effects; the risks and benefits of using "mood stabilizing drugs" to address behavior in youth with ADHD or ASD; and discussion of the research-to-practice gap in pharmacological care for children and adolescents. Accompanied by a robust companion website of instructor materials, this textbook is ideal for undergraduate and pre-professional students on courses in Psychopharmacology, Clinical Psychopharmacology, Drugs and Behavior. It is a valuable contribution to highlight the symbiotic relationship between psychopharmacology and the neural and behavioral sciences.

Language Acquisition: The Basics is an accessible introduction to the must-know issues in child language development. Covering key topics drawn from contemporary psychology, linguistics and neuroscience, readers are introduced to fundamental concepts, methods, controversies, and discoveries. It follows the remarkable journey children take; from becoming sensitive to language before birth, to the time they string their first words together; from when they use language playfully, to when they tell stories, hold conversations, and share complex ideas. Using examples from 73 different languages, Ibbotson sets this development in a diverse cross-cultural context, as well as describing the universal psychological foundations that allow language to happen. This book, which includes further reading suggestions in each chapter and a glossary of key terms, is the perfect easy-to-understand introductory text for students, teachers, clinicians or anyone with an interest in language development. Drawing together the latest research on typical, atypical and multilingual development, it is the concise beginner's guide to the field.