1 Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) And the On-Going Evolution of Culture Release 1.0 ©April 2008 F. T. Cloak, Jr.

2 Biological Evolution Works by Natural Selection Natural Selection Works Through Genetic Transmission Cultural Evolution Works by Natural Selection Natural Selection of Culture Works through (?Memetic?) Transmission Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) may have the answer

3 Part One Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) Basics Behavior is the Control of Perception to Internal Reference Standards Apparatus and Standards are adapted to Past Environments

4 REFERENCE SIGNAL ERROR SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System STORAGE OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers MEMORY Control System (CS) Schematic

5 COMPARATOR = ~ ERROR SIGNAL REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL STORAGE Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System Control System (CS) Schematic / MEMORY INPUT FUNCTION OUTPUT FUNCTION

6 COMPARATOR ERROR SIGNAL REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL STORAGE Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System Control System (CS) Schematic = ~ / MEMORY OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION The world outside the nervous system (or so we suppose)

7 COMPARATOR The world outside the nervous system (or so we suppose) ERROR SIGNAL REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL STORAGE Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System Control System (CS) Schematic = ~ / OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION MEMORY

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11 Programs Sequences Categories Relationships Events Transitions Configurations Sensations Intensities Principles Systems

12 OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR MEMORY Sensations Configurations

13 REFERENCE SIGNAL ERROR SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System STORAGE OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers MEMORY

14 REFERENCE SIGNAL ERROR SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Perceptual Signal To Higher-Level Control System STORAGE OUTPUT FUNCTION INFERENCE ENGINE COMPARATOR Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers MEMORY

15 REFERENCE SIGNAL ERROR SIGNAL INFERENCE SIGNAL Perceptual Signals from Lower-Level Control Systems or Sensory Cells Associative/Content Address Signal from Higher-Level Control System Inference Signal To Higher-Level Control System STORAGE OUTPUT FUNCTION INFERENCE ENGINE COMPARATOR Address Signals To Lower-Level Control Systems or Muscle Fibers MEMORY INFERENCE SIGNAL

16 INPUT FUNCTION OUTPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR MEMORY = /

17 MEMORY *PEAR* INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR OUTPUT FUNCTION = /

18 OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR MEMORY *PEAR*

19 *PEAR* sniff

20 sniff *PEAR* system (or so we suppose) The world outside the nervous

21 sniff *PEAR* system (or so we suppose) The world outside the nervous

22 *PEAR* ? Pear Got? Getting Pear Eating Pear No Yes

23 Summary Behavior is the control of perception. The unit of behavior is the Control System(CS). Any activity requires the cooperation of many CSes.

24 Summary (cont’d) CSes are arrayed as Modules in interactive hierarchies Inferences about incoming per- ceptions go up Reference-standard invocations go down Hierarchy provides standards for all human activity

25 END PART ONE BEGIN PART TWO

26 Part Two Evolution of the Input Function and Culture Acquisition Input Functions are Inference Engines  Empirical Inference Engines  Trans-Empirical Inference Engines

27  Trans-Empirical Inference Engines  Inferring Other’s Perception  Inferring Other’s Reference Standard Predator-Prey Interactions Social Interactions Imitation

28 Imitation Perceiving Other’s Action Inferring Other’s Reference Standard Recognizing Reference Standard Controlling to that Standard

29  Trans-Empirical Inference Engines  Inferring Other’s Perception  Inferring Other’s Reference Standard Predator-Prey Interactions Social Interactions Imitation Culture Acquisition (Language Acquisition)

30 Culture is acquired through Observational Learning (and Verbal Tuition) PCT shows how this works

31 Culture-Acquisition per PCT:  An animal, O, observes behavior of another animal, D  O infers D’s Reference Standards and stores them in the Memory of one or more new CS Modules  Those Modules use lower-level Modules to control their input perceptions to those Reference Standards

32 Group-1 O Group-2 O

33 Culture-Acquisition per PCT:  An animal, O, observes behavior of another animal, D  O infers D’s Reference Standards and stores them in the Memory of one or more new CS Modules  Those Modules use lower-level Modules to control their input perceptions to those Reference Standards  Modules/Reference Standards so acquired are Cultural Instructions, or Memes

34 END PART TWO BEGIN PART THREE

35 Part Three A Task Analysis Using PCT And Introducing Another Vital Feature of PCT

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38 1)All Subjects Arrange Boards First, then Nail Them Together 2)Some Turn Boards with One Hand, Others Use Both 3)All Subjects Remove the Hammer from the Workspace 4)All Subjects Use the Same Nailing Technique

39 1)All Subjects Arrange Boards First, then Nail Them Together 2)Some Turn Boards with One Hand, Others Use Both 3)All Subjects Remove the Hammer from the Workspace 4)All Subjects Use the Same Nailing Technique

40 Undergraduate Anthro Course Experiment Conforming to Experimenter’s Wishes Boards Form X? Forming Boards Nailing Boards Together No Yes Nail Stands Alone? Tapping Nail Driving Nail No Yes Nail Head Flush? No EXIT Yes

41 Undergraduate Anthro Course Experiment Conforming to Experimenter’s Wishes Boards Form X? Forming Boards Nailing Boards Together No Yes Nail Stands Alone? Tapping Nail Driving Nail No Yes Nail Head Flush? No EXIT Yes

42 = / MEMORY system (or so we suppose) The world outside the nervous ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION MEMORY ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION = / Subject No. 5

43 MEMORY system (or so we suppose) The world outside the nervous ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION MEMORY ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION = / = / = / Subject No. 8

44 MEMORY system (or so we suppose) The world outside the nervous ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION MEMORY ERROR SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION COMPARATOR REFERENCE SIGNAL PERCEP TUAL SIGNAL OUTPUT FUNCTION INPUT FUNCTION = / = / = / Subject No. 8 Imagination Mode Another Example - Hammer in Hand Can Span a Whole Task - or Several Accounts for All Anticipation -- Even Including Creative Thought

45 END PART THREE BEGIN PART FOUR

46 Part Four The Evolution of Cultural Features by means of Natural Selection

47 Evolution of Inference Engine - Review Refining of Culture Acquisition -- Leading to Natural Selection of Memes Which Succeed by their Works Thank you for viewing “Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) and the On-Going Evolution of Culture”

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