Assessing Optimal Human Functioning

AbstractThe computational view of mind rests on certain intuitions regarding the fundamental similarity between computation and cognition. We examine some of these intuitions and suggest that they derive from the fact that computers and human organisms are both physical systems whose behavior is correctly described as being governed by rules acting on symbolic representations. Some of the implications of this view are discussed. It is suggested that a fundamental hypothesis of this approach (the “proprietary vocabulary hypothesis”) is that there is a natural domain of human functioning (roughly what we intuitively associate with perceiving, reasoning, and acting) that can be addressed exclusively in terms of a formal symbolic or algorithmic vocabulary or level of analysis.Much of the paper elaborates various conditions that need to be met if a literal view of mental activity as computation is to serve as the basis for explanatory theories. The coherence of such a view depends on there being a principled distinction between functions whose explanation requires that we posit internal representations and those that we can appropriately describe as merely instantiating causal physical or biological laws. In this paper the distinction is empirically grounded in a methodological criterion called the “cognitive impenetrability condition.” Functions are said to be cognitively impenetrable if they cannot be influenced by such purely cognitive factors as goals, beliefs, inferences, tacit knowledge, and so on. Such a criterion makes it possible to empirically separate the fixed capacities of mind (called its “functional architecture”) from the particular representations and algorithms used on specific occasions. In order for computational theories to avoid being ad hoc, they must deal effectively with the “degrees of freedom” problem by constraining the extent to which they can be arbitrarily adjusted post hoc to fit some particular set of observations. This in turn requires that the fixed architectural function and the algorithms be independently validated. It is argued that the architectural assumptions implicit in many contemporary models run afoul of the cognitive impenetrability condition, since the required fixed functions are demonstrably sensitive to tacit knowledge and goals. The paper concludes with some tactical suggestions for the development of computational cognitive theories.

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Correctional Rehabilitation and Human Functioning: An Embodied, Embedded, and Enactive Approach

10.26686/wgtn.17145566.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Harry Dent

Keyword(s):

Psychological Theory ◽

Treatment Utility ◽

Enactive Approach ◽

Human Functioning ◽

The World ◽

Correctional Rehabilitation ◽

Risk Need Responsivity ◽

Level I ◽

The Individual ◽

Adaptive Relationship

<p>In order for correctional rehabilitation practices to be maximally effective, they should be grounded in well-developed psychological theory about the causes, development, and nature of crime. This thesis argues that these theories of crime should be based in an underlying perspective of human functioning, or how people work at a fundamental level. I argue that this level of theory has been neglected in theories of crime, as demonstrated through an evaluation of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model of rehabilitation, which currently stands as the most popular and widely used rehabilitation framework throughout much of the world. This perspective is understood to implicitly present a view of functioning which is reward-oriented, multifactorial, norm-based, and modular, resulting in limited explanatory value and diminished treatment efficacy. I then suggest an alternative model of functioning as being embodied, embedded, and enactive (3e). 3e places an emphasis on the individual as an embodied whole, in an adaptive relationship with their physical and social environment. 3e prioritises the affective experience and agency of the individual, with a commitment to viewing the person as a functional whole drawing on comprehensive multilevel explanations. I outline how this perspective could be used to inform the explanation of crime, before applying the model to an exemplar to demonstrate the potential treatment utility of a 3e approach to correctional rehabilitation, as opposed to an RNR approach.</p>

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Developing “Human Functioning and Rehabilitation Research” from the comprehensive perspective

Acta Dermato Venereologica ◽

10.2340/16501977-0136 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 39 (9) ◽

pp. 665-671 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

G Stucki ◽

JD Reinhardt ◽

G Grimby ◽

J Melvin

Keyword(s):

Rehabilitation Research ◽

Human Functioning

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General self‐efficacy in various domains of human functioning: Evidence from five countries

International Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1080/00207590444000041 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 80-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 367

Author(s):

Aleksandra Luszczynska ◽

Benicio Gutiérrez‐Doña ◽

Ralf Schwarzer

Keyword(s):

Self Efficacy ◽

Human Functioning ◽

General Self Efficacy

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The Central Place of Imagery in Human Functioning

Concepts, Results, and Applications ◽

10.1007/978-1-4684-3974-8_1 ◽

1981 ◽

pp. 3-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Eric Klinger

Keyword(s):

Central Place ◽

Human Functioning

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Serious Games and Board Games Versus Cultural Changes

Perspektywy Kultury ◽

10.35765/pk.2020.3003.17 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 257-270

Author(s):

Jakub Lickiewicz ◽

Patricia Paulsen Hughes ◽

Marta Makara-Studzińska

Keyword(s):

Computer Games ◽

Serious Games ◽

Educational Games ◽

Digital Games ◽

Educational Process ◽

Cultural Changes ◽

Board Games ◽

Human Functioning ◽

The Impact

The impact of computer games on human functioning has become the subject of many studies and scientific reports. With the development of technology, games have transcended boards and become part of the video entertainment industry. However, technology did not end traditional games. It was only a matter of time before games were extended to other areas of life. Because games were so popular, educators found that students engage quickly with educational games. The article explains the aspects of serious games (SG), which are defined as digital games used for purposes other than entertainment. It describes the areas in which games can be used in the educational process, their effectiveness, and controversies regarding their use.

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Associations Between Personality (Dys)Function and General Behavioral Dysregulation

10.31234/osf.io/28qvd ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Whitney R. Ringwald ◽

Michael Hallquist ◽

Alexandre Dombrovski ◽

Aidan G.C. Wright

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Environment ◽

Personality Pathology ◽

General Factor ◽

Assessment Protocol ◽

Personality Functioning ◽

Two Samples ◽

Human Functioning ◽

Control Stability ◽

Generalized Processes ◽

Insight Into

Maintaining psychological equilibrium within a dynamic environment is thought to be the core of human functioning. Systems-based theories of personality hypothesize that generalized processes control stability by regulating how strongly a person reacts to various situations. Research shows there are higher-order traits of general personality function (Stability) and dysfunction (general personality pathology; GPP), but whether or not they capture individual differences in reactivity is largely theoretical. We tested this hypothesis by examining how general personality functioning manifests in everyday life in two samples (Ns=205; 342 participants and 24,920; 17,761 observations) that completed an ambulatory assessment protocol. Consistent with systems-based theories, we found (1) there is a general factor reflecting reactivity across major domains of functioning, and (2) reactivity is strongly associated with Stability and GPP. Results provide insight into how people fundamentally adapt (or not) to their environments, and lays the foundation for more practical, empirical models of human functioning.

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