The next talk in the CEU Cognitive Development Center seminar series will be given by Dr. Jean Mandler University of California, San Diego and University College London Date: September 8, 2010, *3 PM* (NOTE: this talk will not be held at the usual time!) Location: CEU Cognitive Development Center Hattyú u. 14, Budapest, 3rd floor *Title: The spatial foundation of the conceptual system …and how we go beyond it* Abstract: A model of early concept formation is presented that accounts for conceptual activity in the first year of life, describes how the increasing complexity of conceptual development comes about, and predicts the order in which new types of information accrue to the core conceptual system. It lists a small set of primitives used by a domain-general mechanism of perceptual meaning analysis (PMA) to redescribe motion and other spatio-temporal information into a schematic spatial form that results in potentially accessible concepts (Mandler, 2004). This mechanism avoids having to posit separate innate domain-specific modules. Combinations of the primitives it operates with are sufficient to provide the first meanings used to understand events, make inferences, and categorize objects into different kinds. Only as infants begin to move themselves around in the world and act on objects do internal feelings of force get integrated into existing spatially based concepts involving causation, and internal feelings of trying get integrated into existing spatially based concepts of goal-directed behavior. Concepts of knowing and emotions, as well as sensory concepts such as colors, are still later acquisitions because of lack of a structured spatial core into which the relevant unstructured internal experiences can be integrated. In these cases language may be required to provide conceptual descriptions. Attendees are encouraged to read the attached paper as background, in order to facilitate discussion after the talk. _______________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://cdc.ceu.hu/mailman/listinfo/seminars