Adam Chuderski -- Mechanisms of relational structure mapping across analogy tasks

Dr Adam Chuderski, Jagiellonian University
Abstract: Following the seminal structure mapping theory by Dedre Gentner, the process of mapping the corresponding structures of relations defining two analogs has been understood as a key component of analogy making. However, not without a merit, in recent years some semantic, pragmatic, and perceptual aspects of analogy mapping attracted primary attention of analogy researchers. For almost a decade, our team have been re-focusing on relational structure mapping, investigating its potential mechanisms across various analogy tasks, both abstract (semantically-lean) and more concrete (semantically-rich), using diverse methods (behavioral, correlational, eye-tracking, EEG). I will present the overview of our main findings. They suggest that structure mapping (1) consists of an incremental construction of the ultimate mental representation, (2) which strongly depends on working memory resources and reasoning ability, (3) even if as little as a single trivial relation needs to be represented mentally. The effective mapping (4) is related to the slowest brain rhythm - the delta band (around 2-3 Hz) - suggesting its highly integrative nature. Finally, we have developed a new task - Graph Mapping - which involves pure mapping of two explicit relational structures. This task allows for precise investigation and manipulation of the mapping process in experiments, as well as is one of the best proxies of individual differences in reasoning ability. Structure mapping is as crucial to analogy as Gentner advocated, and perhaps it is crucial to cognition in general.
Bio: Adam Chuderski is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He received his Ph.D. from the Jagiellonian University in 2004. He studies the cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms of relational reasoning and learning (both related to fluid intelligence and working memory). He is also involved in research on self-control (cognitive/executive control). To track these research problems, Adam uses behavioral experimentation, psychometric methods, eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and optical spectroscopy (fNIRS). His most useful analytic tools include computational modeling, structural equation modeling, connectome modeling, as well as various methods of EEG and fNIRS signal analysis. Adam is also deeply interested in the foundations of cognitive science, with a special focus on the biologically-plausible cognitive architectures as well as the emergentist theories of the human mind.