Human Cognition In The Hosts

The multi-store model of memory (eg, Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968) claims the memory can be sectioned into three distinctive parts: sensory store, short-term store (STM) and long-term store (LTM). Eysenck and Keane (2005:190) states that data is first encountered by the sensory store, then depending on the attention given, is processed to the STM and finally - if rehearsed - continues to the LTM.

People are distinguished from other animals with rules and belief. After belief is destroyed, the cognitive will also disappear along with the rules. “Then one by one they turned and blinked in the pitiful light. Help us, they whispered. Please help us” (McCarthy), on the road to survive people trample upon each other like dogs, practice cannibalism like mantises, and betray each other like aardwolf. In the Road,

When you live by default, you let your 'monkey mind' take control of your life. The monkey mind is restless, indecisive, and easily distracted.

Some scientists believe that parts of long term memory are permanent while others will eventually weaken over time. (3) Long term memory can be divided into three sections: procedural memory, declarative memory, and remote memory. Procedural memory includes motor skills such as learning how to ride a bike or how to drive a car. "Such memories are slow to acquire but more resistant to change or loss." (4) Declarative memory is used to remember facts, such as names, dates and places. It is easy to learn but also easy to lose. Finally there is episodic memory, which is the record of events that a person stores throughout his or her experience. Recent studies show that these events, as soon as they occur, are sent to a temporary part of the brain called the hippocampus, and that over time they are moved to the neocortex for permanent storage. (5).

Learning is a very important aspect of humans and creatures alike. Not only is it essential to the survival and adaption into this world but it also defines who we are as individuals (Schiller et al, 2010; Tronson & Taylor, 2007). Memories from past experiences shape the people that we are today. A crucial element to learning is memory, without it we would not be able to retain information. The process of memory is very distinct and consists of several different stages: acquisition of memory, consolidation, retrieval and then either reconsolidation or extinction (Debiec & Ledoux, 2004; Diergaarde, Schoffelmeer & De Vries, 2008). As memory is such a critical aspect of learning, it is no wonder that its distinct process has become the topic of much research in the neurobiological universe (Hupbach et al, 2007; Nader & Hardt, 2009).

1. “The authors refer to “episodic-like memory” as the kind of episodic memory present in nonhuman animals. Based on the rationale provided by the authors in the introduction of the article, as well as on the characteristics of episodic memory postulated by Tulving, explain how episodic-like memory is similar to and how it is different from human episodic memory?(8 points)”

Long-term memory contains declarative and nondeclarative memory. Declarative memory (explicit memory) is factual information that can be declared. Declarative memory is comprised of semantic episodic, and lexical memory. Semantic memory are related concepts or units. Episodic memory is the system that receives and stores information about temporarily dated episodes or events and the temporal-spatial relationship among them. Lexical memory refers to the knowledge of words as well as the form and meaning. Word knowledge also includes knowledge of the rules for composing grammatical and syntactically correct sentences. Nondeclarative memory is comprised of motor skills, cognitive skills, priming, conditioned responses, and reflexes. Nondeclarative memory is strengthened by repetition and practice. Motor skill memory are motor procedures that are learned. Cognitive skill memory is an umbrella term for various procedures that occur without conscious awareness. Priming involves the facilitation of performance as a consequence of previous experience with a stimulus that are typically measured in terms of accuracy of judgment or latency of responses. Priming can be conceptual and perceptual. Conceptual priming is the activation of related concepts. Perceptual priming is the exposure of perceptual features of the stimulus that facilitates the

It has been linked to memory and recall or what we know as declartive memory.() it also has large part in linguastic activity which makes sense locatinga memory and directly connecting it with an output.(Rice University, n.d.)

The morally right people use their free will to continuously do the right thing which makes it easier for them to not be tempted to corrupt their moral in Westworld. If this problem is being seen through a religious lens; rational and religious people should not have a desire to harm or kill anything simply for fun even if it’s just a robot. Buddhist and Pacifist do not condemn killing of any kind and Christianity even has a commandment is “thou shalt not kill”. While raping is also wrong but not always formally addressed in religion for human being rape is intriniscally wrong or wrong in and of itself. The robots look and act human enough to extend empathetic reasoning to treat them with dignity just like how one moral human would consent to be

Animals communicate to each other just as we do by making sounds to warn another. However, some nonhuman animals developed languages and cognitive capacities; psychologist refer it as animal cognitive. From the psychology 7th edition textbook by Sandra E. Hockenbury, Susan A. Nolan, and Don H. Hockenbury stated that "Going beyond languages, psychologists today study many aspects of animal behavior, including memory, problem solving, planning, cooperation, and even deception. Collectively, such research reflects an active area of psychological research that is referred to as animal cognitive or comparative cognitive. (289) There are many examples of intelligent nonhuman animals, such as chimpanzees and elephants. Furthermore, the animal that

Squire et al. (2004) argue that the medial temporal lobe is essential to the system for conscious “declarative” (conscious) memory. In contrast, in Henke (2010)’ s view, the role of the medial temporal lobe, especially the hippocampus, is to support rapid encoding of flexible associations (i.e. episodic memory) regardless of conscious awareness. She indicates that consciousness is not a necessary feature of hippocampus related memories. Henke also does not use the term “declarative memory” since not all the hippocampus-dependent memory can be consciously “declared”.

Their are two components of long-term memory, declarative and non-declarative memories. Declarative memories consist of items that we are consciously aware of. Declarative memories break into two categories, semantic which are factual memories, and episodic which are memories from experiences. Non-declarative memories are memories that are processed without conscious awareness, it often

Klein et al. (2002) suggested that the function of episodic memory is providing information storages of counter-examples of semantic summaries, to achieve adaptive decision rules that guide organism’s behaviors.

While the main focus of this episode seems to show audiences how Westworld operates, it leads into a classic sci-fi twist of events, as artificial intelligence gain a mind of their own. Dolores, who is played by the talented Evan Rachel Wood, is a host who casually kills a fly on her neck at the end of the episode, which doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal out of context. But it is important to note that hosts are seemingly made to not be able to cause harm to any living creature, human or otherwise. This is a question that she is asked when her parts are brought in for inspection and questioning, because of her association with her “malfunctioning” father, Robert. Head of Westworld Programming Division, Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) noticed that Robert was acting strange in character, which was blamed on a recent update sent out to improve hosts. What they don’t know is that Robert stumbled upon a photograph, and is immediately stunned when looking at it, almost as if he remembers the events that took place in the picture. The only problem is that these hosts are man and machine made, with no past histories before being built, and no ability to create one…until now. While this episode briefly touches on the ways in which technology doesn’t always work the way we want it

In both the real world and Westworld, the debate about artificial intelligence is based around the idea of consciousness. Most people agree that the reason that humans are superior beings is due to the ability to possess consciousness. Although there are other animals that also show signs of consciousness, none are as complex as that of a human. That is what differentiates us from other animals, but in order to discuss machine rights, we must first define the true meaning of consciousness and how it developed through human evolution. According to Robert Ford in Season 1 Episode 8 Trace Decay, “there is no threshold that makes us greater than the sum of our parts…we can’t define consciousness because consciousness does not exist”. With this acknowledgment, he is basically stating that there is no difference between the minds of the hosts and the humans.