Patricia Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Patricia Carpenter is Lee and Marge Gregg Professor
of Psychology
at Carnegie Mellon University
. Her research focuses on the organization of the cognitive systems in immediate thought
, for example, the processes that underlie problem solving
and sentence comprehension
. Her specific interest is in how these processes are organized, what constrains them, and how their functional organization relates to their cortical representation. To address these questions, she uses functional imaging
(fMRI) studies of people while they perform complex cognitive tasks and relates the imaging data to more traditional behavioral studies of cognition
and computational models
. In addition, her research extends to understanding how language comprehension and problem solving are approached by individuals with unusual characteristics, including those who have had a stroke
or who have autism
.
In recent years, Carpenter has begun to explore the field of embodied cognition
through her research. Her primary starting point is a biologically-grounded account of cognition called the 'fractal catalytic model.' In this model, it is proposed that, to understand the mind/brain relation, one should first explore 'what is life' and what enables a living process to persist as an organized entity; this exploration deepens and changes our understanding of cognition and provides a new framework for the mind-brain relation
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. Her research focuses on the organization of the cognitive systems in immediate thought
Thought
"Thought" generally refers to any mental or intellectual activity involving an individual's subjective consciousness. It can refer either to the act of thinking or the resulting ideas or arrangements of ideas. Similar concepts include cognition, sentience, consciousness, and imagination...
, for example, the processes that underlie problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
and sentence comprehension
Sentence Comprehension
Sentence processing takes place whenever a reader or listener processes a language utterance, either in isolation or in the context of a conversation or a text....
. Her specific interest is in how these processes are organized, what constrains them, and how their functional organization relates to their cortical representation. To address these questions, she uses functional imaging
Functional imaging
Functional imaging , is a method of detecting or measuring changes in metabolism, blood flow, regional chemical composition, and absorption....
(fMRI) studies of people while they perform complex cognitive tasks and relates the imaging data to more traditional behavioral studies of cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
and computational models
Computational theory of mind
In philosophy, the computational theory of mind is the view that the human mind is an information processing system and that thinking is a form of computing. The theory was proposed in its modern form by Hilary Putnam in 1961 and developed by Jerry Fodor in the 60s and 70s...
. In addition, her research extends to understanding how language comprehension and problem solving are approached by individuals with unusual characteristics, including those who have had a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
or who have autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.
In recent years, Carpenter has begun to explore the field of embodied cognition
Embodied cognition
Philosophers, psychologists, cognitive scientists and artificial intelligence researchers who study embodied cognition and the embodied mind believe that the nature of the human mind is largely determined by the form of the human body. They argue that all aspects of cognition, such as ideas,...
through her research. Her primary starting point is a biologically-grounded account of cognition called the 'fractal catalytic model.' In this model, it is proposed that, to understand the mind/brain relation, one should first explore 'what is life' and what enables a living process to persist as an organized entity; this exploration deepens and changes our understanding of cognition and provides a new framework for the mind-brain relation
Mind-body dichotomy
The mind-body problem is a philosophical problem arising in the fields of metaphysics and philosophy of mind. The problem arises because mental phenomena appear to be qualitatively and substantially different from the physical bodies on which they appear to depend. There are a few major theories on...
.