A Mechanism for Early Piagetian Learning

Book One

Volume

Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 6

Cognitive Modeling

I propose a mechanism to model aspects of Piagetian development, in infants. The mechanism combines a powerful empirical learning technique with an unusual facility for constructing novel elements of representation-elements designating states that are not, mere logical combinations of other represented states. I sketch how this mechanism might recapitulate the infant’s gradual recognition that there exist physical objects that persist even when the infant does not perceive them. I also report results of a preliminary, partial implementation.