Accession Number:

AD0648753

Title:

FOUNDATIONS OF A THEORY OF NEURAL MECHANISMS.

Descriptive Note:

Professional paper,

Corporate Author:

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CORP SANTA MONICA CALIF

Personal Author(s):

• Friedman,Leonard

Report Date:

1967-01-20

Pagination or Media Count:

12.0

Abstract:

The paper explains the underlying principles of a model of functional neural mechanisms that produce instinctive behavior. Two strong predictions of the theory are explained. One prediction is the existence of a functional unit or cell that can be replicated over and over again to produce a larger hierarchical organization of a behavior producing mechanism, very much as cells are joined to produce an organism. The second prediction is the existence of an extensive repertoire of neural units to produce and control units of motor behavior so that all movements of the organism are combinations of activated units selected from this repertoire. Evidence for this second prediction is cited from experiments on monkeys. Author

Descriptors:

• *BEHAVIOR
• MATHEMATICAL MODELS
• NERVOUS SYSTEM
• COMPUTER PROGRAMS
• MOTOR REACTIONS
• ADAPTATION(PHYSIOLOGY)
• CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
• BRAIN

Subject Categories:

• Psychology
• Anatomy and Physiology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE