Stimulus Density

• Affect in Artificial Intelligence by David Kewley, 3/28/98
  • Artificial Stupidity by Don Nathanson, 3/28/98
    • Building a model of innate affect by David Kewley, 3/28/98
      
      

Tomkins coined the term "stimulus density" to register the fact that events occur both at specific rates of speed and at specific levels of intensity. The density of a stimulus is defined as the product of the rate at which the cell or system fires multiplied by the intensity at which the firing takes place. Castanets and firecrackers can make noise at the same rate but very different levels of intensity. Tomkins likened stimulus density to an oscilloscope trace, which is brighter and "bigger" or "more" when the signal it displays has been set off by something that happens very rapidly at great intensity.

I wrote an e-mail to Dr. Meck on Wednesday or Thursday; I suspect that there have been a lot of people who responded to his work with excitement. Whenever he can find the time to respond to my note, I will let our group here know what he said.

If you review the discussions that have appeared on this Forum, it will be clear that there is no easy way to describe or explain affect and script theory. I've grown to despair at teaching anything useful about this subject in less than a full day course. I'd like to stay current with your group, and welcome any level of discourse with you and any of your colleagues. Posts here, or to my personal e-mail address (nathanson@tomkins.org) will work equally well.

• References? by David Kewley, 3/29/98
  • Further connections by Don Nathanson, 3/29/98