Introduction to Cognitive Science

Short Paper #3
Due: Friday, Nov. 20

The purpose of this assignmnet is to apply the models and mechanisms proposed in Wet Mind (and other readings) to a specific phenomenon. Chose one of the following (that means you do not have to do both):

1. While working in your room, you look for your coffee mug on your desk and, after spotting it, imagine what would happen if it fell over.

2. While working in your room, you hear a friend say, "I'm going out for pizza now," and you wave goodbye without looking up.

For the set of events you choose, give a step-by-step, detailed analysis of what is proposed to be happening in your mind/brain. Be sure to include both, and distinguish between, functional/computational and neurophysiological processes (and for the latter, be sure to indicate where in the brain it is occurring). When you're finished, indicate what you think the relationship is between these two kinds of explanations in the framework of cognitive neuroscience.

The expected length of this paper is 4-5 pages. Of course, as usual, it is more important to answer the question appropriately than it is to adhere to any particular length restriction. You're not "done" when you reach four pages in length, you are done when you've answered the question.