1998 Volume 5 Issue 2 Pages 2_43-2_56
In this paper we start by reviewing some recent research on feature creation and change of representation in analogy, metaphor and categorization. We then proceed to address some fundamental questions raised by the phenomenon of feature creation such as how can the process of feature creation be ‘creative’ and yet be ‘constrained’. We do so in a framework of the interaction view of cognition proposed in our earlier research. The key features of this framework include an explicit recognition of the vertical dimension in cognitive interaction (resulting in a multilayer model of cognition), a distinction between the ontology and the structure of a representation, and the top-down and bottom-up mechanisms of projection and accommodation for building representations. In this model, both the cognitive agent and the objective environment are allowed to play a role in converting a set of stimuli into a representation. Using this model, we show, with some examples, how projection and accommodation can create features. Finally, we analyze the implications of our model, and point out future research problems.
