Considering the role of cognitive control in expert performance

© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Dreyfus and Dreyfus’ (1986) influential phenomenological analysis of skill acquisition proposes that expert performance is guided by non-cognitive responses which are fast, effortless and apparently intuitive in nature. Although this model has been criticised (e.g., by Breivik Journal of Philosophy of Sport, 34, 116–134 2007, Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 40, 85–106 2013; Eriksen 2010; Montero Inquiry:An interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, 53, 105–122 2010; Montero and Evans 2011) for over-emphasising the role that intuition plays in facilitating skilled performance, it does recognise that on occasions (e.g., when performance goes awry for some reason) a form of ‘detached deliberative rationality’ may be used by experts to improve their performance. However, Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986) see no role for calculative problem solving or deliberation (i.e., drawing on rules or mental representations) when performance is going well. In the current paper, we draw on empirical evidence, insights from athletes, and phenomenological description to argue that ‘continuous improvement’ (i.e., the phenomenon whereby certain skilled performers appear to be capable of increasing their proficiency even though they are already experts; Toner and Moran 2014) among experts is mediated by cognitive (or executive) control in three distinct sporting situations (i.e., in training, during pre-performance routines, and while engaged in on-line skill execution). We conclude by arguing that Sutton et al. Journal of the British Society for Phenomenology, 42, 78–103 (2011) ‘applying intelligence to the reflexes’ (AIR) approach may help to elucidate the process by which expert performers achieve continuous improvement through analytical/mindful behaviour during training and competition

Will machines ever think

Artificial Intelligence research has come under fire for failing to fulfill its promises. A growing number of AI researchers are reexamining the bases of AI research and are challenging the assumption that intelligent behavior can be fully explained as manipulation of symbols by algorithms. Three recent books -- Mind over Machine (H. Dreyfus and S. Dreyfus), Understanding Computers and Cognition (T. Winograd and F. Flores), and Brains, Behavior, and Robots (J. Albus) -- explore alternatives and open the door to new architectures that may be able to learn skills

Doing without representation: coping with Dreyfus

Hubert Dreyfus argues that the traditional and currently dominant conception of an action, as an event initiated or governed by a mental representation of a possible state of affairs that the agent is trying to realise, is inadequate. If Dreyfus is right, then we need a new conception of action. I argue, however, that the considerations that Dreyfus adduces show only that an action need not be initiated or governed by a conceptual representation, but since a representation need not be conceptually structured, do not show that we need a conception of action that does not involve representation

Menorah Review (No. 19, Summer, 1990)

Jewish Historiography -- Dreyfus and French Catholicism -- Child of Israel -- Behind the Scenes of the Forty-Year War -- Learning the Lessons of History: Reflections on the Writing of Michael Marru

Real difference Galois theory

In this paper, we develop a difference Galois theory in the setting of real fields. After proving the existence and uniqueness of the real Picard-Vessiot extension, we define the real difference Galois group and prove a Galois correspondence.Comment: Final versio

Confluence of meromorphic solutions of q-difference equations

In this paper, we consider a q-analogue of the Borel-Laplace summation where q>1 is a real parameter. In particular, we show that the Borel-Laplace summation of a divergent power series solution of a linear differential equation can be uniformly approximated on a convenient sector, by a meromorphic solution of a corresponding family of linear q-difference equations. We perform the computations for the basic hypergeometric series. Following J. Sauloy, we prove how a fundamental set of solutions of a linear differential equation can be uniformly approximated on a convenient domain by a fundamental set of solutions of a corresponding family of linear q-difference equations. This leads us to the approximations of Stokes matrices and monodromy matrices of the linear differential equation by matrices with entries that are invariants by the multiplication by q

Splendid and perverse equivalences

Inspired by the works of Rickard on splendid equivalences and of Chuang and Rouquier on perverse equivalences, we are here interested in the combination of both, a splendid perverse equivalence. This is naturally the right framework to understand the relations between global and local perverse equivalences between blocks of finite groups, as a splendid equivalence induces local derived equivalences via the Brauer functor. We prove that under certain conditions, we have an equivalence between a perverse equivalence between the homotopy category of p-permutation modules and local derived perverse equivalences, in the case of abelian defect group.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Wedge immersed thermistor bolometers

An immersed thermistor bolometer for the detection of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation is described. Two types of immersed bolometers are discussed. The immersion of thermistor flakes in a lens, or half immersed by optical contact on a lens, is examined. Lens materials are evaluated for optimum immersion including fused aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, and germanium. The application of the bolometer to instruments in which the entrance pupil of the immersion optics has a high aspect ratio is considered