Quantum Structure of Negation and Conjunction in Human Thought

We analyse in this paper the data collected in a set of experiments performed on human subjects on the combination of natural concepts. We investigate the mutual influence of conceptual conjunction and negation by measuring the membership weights of a list of exemplars with respect to two concepts, e.g., 'Fruits' and 'Vegetables', and their conjunction 'Fruits And Vegetables', but also their conjunction when one or both concepts are negated, namely, 'Fruits And Not Vegetables', 'Not Fruits And Vegetables' and 'Not Fruits And Not Vegetables'. Our findings sharpen existing analysis on conceptual combinations, revealing systematic and remarkable deviations from classical (fuzzy set) logic and probability theory. And, more important, our results give further considerable evidence to the validity of our quantum-theoretic framework for the combination of two concepts. Indeed, the representation of conceptual negation naturally arises from the general assumptions of our two-sector Fock space model, and this representation faithfully agrees with the collected data. In addition, we find a further significant deviation and a priori unexpected from classicality, which can exactly be explained by assuming that human reasoning is the superposition of an 'emergent reasoning' and a 'logical reasoning', and that these two processes can be successfully represented in a Fock space algebraic structure.Comment: 44 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1406.235

A New Fundamental Evidence of Non-Classical Structure in the Combination of Natural Concepts

We recently performed cognitive experiments on conjunctions and negations of two concepts with the aim of investigating the combination problem of concepts. Our experiments confirmed the deviations (conceptual vagueness, underextension, overextension, etc.) from the rules of classical (fuzzy) logic and probability theory observed by several scholars in concept theory, while our data were successfully modeled in a quantum-theoretic framework developed by ourselves. In this paper, we isolate a new, very stable and systematic pattern of violation of classicality that occurs in concept combinations. In addition, the strength and regularity of this non-classical effect leads us to believe that it occurs at a more fundamental level than the deviations observed up to now. It is our opinion that we have identified a deep non-classical mechanism determining not only how concepts are combined but, rather, how they are formed. We show that this effect can be faithfully modeled in a two-sector Fock space structure, and that it can be exactly explained by assuming that human thought is the supersposition of two processes, a 'logical reasoning', guided by 'logic', and a 'conceptual reasoning' guided by 'emergence', and that the latter generally prevails over the former. All these findings provide a new fundamental support to our quantum-theoretic approach to human cognition.Comment: 14 pages. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1503.0426

Towards an analytical theory for charged hard spheres

Ion mixtures require an exclusion core to avoid collapse. The Debye Hueckel theory, where ions are point charges, is accurate only in the limit of infinite dilution. The MSA is the embedding of hard cores into DH, is valid for higher densities. In the MSA the properties of any ionic mixture can be represented by a single screening parameter $\Gamma$. For equal ionic size restricted model is obtained from the Debye parameter $\kappa$. This one parameter representation (BIMSA) is valid for complex and associating systems, such as the general n-polyelectrolytes. The BIMSA is the only theory that satisfies the infinite dilution limit of the DH theory for any chain length. The contact pair distribution function of hard ions mixture is a functional of $\Gamma$ and a small mean field parameter. This yields good agreement with the Monte Carlo (Bresme et al. Phys. Rev. E {\textbf 51} 289 (1995)) .Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur

Modeling Meaning Associated with Documental Entities: Introducing the Brussels Quantum Approach

We show that the Brussels operational-realistic approach to quantum physics and quantum cognition offers a fundamental strategy for modeling the meaning associated with collections of documental entities. To do so, we take the World Wide Web as a paradigmatic example and emphasize the importance of distinguishing the Web, made of printed documents, from a more abstract meaning entity, which we call the Quantum Web, or QWeb, where the former is considered to be the collection of traces that can be left by the latter, in specific measurements, similarly to how a non-spatial quantum entity, like an electron, can leave localized traces of impact on a detection screen. The double-slit experiment is extensively used to illustrate the rationale of the modeling, which is guided by how physicists constructed quantum theory to describe the behavior of the microscopic entities. We also emphasize that the superposition principle and the associated interference effects are not sufficient to model all experimental probabilistic data, like those obtained by counting the relative number of documents containing certain words and co-occurrences of words. For this, additional effects, like context effects, must also be taken into consideration.Comment: 27 pages, 6 figures, Late

The Pride Pipeline: Violent Nationalism in the United States

A striking rise in American Nationalism has emerged due to varying factors; however, a particular selection of identities have acted as primary contributors to this phenomenon. This piece navigates the increasing application of violence in the political arena in tandem with the impacts of racial, socioeconomic, and social factors that have fueled this collective aggression. Previous research points toward the hyperpolarization that has been perpetuated by political figures and media outlets, the augmentation of a psychological us-vs.-them mentality, and the perceived threat to American hegemony across the globe. Through an analysis of data provided by the 9th edition of the Chapman University Survey on American Fears in addition to a selection of the 6th edition, this phenomenon is dissected further. Extracting the responses to a given respondent’s partisan affiliation and their individual consensus regarding the use of force to restore political power, this piece amplifies the present beliefs of scholars, adding the significance of recent resurgences in violent movements and extremist political groups. Upon examination of current data, it is proposed that while religious and social factors intersect uniquely to contribute toward the presence of violent patriotism, the most prominent factor is the growing belief of white supremacy and the perceived threat that marginalized groups pose to their ideal nation

Digital Competencies in Higher Education Students: Analysis of Attitude, Knowledge, and Use of ICT

In the contemporary era, the convergence between education and digital technology demands an ongoing revision of pedagogical strategies, focusing on placing the student as the protagonist of the learning process. This study aimed to analyse the digital competencies of students from the Higher Technological Institute of Spain (ISTE) in Ecuador, considering their attitude, knowledge, and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as how sociodemographic variables affect this context. Using a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional research design with a correlational approach to variables, the ACUTIC questionnaire was applied to a sample of 156 ISTE students. The data was analysed with R Commander 4.3.1, first performing a descriptive analysis exploring trends in variables such as age and gender. Furthermore, the use of parametric and non-parametric tests depends on the data distribution. The results confirmed that there are no gender differences in attitude, knowledge, or use of these technologies (p-value > 0.05). While age does not correlate with ICT use (p = 0.1661) or attitude (p = 0.1173), it does relate to knowledge of them (p = 0.0182) and to the possession of computers and smartphones (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0059, respectively). There is a robust correlation between ICT knowledge and use (p-value < 2.2e-16). Geographical location corresponds with stable internet access (p = 0.0000) and computer ownership (p = 0.0028). In conclusion, the digital competencies of ISTE students in Ecuador are influenced by multiple sociodemographic factors and represent a crucial aspect of adapting to the changes and demands of education