Schema and gestalt: Testing the hypothesis of psychoneural isomorphism by computer simulation

Abstract

The hypothesis of psychoneural isomorphism assumes a correspondence between mental representations of perceived phenomena and brain-states or cortical representations. This hypothesis is tested by means of a computer simulation of perceptual learning of context-dependent pitch. The method is based on an ecological modelling technique which is related to the Gestalt notion of molar behavior. A large scale computer simulation has been set up in which a physiological model is confronted with the strains and stresses of a realistic musical environment, in particular a sound recording of J.S.Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Klavier. The simulation suggests that the hypothesis of psychoneural isomorphism is a valid one. It predicts a particular schema or functional organization of neurons specialized in context-dependent pitch processing at the cortical level.