Cognitio - Affective minds : the cognitive science of emotions and affects

Cognitio is a young researchers’ conference held every other year at the Université du Québec à Montréal, under the auspices of its Cognitive Science Institute.

Over the past several years at Cognitio, many facets of the human mind have been explored: decision making (2005), situated minds (2006), social cognition (2007), the evolution of minds and cultures (2009), nonhuman minds (2011) creativity in art and discovery (2013), and atypical minds (2015).

This time, we will be focusing on the affective aspects of the individuals, and the way emotions act on the different organisms that can experience them.

Invited speaker:
Ronald de Sousa, Emeritus Professor, Philosophy, University of Toronto

Our goal is to question the nature of emotional processes and their origins, roles, and functions, thanks to the interaction of different fields and area of study. We will discuss the concept of emotion itself and we will try to understand how emotional experiences operate on the mind and in the world. We are interested in knowing the different components of emotions, their consequences on individuals’ lives and actions, and their biological, neural, cognitive, behavioral and developmental courses. We will investigate how emotions can be understood with respect to sensation, perception and the different cognitive processes. Every presentation that discusses emotions or their components from interdisciplinary interactions will be more than welcome, provided that there is a clear link with cognitive science. This topic can be approached from various angles. These include, but are not limited to: philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, artificial intelligence, linguistics, sociology, etc.

Suggested topics include:

• Can we find a definition of emotions ? Is there such a thing as a set of causes or mechanisms that define them as a whole, or do they rather designate a useful category without any biological basis ? Are emotions a natural kind and in what sense?
• Are emotions a product of evolution or social constructions ? Is this distinction still accurate or can the evolutionist and constructivist perspectives find a consensual position?
• What are the different components of emotional processes ? Are they physical states or mental states and are they useful or damaging to the individuals ?
• Let us discuss these pairs: rationality and emotions, cognition and emotions, feelings and emotions, actions and emotions, emotions and intelligence.
• How do emotions manifest themselves depending on cultural, social and educational differences ?
• How do they evolve in relation to the individual’s development ? Do they exist at any age? In all animals ? What are the biological or psychological prerequisites to the development of an affective life ?
• Can we think of affective processes in robots or machines ? What are the relationships between emotions, feeling and consciousness ? How to modelize the interaction between emotions and other cognitive processes in a cognitive architecture ? What is the contribution of such models to artificial intelligence ?
• What about emotional deficits ? Which place does one’s affective life have in one’s mental health in general, or in some mental disorders in particular ?

Submission of proposals for the conference is done through the EasyChair system. We are only asking for 600 words abstracts. EasyChair allows you to upload a separate document, but only the text entered in the 'Abstract' field of your submission will be evaluated.

Deadline for submissions is extended to March 13, 2017.