Subject: Lance Nizami re Wiener, cybernetics, etc - SECOND posting From: Iftikhar Nizami <nizamii2@xxxxxxxx> Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2013 11:59:16 -0800 List-Archive:<http://lists.mcgill.ca/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=AUDITORY>---335401467-1295941654-1387655956=:36607 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Dear Readers - Dr Jont Allen informs me that he (and presumably others) rec= eived my last posting re Wiener, cybernetics, etc as html rather than as pl= ain text. I am hence trying this posting again, but when the "Is this your = message?" enquiry first occurs from AuditoryList, I will delete any html co= ntent (which was present last time, along with plain-text content), and see= what happens. Consider this one of those old TV "Station Identification" t= ests ... If it's still received as html by anyone, I'd appreciate being tol= d. This may be a problem of my internet provider, ATT, who are ruthlessly m= essing around with email to make it "faster" and, so far, have managed to m= ake it noticeably slower, including unexplainable "time-outs", one of which= occurred the first time I tried to send the present=C2=A0message.=0A=C2=A0= =0AOriginal text:=0A=C2=A0=0ADear AuditoryList subscribers =E2=80=93 as we = approach the year 2014, the 50th anniversary of the death of Norbert Wiener= , please permit me a little =E2=80=9Chorn-blowing=E2=80=9D. This note is to= let any interested parties know about a recent paper that relates auditory= psychophysics (among others) to =E2=80=9Csecond-order=E2=80=9D cybernetics= :=0A=C2=A0=0A=E2=80=9CParadigm versus praxis: why psychology =E2=80=98absol= ute identification=E2=80=99 experiments do not reveal sensory processes=E2= =80=9D (L. Nizami). This paper appears in the journal Kybernetes, (Vol 42 N= o 9/10, 2013, 1447-1456; doi 10.1108/K-09-2012-0059).=0A=C2=A0=0AThe journa= l Kybernetes (Greek for =E2=80=9Csteering=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9Cgovernorship= =E2=80=9D) is not found in some science or medicine libraries, as its conte= nt often includes education or business topics. Hence I will make a pdf of = the paper available to anyone who expresses interest in it, and who private= ly contacts me by email because they cannot find the paper easily.=0A=C2=A0= =0AI should introduce the paper in order to provide context, as follows bri= efly. It is the fourth in a series in which each paper proves a different p= oint. The first paper also appeared in a =E2=80=9Cboutique journal=E2=80=9D= , one whose own editors admit that it can be hard to find. That paper is=0A= =C2=A0=0ANizami, L. (2010), =E2=80=9CInterpretation of absolute judgments u= sing information theory: channel capacity or memory capacity?=E2=80=9D, Cyb= ernetics and Human Knowing, Vol. 17 Nos. 1-2, pp. 111-155=0A=C2=A0=0Aand is= also available from me on request. It shows that =E2=80=9Cabsolute identif= ication=E2=80=9D involves numerous idiosyncracies that are not explainable = within Shannon Information Theory, but which altogether suggest that the Ga= rner-Hake measure of =E2=80=9Cinformation transmitted=E2=80=9D and its alle= ged asymptote, the channel capacity, must perforce be measures of memory ca= pacity. However, the mechanism whereby memory intrudes into absolute judgme= nts was not identified at that point. A further paper,=0A=C2=A0=0ANizami, L= . (2011a), =E2=80=9CMemory model of information transmitted in absolute jud= gment=E2=80=9D, Kybernetes, Vol. 40 Nos. 1-2, pp. 80-109=0A=C2=A0=0Awas the= n written, which qualitatively (but not quantitatively) integrated memory i= nto absolute judgments through a new, math-free model that predicted how ab= solute identifications change with the number of judged stimuli. In particu= lar, the model predicted that the distributions of subjects=E2=80=99 absolu= te judgments would become systematically skewed, a prediction confirmed by = contemporary data of Professors Dana Murphy and Bruce A Schneider and.their= co-authors.=0A=C2=A0=0AAltogether, then, Nizami (2010) and Nizami (2011a) = presented mounting evidence that the Garner-Hake measure was merely a needl= essly convoluted memory measure. Nonetheless, that measure continues to be = used, perhaps encouraged by ongoing attempts to legitimize the Garner-Hake = approach by incorporating its ideas into larger theories of perception. A s= terling example is the =E2=80=9CEntropy Theory of Perception=E2=80=9D of K.= H. Norwich and co-authors, dating in print from 1975. In response, the thir= d paper in the present series was written, Nizami (2011b):=0A=C2=A0=0ANizam= i, L. (2011b), =E2=80=9CNorwich=E2=80=99s Entropy Theory: how not to go fro= m abstract to actual=E2=80=9D, Kybernetes, Vol. 40 Nos. 7-8, pp. 1102-1118.= =0A=C2=A0=0AThe Entropy Theory=E2=80=99s interpretation proved to be utterl= y ambiguous. This paper, also, is available on request.=0A=C2=A0=0ANeither = Nizami (2010) nor Nizami (2011a) had explained precisely how the Garner-Hak= e measure becomes memory-limited. Nizami (2013) fills that gap, and also an= swers the crucial underlying question of why: namely, that Garner and Hake = (1951) and their successors did not meaningfully identify the elements of t= he Shannon =E2=80=9Cgeneral communication system=E2=80=9D. In particular, t= here was a failure to realize the observer=E2=80=99s presence and possible = actions. This takes us well into =E2=80=9Csecond-order cybernetics=E2=80=9D= as we approach the year 2014, the 50th anniversary of the death of Norbert= Wiener. ---335401467-1295941654-1387655956=:36607 Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti= mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div style=3D"RIGHT: = auto">Dear Readers - Dr Jont Allen informs me that he (and presumably other= s) received my last posting re Wiener, cybernetics, etc as html rather than= as plain text. I am hence trying this posting again, but when the "Is this= your message?" enquiry first occurs from AuditoryList, I will delete any h= tml content (which was present last time, along with plain-text content), a= nd see what happens. Consider this one of those old TV "Station Identificat= ion" tests ... If it's still received as html by anyone, I'd appreciate bei= ng told. This may be a problem of my internet provider, ATT, who are ruthle= ssly messing around with email to make it "faster" and, so far, have manage= d to make it noticeably slower, including unexplainable "time-outs", one of= which occurred the first time I tried to send the present<VAR id=3Dyui-ie-cursor></VAR> message.</div> <div style=3D"RIGHT: auto"> </div> <div style=3D"RIGHT: auto">Original text:</div> <div style=3D"RIGHT: auto"> </div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>D= ear AuditoryList subscribers =E2=80=93 as we approach the year 2014, the 50= <SUP>th</SUP> anniversary of the death of Norbert Wiener, please permit me = a little =E2=80=9Chorn-blowing=E2=80=9D. This note is to let any interested= parties know about a recent paper that relates auditory psychophysics (amo= ng others) to =E2=80=9Csecond-order=E2=80=9D cybernetics:</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= ?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office= " /><o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>= =E2=80=9CParadigm versus praxis: why psychology =E2=80=98absolute identific= ation=E2=80=99 experiments do not reveal sensory processes=E2=80=9D (L. Niz= ami). This paper appears in the journal Kybernetes, (Vol 42 No 9/10, 2013, = 1447-1456; doi 10.1108/K-09-2012-0059).</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>T= he journal <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kybernetes</I> (Greek f= or =E2=80=9Csteering=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9Cgovernorship=E2=80=9D) is not fou= nd in some science or medicine libraries, as its content often includes edu= cation or business topics. Hence I will make a pdf of the paper available t= o anyone who expresses interest in it, and who privately contacts me by ema= il because they cannot find the paper easily.</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>I= should introduce the paper in order to provide context, as follows briefly= . It is the fourth in a series in which each paper proves a different point= . The first paper also appeared in a =E2=80=9Cboutique journal=E2=80=9D, on= e whose own editors admit that it can be hard to find. That paper is</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>N= izami, L. (2010), =E2=80=9CInterpretation of absolute judgments using infor= mation theory: channel capacity or memory capacity?=E2=80=9D, <I style=3D"m= so-bidi-font-style: normal">Cybernetics and Human Knowing</I>, Vol. 17 Nos.= 1-2, pp. 111-155</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>a= nd is also available from me on request. It shows that =E2=80=9Cabsolute id= entification=E2=80=9D involves numerous idiosyncracies that are not explain= able within Shannon Information Theory, but which altogether suggest that t= he Garner-Hake measure of =E2=80=9Cinformation transmitted=E2=80=9D and its= alleged asymptote, the channel capacity, must perforce be measures of <I s= tyle=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">memory</I> capacity. However, the mech= anism whereby memory intrudes into absolute judgments was not identified at= that point. A further paper,</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>N= izami, L. (2011a), =E2=80=9CMemory model of information transmitted in abso= lute judgment=E2=80=9D, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kybernetes= </I>, Vol. 40 Nos. 1-2, pp. 80-109</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>w= as then written, which qualitatively (but not quantitatively) integrated me= mory into absolute judgments through a new, math-free model that predicted = how absolute identifications change with the number of judged stimuli. In p= articular, the model predicted that the distributions of subjects=E2=80=99 = absolute judgments would become systematically skewed, a prediction confirm= ed by contemporary data of Professors Dana Murphy and Bruce A Schneider and= .their co-authors.</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>A= ltogether, then, Nizami (2010) and Nizami (2011a) presented mounting eviden= ce that the Garner-Hake measure was merely a needlessly convoluted memory m= easure. Nonetheless, that measure continues to be used, perhaps encouraged = by ongoing attempts to legitimize the Garner-Hake approach by incorporating= its ideas into larger theories of perception. A sterling example is the = =E2=80=9CEntropy Theory of Perception=E2=80=9D of K.H. Norwich and co-autho= rs, dating in print from 1975. In response, the third paper in the present = series was written, Nizami (2011b):</div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>N= izami, L. (2011b), =E2=80=9C<?xml:namespace prefix =3D st1 ns =3D "urn:sche= mas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1:place>Norwich</st1:pla= ce></st1:City>=E2=80=99s Entropy Theory: how not to go from abstract to act= ual=E2=80=9D, <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Kybernetes</I>, Vol.= 40 Nos. 7-8, pp. 1102-1118.<o:p></o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>T= he Entropy Theory=E2=80=99s interpretation proved to be utterly ambiguous. = This paper, also, is available on request.<o:p></o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal><= o:p> </o:p></div> <div style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=3DMsoNormal>N= either Nizami (2010) nor Nizami (2011a) had explained precisely how the Gar= ner-Hake measure becomes memory-limited. Nizami (2013) fills that gap, and = also answers the crucial underlying question of <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-s= tyle: normal">why</I>: namely, that Garner and Hake (1951) and their succes= sors did not meaningfully identify the elements of the <st1:place>Shannon</= st1:place> =E2=80=9Cgeneral communication system=E2=80=9D. In particular, t= here was a failure to realize the <I style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style: normal">= observer</I>=E2=80=99s presence and possible actions. This takes us well in= to =E2=80=9Csecond-order cybernetics=E2=80=9D as we approach the year 2014,= the 50<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary of the death of Norbert Wiener. </div> <div style=3D"RIGHT: auto"> </div></div></body></html> ---335401467-1295941654-1387655956=:36607--