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Complex Adaptive Behavior and Dexterous Action.

Steven J Harrison1, Nicholas Stergiou1

  • 1University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

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|September 17, 2015
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Dexterous action, understood as complex adaptive behavior, relies on self-organization principles. This approach highlights how optimal variability in behavior emerges from the dynamic interaction of the nervous system, body, and environment.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ecological Psychology
  • Complex Systems Science

Background:

  • Bernstein's ecological analysis defines dexterous action as flexible, context-adaptive behavior.
  • Dexterity is conceptualized as complex adaptive behavior, requiring robustness and degeneracy.
  • The agent-environment system's functional complexity supports adaptive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the hypothesis that complex adaptive behavior utilizes self-organization principles.
  • To present a perspective where nervous-system, body, and environment interactivity is key to adaptive behavior.
  • To consider implications for understanding human behavior functionality and dysfunctionality.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing ecological analyses of behavior from Bernstein and Gibson.
  • Applying principles of self-organization to understand complex adaptive behavior.
  • Framing behavior as an emergent property of the agent-environment system.

Main Results:

  • Complex adaptive behavior is proposed to capitalize on general principles of self-organization.
  • The interactivity of the nervous system, body, and environment is identified as a crucial resource for adaptation.
  • Optimal variability is demonstrated as a consequence of viewing behavior as complex and adaptive.

Conclusions:

  • Human behavior's functionality is best interpreted through the lens of complex adaptive systems.
  • Self-organization and agent-environment dynamics are fundamental to dexterous action.
  • Understanding optimal variability requires appreciating behavior as a product of dynamic, adaptive processes.