[Analysis and cognitive modelling of the analogical process in psychosis]

The disturbances of cognitive processes in psychotic patients are well known: the delusional interpretation is "the inference from a right perception into a wrong concept" (Dromard), "an wrong intuition about the meaning of what is perceived, seen or heard" (H. Ey). Analogy is the very core of any cognitive process: relating a strange thing to some object already part of the experience enables to set up differences, oppositions, connections, classes. Any semantic process (something stands for another thing) originates in analogy. It is the basis of every interpretation and world's knowledge. Its soundness is by no means reliable, but for the inner strength of the analogical network and its power to integrate new objects. It's easy to fall out of the track... A wrong analogy, better, a wrong one that would not be acknowledged as a mistake, would be enough: the gap is quite narrow between interpretations leading either to understanding or to misreading, only filled through the relation of other people providing the necessary clues. The contemporary papers about cognitive process are driving towards two main trends: 1) Neuromimetic models, and the building of neuronal networks, whose emergent properties point out the basically analogical character of representations, learning and memory. 2) Cognitive models, dealing with representations and algorithms, and leading to Artificial Intelligence Programs. We tried to build a model (both cognitive and AI) of the analogical process and its psychotic disturbances. Our model describes how simple analogical problems are solved: If (A) becomes (B), what about (C)? Making up the psychological model and its AI translation led to propound the concept of Universes as sets consisting of ONE likely or relevant link between two objects, and such intrinsic of extrinsic properties of the objects as are involved in this relation. The model uses 3 different universes: Universe U1, made up of one of the possible transformation kinks from (A) to (B) and (A)'s properties involved in this actual transformation. Universe U2, made out of the likeness link between Universe U1 and (C). Universe U3, performing in fact the validation procedure of the result. The analogical reasoning goes through the three universes, along an iterative loop again and again until a nice result is found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)