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The emergence of events
1Goldie Rotman Center for Cognitive Science and Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Israel.
Cognition
|December 1, 1994
Summary
The cut hypothesis explains event perception: sequences experienced repeatedly in varied contexts become distinct cognitive events. This challenges traditional views of event boundaries, highlighting context-dependent learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Perception
Background:
- Events are fundamental to organizing experience, memory, and meaning.
- The emergence and demarcation of events remain poorly understood.
- Existing theories often overlook the role of repeated exposure in varied contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and experimentally validate the "cut hypothesis" for event emergence.
- To investigate how repeated experiences in diverse contexts shape event perception.
- To differentiate the cut hypothesis from demarcation at major changes and associationistic explanations.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments using video films constructed from movie excerpts.
- Subjects experienced repeating stimulus sequences in varied contexts.
- Comparison of event boundary perception and recognition memory between experimental and control groups.
Main Results:
- Repeated sequences were perceived as cohesive events, overriding points of maximal change.
- Sequences experienced in variable contexts showed better recognition than those in constant contexts.
- Experience with contextually varied sequences improved recall cohesion.
Conclusions:
- The cut hypothesis provides a robust explanation for event emergence.
- Event perception is significantly influenced by repeated exposure across diverse contexts.
- Cognitive entities are formed by "cutting out" frequently encountered, contextually varied sequences.