Theory & Philosophy Conference
Perspectives on Behavioral Complexity
October 28-29, 2024
The Drake Hotel; Chicago, Illinois
Virtual Access Available
Schedule Overview
Day 1:
Cluster 1: Evolution & Neuroscience
Cluster 2: Cultural Systems
Day 2:
Cluster 3: Symbolic Processes
Cluster 4: Computational Modeling
| Sunday, October 27 |
| 2:00 pm–5:00 pm |
Registration open |
| 6:30 pm–8:00 pm |
Welcome reception |
| |
| Monday, October 28 |
| 7:00 am–7:00 pm |
Registration open |
| 8:00 am–8:10 am |
Opening Remarks |
| 8:10 am–12:20 pm |
Cluster 1: Evolution & Neuroscience |
| 12:20 pm–1:50 pm |
Lunch Break |
| 1:50 pm–4:50 pm |
Cluster 2: Cultural Systems |
| 5:00 pm–5:50 pm |
Sessions |
| 6:00 pm–7:30 pm |
Poster Session |
| |
| Tuesday, October 29 |
| 7:00 am–5:00 pm |
Registration open |
| 8:10 am–12:20 pm |
Cluster 3: Symbolic Processes |
| 12:20 am–1:50 pm |
Lunch Break |
| 1:50 pm–4:50 pm |
Cluster 4: Computational Modeling |
| 4:50 pm–5:00 pm |
Closing Remarks |
| |
Cluster 1
In the Evolution & Neuroscience cluster, participants will delve into how understanding social life as a perceptual task can change theories about primate brain evolution and sociality. There will be discussions on how reverse-translational assays might accelerate treatment development and the study of cross-species behavior, the challenges in dividing simple motor skills from complex cognitive abilities, and how complex behaviors can be built from simpler components.
Cluster 2
The Cultural Systems cluster will explore how Darwin’s natural selection and Skinner’s selection by consequences, together with cultural selection, represent the prime pillars of evolutionary thought. Attendees will learn about a contingency-based theory of the origins and evolution of sociocultural phenomena and discuss how the building blocks of culturo-behavioral science combine to form the complexities we observe in the world.
Cluster 3
In the Symbolic Processes cluster, the analysis of verbal behavior components rooted in early social development will be a key focus, providing insights into phenomena said to reflect the "theory of mind." The sessions will offer an overview of the traditional relational frame approach to human language and cognition, discuss recent conceptual and empirical developments in this field, and explore the role of automatic reinforcement in language acquisition and grammatical phenomena.
Cluster 4
The Computational Modeling cluster will highlight technological advances in data collection and computational modeling that allow researchers to observe and measure verbal communities in real time. We will explain how new approaches can move our understanding of verbal community impact from theoretical to empirical. Additionally, the cluster will cover complex systems theory and illustrate its advantages through the Evolutionary Theory of Behavior Dynamics (ETBD).
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