Dynamic Patterns: The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior (Complex Adaptive Systems) [Paperback]

J. A. Scott Kelso (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262611317 | ISBN-13: 978-0262611312 | Publication Date: April 27, 1995

foreword by Hermann Haken For the past twenty years Scott Kelso's research has focused on extending the physical concepts of self- organization and the mathematical tools of nonlinear dynamics to understand how human beings (and human brains) perceive, intend, learn, control, and coordinate complex behaviors. In this book Kelso proposes a new, general framework within which to connect brain, mind, and behavior.Kelso's prescription for mental life breaks dramatically with the classical computational approach that is still the operative framework for many newer psychological and neurophysiological studies. His core thesis is that the creation and evolution of patterned behavior at all levels -- from neurons to mind -- is governed by the generic processes of self-organization. Both human brain and behavior are shown to exhibit features of pattern-forming dynamical systems, including multistability, abrupt phase transitions, crises, and intermittency.Dynamic Patterns brings together different aspects of this approach to the study of human behavior, using simple experimental examples and illustrations to convey essential concepts, strategies, and methods, with a minimum of mathematics.Kelso begins with a general account of dynamic pattern formation. He then takes up behavior, focusing initially on identifying pattern-forming instabilities in human sensorimotor coordination. Moving back and forth between theory and experiment, he establishes the notion that the same pattern-forming mechanisms apply regardless of the component parts involved (parts of the body, parts of the nervous system, parts of society) and the medium through which the parts are coupled. Finally, employing the latest techniques to observe spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity, Kelso shows that the human brain is fundamentally a pattern forming dynamical system, poised on the brink of instability. Self-organization thus underlies the cooperative action of neurons that produces human behavior in all its forms.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

J. A. Scott Kelso holds the Glenwood and Martha Creech Chair in Science at Florida Atlantic University and is Founder and Director of the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 354 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (April 27, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262611317
• ISBN-13: 978-0262611312
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars science book, November 17, 2007

By 

Craig A. Coppock "c coppock" (Spokane, Washington USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dynamic Patterns: The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior (Complex Adaptive Systems) (Paperback)

This book was a great help in my quest to understand the Recognition Process.
Very informative.

19 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars foundation Material, August 20, 2000

By 

"pyramidl2" (Tooele, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dynamic Patterns: The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior (Complex Adaptive Systems) (Paperback)

What language would It use to describe itself? Can something like mathematics, music, language or art, which It created contain the essence to even describe itself? Do modern models describe It any better than earlier models? In the context of the times does Non-linear Dynamics attractors describe (or for that matter predict) any better than C.Jung's archetypes? As far as that goes, since they both describe scales of magnitudes, why is their so much similarity between so many of each others concepts?(enantiomorphism vs. entrainment). One would think the biological scientific community would really embrace the concepts in this book for the simple reason to get them off the hook with one of their most difficult areas. If the human brain and thus cognitive and conscious processes are a product of limit cycles and memory simply a function of a hystersis curve the entire process becomes a function of Newtonian physics in support of biology's basic premise. Self-determination and teleological arguments become academic. Mind boggling. (I think the human brain is highly overrated). While Kelso's book Dynamic Patterns doesn't answer these questions either, it is still a pretty good book (overlooking not having any equations on the first page). Already in it's third printing it doesn't need me to critique it. For computer modelers: Mathcad contains the necessary (logistics) for scalar mapping and iterated bifurcations to provide the background to create the models used in the book. (including Lorenz models, Duffings, ODE solvers). Dynamics: Numerical Explorations, (Springer) with related program even goes one better. Matlab's signal processing toolbox, (creates any signal p.48, check out the Hofstader sequence relation to Kelso's basic signal), wavelets toolbox (creates Farey sequence, most converging fraction sequences paint this same picture). Because these equations can be set up as state-space models the same model can be used Matlab's system identification, control, and neural net toolboxes (use feedforward instead of feedback). For biologicals: Most applicable non-linear equations are much better handled by differential equations. While a unit circle torus may work for pictures it is does not give unique solutions and thus calculable answers. Assuming the time constant is the same in each differential equation and then cascading the solutions into each other to build matrices that can then be used to build the phase plots easily solves this. Check out Spikes, Decisions, and Actions (Wilson) probably the best as far as Matlab add-ons go (real action figures basic formulas and models can be modified to see the effect of gain i.e., use of amphetamines or inhibitors SSRI). Although Koch's (Biophysics of Computation provides good background in stochastic processes in the Markovian sense and Tri-diagonal matrices) startneuro Simulink from Methods in Neuronal Modeling (MIT Press) is a lot more fun!(Gabrianni and Koch) In the same book is Rinzel and Ermentrout's original work on Oscillations. And last but not least the internet address for all these and the classic Neuron model by Hines is included.