Dynamic Field Theory: Conceptual Foundations and Applications in Cognitive and Developmental Science

Dynamical Systems thinking has been influential in the way psychologists, cognitive scientists, and neuroscientists think about sensori-motor behavior and its development. The initial emphasis on motor behavior was expanded when the concept of dynamic activation fields provided access to embodied cognition. Dynamical Field Theory (DFT) offers a framework for thinking about representation-in-themoment that is firmly grounded in both Dynamical Systems thinking and neurophysiology. Dynamic Neural Fields are formalizations of how neural populations represent the continuous dimensions that characterize perceptual features, movements, and cognitive decisions. Neural fields evolve dynamically under the influence of inputs as well as strong neuronal interaction, generating elementary forms of cognition through dynamical instabilities. The concepts of DFT establish links between brain and behavior, helping to define experimental paradigms in which behavioral signatures of specific neural mechanisms can be observed. These paradigms can be modeled with Dynamic Neural Fields, deriving testable predictions and providing quantitative accounts of behavior. One obstacle for researchers wishing to use DFT has been that the mathematical and technical skills required to make these concepts operational are not part of the standard repertoire of cognitive scientists. The goal of this tutorial is to provide the training and tools to overcome this obstacle. We will provide a systematic introduction to the central concepts of DFT and their grounding in both Dynamical Systems concepts and neurophysiology. We will discuss the concrete mathematical implementation of these concepts in Dynamic Neural Field models, giving all needed background and providing participants with some hands-on experience using interactive simulators in MATLAB. Finally, we will take participants through a number of selected, exemplary case studies in which the concepts and associated models have been used to ask questions about elementary forms of embodied cognition and their development. A newly published book on Dynamic Neural Field modeling, Dynamic Thinking: A Primer on Dynamic Field Theory, covers these topics and more, with interactive simulators available to give hands-on experience to readers. We will take participants through the process of building and simulating models to illustrate key concepts in the case studies we describe in the tutorial.