Thesis (Revise). / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-59).

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1991. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-127).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Georgetown University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Undergraduate honors paper--Mount Holyoke College, 2007. Dept. of Philosophy. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-107).

Thesis (M.Ost.)--Unitec New Zealand, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-93).

As technology becomes more sophisticated, it becomes increasingly important to understand how we should ethically use technology. One question within this area of study is whether we should treat certain types of technology, like artificial intelligence, with more respect. If we do owe these machines some sort of moral status, another question is what level of moral status they have. In order to answer these questions, I argue that machines can be considered as minds under the view of machine functionalism. A significant problem for machine functionalism is whether it can account for emotions within the system it suggests. First, I argue that emotions are able to fit within the system using Martha Nussbaum’s framework for emotions. Second, I address Craig Delancey’s objections to Nussbaum’s view, and I suggest friendly amendments to Nussbaum’s framework. Third, I look at how Nussbaum’s view fits within the theory of machine functionalism. And finally, I consider the implications of the view that machines can have minds like humans can, and how we should treat machines in light of this argument.

Orientador: Júlia Ziviani Vitiello / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T11:20:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pees_AdrianaAlmeida_D.pdf: 45750189 bytes, checksum: a1f9701451b5c8aef61be6cb017ff685 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Esta pesquisa busca através dos princípios de movimento do método Body-Mind Centering® (BMC) ? desenvolvido por Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen ? estudar o Sistema Vestibular e suas relações com o equilíbrio do corpo. Investiga suas possíveis contribuições quanto ao desenvolvimento motor e suas implicações qualitativas nos gestos e nas ações para a atuação e criação nas artes cênicas. Desde que o equilíbrio corporal deve-se a interação de três sistemas: somatosensorial, visual e vestibular. O método Body-Mind Centering® apresentase relevante neste estudo, pois seus princípios proporcionam uma vivência anatômica de diferentes sistemas corporais, favorecendo o reconhecimento da atuação do sistema vestibular no movimento. Isso conduz à compreensão de como abrangemos inteligentemente os sentidos no corpo, e como estes se relacionam com a percepção e o desenvolvimento do movimento. Almeja-se que esta pesquisa possa elucidar de que maneira o BMC pode interferir no aprendizado de como as ações se codificam possibilitando que se compreenda também que novas maneiras de co-emergir nos movimentos habilita e sustenta o processo criativo, uma vez que na dança, o artista conta com o próprio corpo para desenvolver seu trabalho de interpretação e criação. Esse processo de criação deve contar, por parte do artista, com uma atitude baseada na percepção do equilíbrio do seu corpo, nas suas escolhas e nas qualidades inerentes da reestruturação equilíbrio/desequilíbrio no movimento e no desenho coreográfico. A aplicação desta pesquisa foi realizada no entrelaçamento de três vias, as quais consideramos essenciais: laboratórios práticos (vivência específica da teoria por meio do Método BMC), de criação (desenvolvimento de uma coreografia) e pelo estudo da obra do pintor Paul Klee, que contribuiu como alicerce poético/imagético ao processo coreográfico. / Abstract: This research aims, through the movement principles of the Body-Mind Centering® (BMC) method developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, at studying the Vestibular System and its connections with body balance. It researches its possible contributions regarding the motor development and its qualitative implications in gestures and actions towards acting and creation in performing arts. Since body balance is due to the interaction of three systems: somatosensory, visual and vestibular, the Body-Mind Centering® method is realized as relevant in this study, as its principles provide an anatomic experience of different body systems, favoring the recognition of the vestibular system action in motion. This leads to understanding how we wisely cover the senses in the body, and how these senses relate to perception and motion development. This research is intended to be able to elucidate how BMC can interfere in learning the way the actions are coded allowing one to also realize that new ways to co-emerge in the movements enables and supports the creative system, since in dance, the artist counts on the proper body to develop his or her interpretation and creation work. This creation process must count, by the artist, on an attitude based on his/her body's balance perception, on his/her choices and on the inherent qualities of balance/unbalance restructuring in motion and choreographic design. The application of this research has been achieved in the three-way interlacement, which we consider essential: practical laboratories (specific experience of theory by means of BMC Method), of creation (development of a choreography) and by studying painter Paul Klee's work, which has contributed as a poetic/imagetic foundation to the choreographic process. / Doutorado / Artes Cenicas / Doutor em Artes

Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and other people. In this thesis, I present a new paradigm, the Self/Other Differentiation task, which was designed to assess ToM abilities – specifically, the ability to attribute belief states to the ‘Self' and ‘Other' – in typically developed, healthy adults. By focussing on fully developed ToM abilities, we aimed to increase understanding of how the ToM mechanism is structured and functions in everyday life, and how individual ToM components may differentially relate to executive functioning (EF) abilities. The Self/Other Differentiation task is a computerized false-belief task utilizing a matched- design to allow direct comparison of self-oriented versus other-oriented belief- attribution processes. Using behavioural (response times/error rates) and electrophysiological (EEG) methods, the work presented in this thesis provides evidence of a clear and distinct differentiation in the processing of ‘Self' versus ‘Other' perspectives in healthy ToM. We established a key role of perspective-shifting in ToM, which we hypothesize plays a crucial role in day-to-day communications; shifting from the Self-to-Other perspective was significantly harder (longer and more error prone) than shifting from the Other-to-Self perspective, suggesting that the ‘Self' forms the stem of understanding the ‘Other'. EEG analysis revealed these effects were present across fronto-lateral and occipital-lateral areas of the brain, particularly across the right hemisphere in parietal regions. We provide evidence of these features as universal, core components of the ToM mechanism, with data collected from both Chinese and Western cultures illustrating similar patterns of results. Results regarding the relationship between ToM and EF were mixed, with one study finding that affective EF positively correlates with ToM task performance, whilst non-affective EF does not, and a further two studies finding no such differential relationship. The Self/Other Differentiation task provides the opportunity to establish the features of ‘typical' ToM processes in healthy adults, to further our understanding of how the mature ToM mechanism functions.

Bacterial cell division requires formation of the cytokinetic cell division septum at the mid-cell position, a process that is determined by three Min proteins; MinC, MinD and MinE. Regulation of cell division by Min proteins occurs via a multi-step process involving interactions between various Min proteins, as well as the membrane. In this cycle, ATP-bound MinD binds to the membrane surface where it can recruit MinC to inhibit formation of the cell division septum. MinE binding to this complex displaces MinC and stimulates ATP hydrolysis, leading to the dissociation of MinD from the membrane. These interactions give rise to a dynamic pattern of Min protein localization that appears to involve a polymeric state that is designed to create a zone that is permissive to cell division at the mid-point of the cell. The interaction between MinD and the membrane is a critical aspect of this cycle, yet the role of the lipid bilayer in MinD activation, localization and polymerization is not well understood. To probe the role of membrane charge and fluidity on MinD activation and polymerization, we developed a kinetic assay of MinE-stimulated MinD ATPase activity. We found that membrane charge is essential for MinD activation and that differences in membrane fluidity give rise to changes in its activity. Moreover, a burst phase was also observed during the first few minutes of reaction, but only on the most fluid anionic lipid tested. To help determine if the observed membrane-dependent changes in MinD activity are linked to any changes in MinD polymer structure, we have begun to develop a method to identify surface exposed regions of MinD through a combination of covalent labeling and mass spectrometry. Optimization of various steps for the assay has been done, and the assay can be applied to the future characterization of MinD polymer structure. Results from this assay, in combination with those from the kinetic measurements described here, will help to improve understanding about how membrane properties modulate MinD ATPase activity, and how this can influence the Min protein oscillation that is required to ensure normal bacterial cell division.