internal representation meaning in english

Explaining Cognitive Phenomena with Internal Representations: A Mechanistic Perspective

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Published Online : Apr 10, 2015

Page range: 63 - 90, doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/slgr-2015-0004, keywords mechanistic explanation , representationalism , antirepresentationalism , mental representation , s-representation , emulation theory , predictive coding, © studies in logic, grammar and rhetoric, this work is licensed under the creative commons attribution-noncommercial-noderivatives 3.0 license..

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What are internal representations?

Internal representation is the term we use to describe how we internally represent and attribute meaning to the outside world.

How do we use internal representation to persuade?

A uniquely effective method to persuade someone to your point of view or, to put this more strongly, communicate to others precisely what we want them to think, is to initiate within them a journey of thought and imagination to directly and proactively influence their internal representations in line with your objectives. If you suggest to someone to imagine something, whatever they see in their mind’s eye they will believe is their ...

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What does internal representation mean?

Definitions for internal representation in·ter·nal rep·re·sen·ta·tion, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word internal representation ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

representation, mental representation, internal representation noun

a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image

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internal representation

Internal representation refers to the mental state, model, concept, or symbol that arises within an individual's mind as they perceive, interpret, and understand their environment or experiences. It's a cognitive or psychological understanding of external reality, and forms an integral part of learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making processes. This concept is frequently used in fields like psychology, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience.

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How to pronounce internal representation?

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The numerical value of internal representation in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

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The numerical value of internal representation in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

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Translations for internal representation

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• internus repraesentatio Latin

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INTERNAL REPRESENTATION

Pronunciation (us):    (gb): , ipa (us): .

  Dictionary entry overview: What does internal representation mean?  

• INTERNAL REPRESENTATION (noun)   The noun INTERNAL REPRESENTATION has 1 sense:

  Familiarity information: INTERNAL REPRESENTATION used as a noun is very rare.

  Dictionary entry details  

• INTERNAL REPRESENTATION (noun)

Sense 1

A presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

internal representation; mental representation ; representation

Hypernyms ("internal representation" is a kind of...):

cognitive content ; content ; mental object (the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "internal representation"):

convergence ; intersection ; overlap (a representation of common ground between theories or phenomena)

instantiation (a representation of an idea in the form of an instance of it)

antitype (a person or thing represented or foreshadowed by an earlier type or symbol; especially a figure or event in the New Testament having a counterpart in the Old Testament)

stereotype (a conventional or formulaic conception or image)

schema ; scheme (an internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world)

image ; mental image (an iconic mental representation)

interpretation ; reading ; version (a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something)

phantasmagoria (a constantly changing medley of real or imagined images (as in a dream))

psychosexuality (the mental representation of sexual activities)

percept ; perception ; perceptual experience (the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept)

memory (something that is remembered)

example ; model (a representative form or pattern)

appearance (a mental representation)

blur ; fuzz (a hazy or indistinct representation)

abstractionism ; unrealism (a representation having no reference to concrete objects or specific examples)

concrete representation ; concretism (a representation of an abstract idea in concrete terms)

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People Building

Coaching Extraordinary People & Alternative Psychology Podcast

Internal Representations – What Are They?

Building Better People

I t alk to you about internal representations but if you are not of the NLP world you might be wondering what on earth does she mean? Internal representations is basically the NLP terminology for what goes on in your head – it’s to do with your thinking, the pictures that you make , the language that you use and all of the other stuff that you do inside your head. It is actually better said as an internal ( inside) re-presentation. You are constantly re-presenting to yourself the information that you got from the outside world back inside your head when you come to think about it.

T he reason why internal representations are important for us to know about is because what we do can affect our own and also affect other people’s internal representations, and it’s the internal representations of others that I wanted to talk to you about today. L et me start off with an example of where and when we can sometimes get it wrong and why, therefore, we need to be mindful of other people’s internal representations.

The way in which people represent the world to themselves inside their head is going to be influenced by various different things; memories and experiences from the past can have the strongest influence the internal representation that someone may be caused to have. If I see a dog and I have lots of positive references and experiences of dogs then that could cause me to have a positive internal representation; if I have been bitten or attacked by a dog in the past and I see a dog then the internal representation I end up having be a very different and perhaps a lot more troubling one than for someone who has a love and appreciation of dogs! The way in which we communicate with others, and what we communicate about is going to affect their internal representation but we don’t necessarily know what that will be. We can’t always predict what that’s going to be because we might not know the entire repertoire of their memories and experiences and therefore how the internal representation is going to affect them.

The other thing that can affect somebody’s internal representation is the emotional state that they are in at that exact moment in time that you’re communicating with them . I f they are in a bad state then you can say the nicest thing in the world but it might not necessarily penetrate into their mind. Likewise , if someone’s in a good state and you’re trying to have maybe a shocking effect on them it might not work because you’re not able to penetrate their emotional state.

Another thing that can affect their internal representation is their references: what do they already know about? I wanted to give my own example of this. W hen I was five years old and in school, I had a limited number of memories and experiences because I was only five. I just hadn’t been on the planet for very long yet! In my school the reading scheme that we used there was called ‘Break Through’ and it was loads of little drawers and inside there were cards with words on. You would take the words out of the drawers and then you would slot them into like this wall hanging that had pockets on it and you were to use that to make sentences and that was how we learnt to read. As it happens my teacher had decided that she was going to introduce us to this breakthrough reading scheme in backwards alphabetical order so she was starting at the bottom of the register was working her way up. She would take maybe three to five children from the bottom half of the register, call them over to the carpet where they’d sit down and go through the drawers, pull out the words and start creating sentences and that was their introduction to reading. Because my name is alphabetically at the top of the register this meant that I was going

to be going last but I didn’t know that.

Here’s what happened in my experience: I’ve never heard of the word breakthrough before, that word didn’t exist in my vocabulary and I had no references for it as I was five, but it did sound a bit like grapefruit to me. I knew what a grapefruit was because every weekend I went to my grandparent’s house and my granddad would eat a grapefruit for breakfast. He’d cut in half, cut out the little segments, sprinkle sugar over the top and then spoon it out and inevitably some would always squirt in his eye and then he’d sit there swearing! I knew what a grapefruit was. My teacher was calling children out of the register to the carpet to do breakthrough with her. What happened in my head was that my teacher was calling children over to the carpet to have grapefruit with her and I hadn’t been invited and I like grapefruit. I went home and told my parents that I didn’t like my teacher because she was sharing grapefruit with everybody on the carpet except for me and my parents went to the school to complain. There was never any grapefruit.

As adults we can misunderstand a situation because what’s being communicated doesn’t match up with our references and experiences so we end up with this really mangled, confused internal representation happening. A more recent example which frustrated me is that my mum has recently started having quite a lot of falls. My mum has a rare form of dementia and her mobility and balance are being affected. She had a physio who went out to see her who was going give her some exercises to do to try and keep the brain tuned into those parts of her body that are not talking to each other as well as they should be at the moment. T he physio came when I wasn’t there and has told her that every time she falls over and hits her head she loses a few more brain cells and that’s why she’s becoming so forgetful. A t this moment in time I want to smack that physio guy in the head myself and have him lose a few brain cells because whilst that may be factually somewhat correct it’s not useful for the internal representation of that person.

T his person already has concerns about their memory and there is already not an awful lot that can be done about that because that’s just the way her condition is. Giving her an additional concern whereby it may now cause her to feel as if she shouldn’t be up and moving around as much because that might cause her to fall over and she doesn’t want to lose any more brain cells is unhelpful because actually she needs to be mobile and keeping her brain and her body in sync with each other. A tiny throwaway comment has done so many different things in her internal representation; it’s causing her to go off and have this entire whirlwind of other thoughts which are not helpful ones for her to be thinking.

T he reason why it’s so helpful for you to know about internal representations is because what you say affects the internal representation of the person you are speaking to, and I want you to be conscious of how you are affecting others. As we know you can’t always know the backstory of that person – you don’t know what their memories and experiences are, you might not even know completely what state they are in at that moment in time – but if you can be at least conscious of what seems to be going on for them. What are their circumstances? Maybe start asking questions before you give them suggestions so that you’re more informed before you start planting those little seeds into their internal representation. I t will go a long way to making sure that what you say has the most positive and profound impact on their mind rather than something negative.

By Gemma Bailey https://www.peoplebuilding.co.uk

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Internal Representations NLP

Essentially an internal representation is created when we re-present the outside world to ourselves internally. We take information in through our senses and we make internal representations (NLP – terminology) of what we take in.

The internal representations that we make can consist of pictures, sounds, feelings, tastes, smells and self talk. These often present themselves to us in the form of thoughts.

The internal representations that we make affect the way that we hold ourselves, our physiology , this in turn affects the way that we feel, our state .  Our state affects our capabilities and so also our behaviours.

One factor that is often overlooked when assessing moods and behaviour that we do not want is the unconscious filtering process that information goes through prior to our thoughts (and internal representations) being created. We filter information that we receive from the outside internally in order to try to make sense of it. This is a very detailed process and luckily for us we have a magnificent brain that does it all unconsciously for us.

The internal filters that we have include beliefs, decisions, values and memories. So when we experience an event we run the information associated with this event through our internal filters and we end up with a series of internal representations. Pictures, feelings, sounds etc. These internal representations in turn form our memories of events in our life.

Bear in mind that beliefs, values and memories sit inside our systems untouched by our conscious thoughts. What I mean by that is that we often do not consciously decide what beliefs, values and memories to have, we just acquire them throughout life.

By this process it means that our current internal representations (the way that we are interpreting our world) are being influenced by things inside us that are out of our awareness.

We all have bad days, don’t we? We can spend a day feeling really down and upset and not really know why. This is the reason.

The great news is that although our internal representations and internal filters are out of our awareness it does not follow that they are out of our control!

The Importance of internal representations:

Most people think that internal representations are out of our own influence. It is true that they are created unconsciously but we can affect the type of internal representation that we get. We can create internal representations that are positive for us so that we are more likely to get what we want in life, rather than what we don’t want.

Through control of our internal representations we can change our own physiology in an instant and also our state of mind, so then we can decide to get better behaviours. We can influence other peoples internal representations and therefore we can positively influence other peoples behaviours.

Examples of how internal representations can be influenced

Imagine if you are selling products or services to people, then by using your language in a specific fashion you can influence the internal representations of your customers, therefore making overcoming objections an easy process and influencing people becomes a piece of cake.

If you are coaching other people, then you will know that your aim is to enable your coachee to “see their solutions” for themselves. So as a coach you use language in a specific sequence and according to a specific process which is designed to alter and influence the coaches internal representations so that they find resources within themselves that help them reach positive solutions. This can be very empowering for a coachee.

Many people in trauma experience recurring internal pictures of the traumatic event that they have experienced. This maybe recurring pictures in their mind say of a loved one lying dead in their armchair. Of course, this can be very upsetting every time the picture reoccurs and to that person it would seem that there is nothing that can be done about it. However, there is. An NLP Practitioner or similar therapist is able to help stop these pictures occurring by using a process that manipulates internal representations, like the NLP swish pattern.

You can learn how to do to do just that at our NLP Training and online in our NLP e-Learning programmes.

More on Internal Representations – “ Not happy – NLP internal representations ” – blog page

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Representation.

Other forms: representations

A representation acts or serves on behalf or in place of something. A lawyer provides legal representation for his client. A caricature is an exaggerated representation or likeness of a person.

Representation comes from the Latin repraesentare meaning "bring before, exhibit." A representation is an exhibit, whether it comes in the form of legal guidance or in the form of artistic expression. The act of representation has to do with replacing or acting on behalf of an original. Elected officials serve as the representation for their constituency — or at least it's supposed to work that way.

• noun the act of representing; standing in for someone or some group and speaking with authority in their behalf see more see less types: proportional representation representation of all parties in proportion to their popular vote type of: cooperation joint operation or action
• noun a presentation to the mind in the form of an idea or image synonyms: internal representation , mental representation see more see less types: show 44 types... hide 44 types... convergence , intersection , overlap a representation of common ground between theories or phenomena instantiation a representation of an idea in the form of an instance of it antitype a person or thing represented or foreshadowed by a type or symbol; especially a figure in the Old Testament having a counterpart in the New Testament stereotype a conventional or formulaic conception or image schema , scheme an internal representation of the world; an organization of concepts and actions that can be revised by new information about the world image , mental image an iconic mental representation interpretation , reading , version a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something phantasmagoria a constantly changing medley of real or imagined images (as in a dream) psychosexuality the mental representation of sexual activities percept , perception , perceptual experience the representation of what is perceived; basic component in the formation of a concept memory something that is remembered example , model a representative form or pattern appearance a mental representation blur , fuzz a hazy or indistinct representation abstractionism , unrealism a representation having no reference to concrete objects or specific examples concrete representation , concretism a representation of an abstract idea in concrete terms reminiscence a mental impression retained and recalled from the past crossroads a point where a choice must be made interface the overlap where two theories or phenomena affect each other or have links with each other imagination image , thought-image a mental image produced by the imagination reinterpretation a new or different meaning figure a unitary percept having structure and coherence that is the object of attention and that stands out against a ground ground a relatively homogeneous percept extending back of the figure on which attention is focused visual image , visual percept a percept that arises from the eyes; an image in the visual system recollection something recalled to the mind engram , memory trace a postulated biochemical change (presumably in neural tissue) that represents a memory confabulation (psychiatry) a plausible but imagined memory that fills in gaps in what is remembered screen memory an imagined memory of a childhood experience; hides another memory of distressing significance memory image a mental image of something previously experienced visual image , visualisation , visualization a mental image that is similar to a visual perception impression , mental picture , picture a clear and telling mental image auditory image a mental image that is similar to an auditory perception loadstar , lodestar something that serves as a model or guide epitome , image , paradigm , prototype a standard or typical example holotype , type specimen the original specimen from which the description of a new species is made microcosm a miniature model of something archetype , original , pilot something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies guide , template , templet a model or standard for making comparisons prefiguration an example that prefigures or foreshadows what is to come illusion , semblance an erroneous mental representation 3-D , 3D , three-D having a three-dimensional form or appearance front the outward appearance of a person embodiment , shape a concrete representation of an otherwise nebulous concept anagoge a mystical or allegorical interpretation (especially of Scripture) type of: cognitive content , content , mental object the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned
• noun an activity that stands as an equivalent of something or results in an equivalent see more see less types: show 14 types... hide 14 types... model , modeling , modelling the act of representing something (usually on a smaller scale) dramatisation , dramatization a dramatic representation pageant , pageantry an elaborate representation of scenes from history, etc.; usually involves a parade with rich costumes figuration representing figuratively as by emblem or allegory diagramming , schematisation , schematization providing a chart or outline of a system pictorial representation , picturing visual representation as by photography or painting typification the act of representing by a type or symbol; the action of typifying simulation the act of imitating the behavior of some situation or some process by means of something suitably analogous (especially for the purpose of study or personnel training) guerrilla theater , street theater dramatization of a social issue; enacted outside in a park or on the street puppetry a stilted dramatic performance (as if by puppets) symbolising , symbolizing the act of representing something with a symbol delineation , depiction , portrayal representation by drawing or painting etc imaging , tomography (medicine) obtaining pictures of the interior of the body photography , picture taking the act of taking and printing photographs type of: activity any specific behavior
• noun a creation that is a visual or tangible rendering of someone or something see more see less types: show 120 types... hide 120 types... adumbration a sketchy or imperfect or faint representation audiogram a graphical representation of a person's auditory sensitivity to sound copy a thing made to be similar or identical to another thing cosmography a representation of the earth or the heavens creche a representation of Christ's nativity in the stable at Bethlehem cutaway , cutaway drawing , cutaway model a representation (drawing or model) of something in which the outside is omitted to reveal the inner parts display , presentation a visual representation of something document anything serving as a representation of a person's thinking by means of symbolic marks drawing a representation of forms or objects on a surface by means of lines ecce homo a representation (a picture or sculpture) of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns effigy , image , simulacrum a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture) illustration a visual representation (a picture or diagram) that is used make some subject more pleasing or easier to understand map a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it) model , simulation a representation of something (sometimes on a smaller scale) nomogram , nomograph a graphic representation of numerical relations objectification a concrete representation of an abstract idea or principle exposure , photo , photograph , pic , picture a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide; recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material icon , ikon , image , picture a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface pieta a representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Jesus projection the representation of a figure or solid on a plane as it would look from a particular direction rubbing representation consisting of a copy (as of an engraving) made by laying paper over something and rubbing it with charcoal shade a representation of the effect of shadows in a picture or drawing (as by shading or darker pigment) set , stage set representation consisting of the scenery and other properties used to identify the location of a dramatic production Station of the Cross a representation of any of the 14 stages in Christ's journey to Calvary avatar an electronic image representing a computer user anamorphism , anamorphosis a distorted projection or perspective; especially an image distorted in such a way that it becomes visible only when viewed in a special manner beefcake a photograph of a muscular man in minimal attire bitmap , electronic image an image represented as a two dimensional array of brightness values for pixels black and white , monochrome a black-and-white photograph or slide blueprint photographic print of plans or technical drawings etc. carbon , carbon copy a copy made with carbon paper cast , casting object formed by a mold charcoal a drawing made with a stick of black carbon material chart a map designed to assist navigation by air or sea cheesecake a photograph of an attractive woman in minimal attire chiaroscuro a monochrome picture made by using several different shades of the same color choropleth map a map that uses graded differences in shading or color or the placing of symbols inside defined areas on the map in order to indicate the average values of some property or quantity in those areas closeup a photograph or video taken at close range collage , montage a paste-up made by sticking together pieces of paper or photographs to form an artistic image contour map , relief map a map having contour lines through points of equal elevation daguerreotype a photograph made by an early photographic process; the image was produced on a silver plate sensitized to iodine and developed in mercury vapor delineation , depiction , limning , line drawing a drawing of the outlines of forms or objects diagram a drawing intended to explain how something works; a drawing showing the relation between the parts duplicate , duplication a copy that corresponds to an original exactly blowup , enlargement , magnification a photographic print that has been enlarged autotype , facsimile an exact copy or reproduction figure a model of a bodily form (especially of a person) float an elaborate display mounted on a platform carried by a truck (or pulled by a truck) in a procession or parade foil , transparency picture consisting of a positive photograph or drawing on a transparent base; viewed with a projector frame a single one of a series of still transparent pictures forming a cinema, television or video film globe a sphere on which a map (especially of the earth) is represented glossy a photograph that is printed on smooth shiny paper computer graphic , graphic an image that is generated by a computer Guy an effigy of Guy Fawkes that is burned on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day headshot a photograph of a person's head hologram , holograph the intermediate photograph (or photographic record) that contains information for reproducing a three-dimensional image by holography iconography the images and symbolic representations that are traditionally associated with a person or a subject god , graven image , idol a material effigy that is worshipped imitation something copied or derived from an original inset a small picture inserted within the bounds or a larger one clone , knockoff an unauthorized copy or imitation likeness , semblance picture consisting of a graphic image of a person or thing longshot a photograph taken from a distance map projection a projection of the globe onto a flat map using a grid of lines of latitude and longitude mechanical drawing scale drawing of a machine or architectural plan etc, microdot photograph reduced to the size of a dot (usually for purposes of security) miniature , toy a copy that reproduces a person or thing in greatly reduced size mock-up full-scale working model of something built for study or testing or display modification slightly modified copy; not an exact copy arial mosaic , mosaic , photomosaic arrangement of aerial photographs forming a composite picture mug shot , mugshot a photograph of someone's face (especially one made for police records) cyclorama , diorama , panorama a picture (or series of pictures) representing a continuous scene pen-and-ink a drawing executed with pen and ink photocopy a photographic copy of written or printed or graphic work photographic print , print a printed picture produced from a photographic negative photomicrograph a photograph taken with the help of a microscope architectural plan , plan scale drawing of a structure planetarium an apparatus or model for representing the solar systems plat a map showing planned or actual features of an area (streets and building lots etc.) plate a full-page illustration (usually on slick paper) print a copy of a movie on film (especially a particular version of it) quadruplicate any four copies; any of four things that correspond to one another exactly radiogram , radiograph , shadowgraph , skiagram , skiagraph a photographic image produced on a radiosensitive surface by radiation other than visible light (especially by X-rays or gamma rays) restoration a model that represents the landscape of a former geological age or that represents and extinct animal etc. reflection , reflexion the image of something as reflected by a mirror (or other reflective material) rendering perspective drawing of an architect's design replica , replication , reproduction copy that is not the original; something that has been copied road map a map showing roads (for automobile travel) roughcast a rough preliminary model CAT scan , scan an image produced by scanning bird-scarer , scarecrow , scarer , straw man , strawman an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds scene , scenery the painted structures of a stage set that are intended to suggest a particular locale doodle , scrabble , scribble an aimless drawing silhouette a drawing of the outline of an object; filled in with some uniform color silverpoint a drawing made on specially prepared paper with an instrument having a silver tip (15th and 16th centuries) sketch , study preliminary drawing for later elaboration sketch map a map drawn from observation (rather than from exact measurements) and representing the main features of an area shot , snap , snapshot an informal photograph; usually made with a small hand-held camera Snellen chart display consisting of a printed card with letters and numbers in lines of decreasing size; used to test visual acuity echogram , sonogram an image of a structure that is produced by ultrasonography (reflections of high-frequency sound waves); used to observe fetal growth or to study bodily organs spectacle an elaborate and remarkable display on a lavish scale spectrogram , spectrograph a photographic record of a spectrum stereo , stereoscopic photograph , stereoscopic picture two photographs taken from slightly different angles that appear three-dimensional when viewed together stick figure drawing of a human or animal that represents the head by a circle and the rest of the body by straight lines still a static photograph (especially one taken from a movie and used for advertising purposes) telephoto , telephotograph a photograph made with a telephoto lens telephotograph a photograph transmitted and reproduced over a distance time exposure a photograph produced with a relatively long exposure time trace , tracing a drawing created by superimposing a semitransparent sheet of paper on the original image and copying on it the lines of the original image triplicate one of three copies; any of three things that correspond to one another exactly vignette a photograph whose edges shade off gradually wax figure , waxwork an effigy (usually of a famous person) made of wax weather chart , weather map (meteorology) a map showing the principal meteorological elements at a given time and over an extended region wedding picture photographs of bride and groom and their friends taken at their wedding xerox , xerox copy a copy made by a xerographic printer scene , shot a consecutive series of pictures that constitutes a unit of action in a film letter , missive a written message addressed to a person or organization diorama a three-dimensional representation of a scene, in miniature or life-size, with figures and objects set against a background selfie a photograph that you take of yourself, typically with a digital camera pastel a drawing made with pastel sticks type of: creation an artifact that has been brought into existence by someone
• noun a performance of a play synonyms: histrionics , theatrical , theatrical performance see more see less types: matinee a theatrical performance held during the daytime (especially in the afternoon) type of: performance , public presentation a dramatic or musical entertainment
• noun a factual statement made by one party in order to induce another party to enter into a contract “the sales contract contains several representations by the vendor” see more see less type of: statement a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
• noun a statement of facts and reasons made in appealing or protesting “certain representations were made concerning police brutality” see more see less type of: statement a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
• noun the state of serving as an official and authorized delegate or agent synonyms: agency , delegacy see more see less types: free agency (sports) the state of a professional athlete who is free to negotiate a contract to play for any team legal representation personal representation that has legal status virus a harmful or corrupting agency type of: state the way something is with respect to its main attributes
• noun the right of being represented by delegates who have a voice in some legislative body see more see less type of: right an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
• noun a body of legislators that serve in behalf of some constituency “a Congressional vacancy occurred in the representation from California” see more see less type of: body a group of persons associated by some common tie or occupation and regarded as an entity

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Internal Representation

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• L. A. Cooper 1  

Part of the book series: Life Sciences Research Reports ((DAHLEM LIFE,volume 21))

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In this paper, the issue of representation in cognitive psychology is considered. Emphasis is placed on the internal representation and processing of spatial information. A distinction between “analog” and “nonanalog” processes and representations is made, and a selection of empirical studies suggesting the need to postulate a special type of analog representational system is reviewed. The history of the debate over the necessity for postulating such a form of representation is outlined briefly. Finally, emerging directions in the study of internal representation are suggested.

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Mental Representation

Two Kinds of Information Processing in Cognition

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Dept. of Psychology and Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 15260

L. A. Cooper

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© 1982 Dr. S. Bernhard, Dahlem Konferenzen, Berlin

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Cooper, L.A. (1982). Internal Representation. In: Griffin, D.R. (eds) Animal Mind — Human Mind. Life Sciences Research Reports, vol 21. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-68469-2_9

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