William T. Powers
…small changes convert von Holst’s model into a true negative feedback control system. lf we assume with von Holst that a similar architecture holds at higher levels in the nervous system, we have a hierarchy of control systems.
Books
The Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory, Volume II: Living in the Loop
Second volume of the Interdisciplinary Handbook of Perceptual Control Theory: Living in the Loop. Edited by Warren Mansell, Eva de Hullu, Vyv Huddy and Tom Scholte. Elsevier, 2023. […]
Bill Powers
Volition: a Semi-Scientific Essay
Every child wonders, sooner or later, how it is that simply wanting one’s hands, arms, legs, body, head, or eyes to move suffices to create the wanted result…. — So begins this lovely essay and overview of the fundamental issues that cry out for answers. […]
Bill Powers
The difference between causes and mechanisms of behavior
William T. Powers (2011) In PCT, we say that organisms learn control, not behavior. But the meaning of that isn’t self-evident — isn’t controlling also behaving? The organization of a control system, in most cases, […]