Phase Transitions, Chaos and Joint Action in the Life Space Foam

This paper extends our recently developed Life Space Foam (LSF) model of motivated cognitive dynamics [1]. LSF uses adaptive path integrals to generate Lewinian force–fields on smooth manifolds, in order to characterize the dynamics of individual goal–directed action. According to explanatory theories growing in acceptance in cognitive neuroscience, one of the key properties of this dynamics, capable of linking it to microscopic-level cortical neurodynamics, is its meta-stability and the resulting phase transitions. Our extended LSF model incorporates the notion of phase transitions and complements it with embedded geometrical chaos. To describe this LSF phase transition, a general path–integral is used, along the corresponding LSF topology change. As a result, our extended LSF model is able to rigorously represent co-action by two or more actors in the common LSF–manifold. The model yields substantial qualitative differences in geometrical properties between bilateral and multi-lateral co-action due to intrinsic chaotic coupling between n actors when n ≥ 3.