CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE IN THE BRAIN
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 710 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, Methodology or model |
J. ECCLES sums up these two basic features in neuron networks , as follows
“Principle of convergence: the feature of the nervous system in which many nerve cells project to a single neuron
“Principle of divergence: the feature of the nervous system in which one neuron branches to be distributed widely to other neurons”(1977, p. 241)
The complementary of convergence and divergence transforms the neuron network into a gigantic graph potentially and conditionally connected in a practically infinite number of ways.
Both principles taken together are obviously a general condition for any network, i.e. for any social communication net . It is suggestive that:
- either we model our social exchanges in accordance with our neural organization
- or that our neural organization clearly allows us to create mental means conducive to sociality