03 · Observed / inferred / not established
Learning from Embodied Behavior
Stanford University · Minds and Machines (SYMSYS 1), Summer 2026
Observation
Action and feedback are coupled.
I analyzed a child shaping clay on a pottery wheel as a learning system, separating observable behavior from inferred internal state across perception, representation, motor output, feedback and learning.
The behavior resisted a clean perception → decision → action split: the child acted while sensing the consequences, and those consequences immediately changed what happened next.
OBSERVEDContinuous action-feedback behaviorINFERREDPossible representation and learning from experienceNOT ESTABLISHEDThe learner's actual internal mechanism