Cognitive Modeling
Cogs 4961, Cogs 6967
Psyc 4510
CSCI 4960
Mike Schoelles
http://cogworks.cogsci.rpi.edu/cognitive-modeling
Cognitive Science
• Cognitive ??
– Complex representations and
computational procedures
• Levels of Analysis (David Marr)
– Computational
– Algorithmic
– Implementation
• Functionalism
Mind
“How do brain processes give rise to mind?” J. McClelland
“How does the brain think?” Randy O’Reilly
“Minds are simply what brains do” Marvin Minsky
“The Astonishing Hypothesis is that “You,” your joys and
your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions…and free
will are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast
assembly of neurons…” Fraincis Crick
“How can the mind exist in the physical universe?” John
Anderson
Brain -> Mind
• Brain is made of neurons
– Not enough, need explanation
• How billions of interacting neurons
produce (embodied) Cognition
• Need computational approach
• Simulations to explain complex
phenomenon
Unified Theories of Cognition
• Account of intelligent behavior at the
system-level
• Newell’s claim
– “You can’t play 20 questions with nature
and win”
• “a single set of mechanisms for all of
cognitive behavior”
Newell’s Time Scale of
Human Activity
Newell’s Time Scale of Human Activity
(amended)
What is a Cognitive
Architecture ?
• A blueprint for intelligent agents. It proposes
(artificial) computational processes that act like
certain cognitive systems, most often, like a person,
or acts intelligent under some definition
– Wikipedia
• Infrastructure for an intelligent system
– Cognitive functions that are constant over time and across
different task domains
– Pat Langley, John Laird, Seth Rogers
• Analogous to a building, car, or computer
What is a Cognitive
Architecture?
• A specification of the structure of the
brain at a level of abstraction that
explains how it achieves the function of
the mind
– Anderson
• Brain Cognitive Architecture  Mind
• Architecture + Knowledge => Behavior
Integrated Cognitive
Architecture
• Cognition does not function in isolation
– Interaction with perceptual and motor systems
• Embodied cognition
– Represents a shift from
• “mind as an abstract information processing system”
• Perceptual and motor are merely input and output systems
– Other body processes – lacking
• Effects of caffeine, stress and other moderators
• Emotions
• Extended cognition
– Must consider the role of the environment
– Cognition extends into the world
– Interaction with environment
• Andy Clark
Try to estimate….
• Time to move eyes from middle of screen to start
menu (PC) File menu (MAC)
• Time to move cursor from middle of screen to start or
file menu.
• Time to recognize the word “start” or “file”
• Time to retrieve name of the building for this class
• Time to retrieve name of the building of 1st class
yesterday
• How many words per minute do you speak
• How long to press a key on keyboard
Alternatives to Cognitive
Architectures
• Classic Information Processing
Psychology
– Ignore the Brain
• Eliminative* Connectionism
– Ignore the Mind
• Bayesian Approach
– Ignore the Architecture
Why Cognitive Architectures?
• Idea testing
– Understanding and explanations
• Deal with complexity
– Span levels
• Explicit
– Make predictions
• Control
– Can look at inner workings
– Explore causal control
Why Cognitive Architectures?
• Common Language
– E.g. “Attention”
• Process models
– Interact with environment
– Context
Why not?
• Too simple
• Assumptions not warranted by data
– Modeler must show how model uses
principles to account for data
• Can model anything
– Free parameters
– What is the correct model
• Indeterminacy problem
What is Cognitive Modeling
• The program written in the language of
a cognitive architecture
– Do a task
– Learn
• Modeler adds the knowledge
Applications for a Cognitive
Architecture
• Psychology
–
–
Predict experimental outcomes
Account for experimental data
• Human Computer Interaction
–
–
Evaluate interface design
Usability testing
• Games
–
–
Cognitive Agents
Computer Generated Forces
• Robotics
• Education
–
Intelligent Tutoring Systems
• Philosophy
–
Provide a unified understanding of the mind
Models
• X-Plane
• Games
– SET
– SUDOKU
• Space Fortress