Psychology 186a
Cognitive Science Lab:
Theory and Simulation
Winter, 2005
MW 1-2:50 pm, Franz A258
http://www.lsic.ucla.edu/classes/psych/
Dr. Patricia Cheng
Office: Franz 7461B, ext: 5-8174
Office hrs: M, W 3:00
E-mail: cheng@psych.ucla.edu
TA: Eric Johnson
Office:
Office hrs:
E-mail: Psych186aTA@aol.com
Purpose of the course: To illustrate various current approaches to the study of the mind from the
perspectives of cognitive psychology and artificial intelligence, with the focus on computer
simulation as a tool.
Recommended text:
Anderson, J.R., Corbett, A.T., and Reiser, B.J. (1987). Essential LISP. Addison-Wesley.
Required readings: A course reader from ASUCLA Academic Publishing, A-Level Ackerman Union
Room 235. Articles in the course reader are listed here in the section on Supplementary Readings.
Course requirements and grading: A series of exercises and a final project will be required. The
exercises together contribute 65% of the grade; and the final project contributes 35%. There will be no
final examination. Incompletes will not be given.
WEEK
Jan 10
Feb
TOPIC
Introduction
levels of explanation
Readings
17
Categorization
Smith
24
Structure of categories
Medin
31
Category learning and Pavlovian conditioning
Rescorla
Problem solving
Novick & Bassok
14
Discovering explanations
Simon (optional)
21
Suggestions for final projects
7
Feb 23 to
Mar 14
Assignment
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5
E xercise 6
Final project
Work on final projects
Due at 5pm on % of Grade
Jan 12
5
Jan 19
5
Jan 26
5
Feb 2
15
Feb 14
15
Feb 28
20
Mar 21
35
Psychology 186a, Course outline con't.
Supplementary readings:
Novick, L.R., Bassok, M. (in press). Problem Solving. In K.J. Holyoak & R.G. Morrison (Eds.),
Cambridge Handbook of Thinking and Reasoning. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press.
Medin, D.L. (1989). Concepts and conceptual structure. American Psychologist, 44, 1469-1481.
Rescorla, R.A. (1988). Pavlovian conditioning: It's not what you think it is. American Psychologist.
Smith, E. E. (1997). Categorization. In E. E. Smith & D. N. Osherson (Eds.).
invitation to cognitive science. 3rd edition. Cambridge: MIT
Press.
Thinking: An
Recommended readings:
Marr, D. (1982). Vision. New York: Freeman.
Simon, H.A. (2000). Discovering explanations. In F. Keil and R. Wilson (Eds.), Explanation and
cognition (pp. 21-59). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Smith, E.E. & Osherson, D. N. (Eds. 1997). Thinking: An invitation to cognitive science.
edition. Cambridge: MIT Press.
3rd