Foundations of Cognitive Modeling

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to the mathematical and philosophical foundations of cognitive modeling as well as the key concepts and tools needed for developing and applying cognitive architectures. Furthermore, the course will survey seminal papers as well as leading computational frameworks used in understanding human cognition and intelligence.Topics will include fundamentals of signal detection theory, probability modeling and information theory, the Lens Model, statistical (Bayesian) modeling of various cognitive actions and behavior, dynamical systems, symbolic and sub-symbolic representations, and simulation using artificial neural networks. Students will learn how to use one or more major cognitive architectures, e.g., MicroSAINT, Act-R, Soar, Nengo, and build basic computational models of cognitive processes, including those related to categorization, language, memory, decision making, and reasoning, fitting and evaluating their models to different kinds of behavioral data.