Language and Modeling

Question 1

What is human cognition?

Answer 1

The study of how information is acquired, represented and processed in the human brain.

Question 2

What is the goal of computational modeling?

Answer 2

To simulate a cognitive process via computational tools and techniques, and use the model to explain the observed behavior.

Question 3

What is fast mapping?

Answer 3

When a new concept is learned based on minimal exposure to a given unit of information.

–> Young children can easily map novel words to novel objects in a familiar context

Question 4

Define and differentiate between these empirical findings and the theoretical account. (Use fast mapping & vocabulary learning as an example)

Answer 4

1. Empirical findings - what we observe.
   - How do children behave in specific situations?
   - How does their knowledge of word meaning develop over time?
2. Theoretical account - explanation for the observed behavior
   - What type of info. do children use for learning words?
   - What learning mechanisms do they rely on?

Question 5

What happens in an experiment?

Answer 5

Controls the environment, making sure that all the participants experience the same environment

Observe the resulting behavior

Question 6

What is a theory?

Answer 6

A detailed description of the cognitive process

Aims to predict the behavior

Question 7

What does a model do?

Answer 7

A model simulates the environment. implements the cognitive processes, and generates behavior

Question 8

What does the use of computational modeling in cognitive processes enable us to do?

Answer 8

1. Study cognitive processes through simulation
2. Evaluate the plausibility of existing cognitive theories
3. Explain observed human behavior
4. Predict behavioral patterns

Question 9

What is the symbolic modeling framework?

Answer 9

Uses symbolic systems of knowledge representation & logic-based inference techniques

Question 10

What are the advantages of symbolic modeling?

Answer 10

Transparent and accessible

Question 11

What is the connectionist modeling framework?

Answer 11

• Uses distributional representations of knowledge

- Parallel processing of data

Question 12

Name an advantage and a problem with connectionist modeling.

Answer 12

Advantage: can precisely replicate cognitive processes

Problem: cannot scale up to the real world; have only be used in toy worlds

Question 13

What is probabilistic modeling?

Answer 13

Modeling framework that combines descriptiveness of symbolic modeling with flexibility of connectionist modeling

Question 14

In symbolic modeling, how is knowledge represented?

Answer 14

As a set of symbols and their propositional relations

Question 15

In symbolic modeling, what is the learning and processing mechanism?

Answer 15

Knowledge is processed an updated via general rules and under certain constraints

Question 16

What is the problem with using exceptions, and what is a possible solution?

Answer 16

It’s hard to come up with an exhaustive list of exceptions.

Possible solution: use probabilistic modeling to deal with this uncertainty

Question 17

What is context-free grammar?

Answer 17

A symbolic formalism for representing grammatical knowledge of grammar