Cognitive Architectures

Categorization and Reinforcement Learning: State Identification in Reinforcement Learning and Network Reinforcement Learning

by Vladislav "Dan" Veksler

Second Life as a Simulation Environment: Rich, high-fidelity world, minus the hassles.

by Vladislav "Dan" Veksler

Goal-Proximity Decision Making: Who needs reward anyway?

by Vladislav "Dan" Veksler

An Integrated Model of Associative and Reinforcement Learning

by Vladislav "Dan" Veksler

Any successful attempt at explaining and replicating the complexity and generality of human and animal learning will... more Any successful attempt at explaining and replicating the complexity and generality of human and animal learning will require the integration of a variety of learning mechanisms. Here we introduce a computational model which integrates associative learning and reinforcement learning. We contrast the integrated model with associative learning and reinforcement learning models in two simulation studies. The first simulation demonstrates performance advantages for the integrated model in an environment with a dynamic and complex reward structure. The second simulation contrasts the performances of the three models in a classic latent learning experiment (Blodgett, 1929), demonstrating advantages for the integrated model in predicting and explaining the behavioral data.

An Architecture for Inquiry : Building Computer Platforms for Discovery

by Jon Awbrey

Awbrey, S.M., and Awbrey, J.L. (May 1991), “An Architecture for Inquiry : Building Computer Platforms for Discovery”, Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Technology and Education, Toronto, Canada, pp. 874–875.

More and more we hear the complaint that the gap between research and instruction is widening and a vital sense of... more More and more we hear the complaint that the gap between research and instruction is widening and a vital sense of motivation is falling between the cracks. It is our vision that intelligent computing systems will become a partner in the reintegration of discovery and learning within the inquiry process. We will address certain issues that must be faced if computer media are to have the characteristics necessary to support this integration. The development of the computer to date has required a careful attention to the syntax and semantics of the rather limited symbol systems we have induced them to use. A capacity for communicating in multiple modalities with non-uniform communities of symbol users — for sharing in the discovery of a pluralistic universe — will demand a quantum leap in our understanding of the pragmatic dimensions of symbol use. In the future the capacity for inquiry must permeate the living architecture of the computer system. A computer program that begins to embody these ideas will be discussed.

"Representing Concepts in Formal Ontologies: Compositionality vs. Tipicality Effects"

by Antonio Lieto

with: M.Frixione, forthcoming in Journal of Logic and Logical Philosophy.

The Roots of Trust: Cognition Beyond Rational

by Bill Kennedy

Paper presented at the BICA (Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures) conference in Arlington, VA 5-6 November 2011.

Trust is not simply the result of rational cognition but relies on rational and “beyond rational” cognition. The... more Trust is not simply the result of rational cognition but relies on rational and “beyond rational” cognition. The concept of trust is  discussed in terms of its biological, Maslow, and cognitive  roots. The cognitive roots rely on the Dual Process Theory, i.e.  that there are two types of cognition sometimes called rational and non-rational. Therefore, the roots of trust need a cognitive architecture that implements the Dual Process Theory and involves cognition both rational and beyond rational.

"Postmodern Spacings: A Colloquy

by Martin E. Rosenberg

This was a colloquy on the nature of space, its hybridities with respect to virtual and real environments, in terms of the relationship between different constructions of space as well as different models of duration. Participants included Mark Nunes, Martin E. Rosenberg and Paul Bains.

_Postmodern Culture_: Found online at Project MUSE (JHUP): Volume 8, Number 3, May 1998
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/postmodern_culture/toc/pmc8.3.html

"Constructing Autopoiesis: The Architectural Body in Light of Contemporary Cognitive Science."

by Martin E. Rosenberg

_Interfaces: Image, Text, Language_ Special Issue: Architecture Against Death, edited by Jean-Michel Rabate.
http://college.holycross.edu/interfaces/vol21-22_articles/construct_autopoiesis.pdf

http://college.holycross.edu/interfaces/vol21-22_articles/construct_autopoiesis.pdf

Managing attention in the social web: the AtGentNet approach

by Thierry Nabeth

Explanatory Aspirations and the Scandal of Cognitive Neuroscience

by Ross Gayler

Gayler, R.W., Levy, S.D., & Bod, R. (2010). Explanatory aspirations and the scandal of cognitive neuroscience. In A.Samsonovich, K. Johannsdottir, A. Chella, & B. Goertzel (Eds.), Proceedings of Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures 2010 - BICA-2010 (pp. 42-51), Washington DC, USA.

In this position paper we argue that BICA must simultaneously be
compatible with the explanation of human... more In this position paper we argue that BICA must simultaneously be
compatible with the explanation of human cognition and support the human design
of artificial cognitive systems. Most cognitive neuroscience models fail to provide
a basis for implementation because they neglect necessary levels of functional
organisation in jumping directly from physical phenomena to cognitive behaviour.
Of those models that do attempt to include the intervening levels, most either fail
to implement the required cognitive functionality or do not scale adequately. We
argue that these problems of functionality and scaling arise because of identifying
computational entities with physical resources such as neurons and synapses. This
issue can be avoided by introducing appropriate virtual machines. We propose a
tool stack that introduces such virtual machines and supports design of cognitive
architectures by simplifying the design task through vertical modularity.

The Immergence of Norms in Agent Worlds

by giulia andrighetto

Co-authored with Rosaria Conte and Marco Campennì

Grounded situation models for situated conversational assistants

by Nikolaos Mavridis

MIT PhD Thesis, http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/38523, for printable version press Green "Download" button below

A Situated Conversational Assistant (SCA) is any system with sensing, acting and speech abilities, which engages in... more A Situated Conversational Assistant (SCA) is any system with sensing, acting and speech abilities, which engages in physically situated natural language conversation with human partners and assists them in tasks. Towards such assistants, a computational model of embodied agents is presented, which produces systems that are capable of a core set of situated natural language skills, and which provides concrete leverage for numerous extensions. The central idea is to endow agents with a sensor-updated set of structures and processes called a Grounded Situation Model (GSM), which is closely related to the cognitive psychology notion of situation models. The GSM contains descriptions of physical & mental aspects of past, current, or imagined situations, enabling bidirectional translation between linguistic descriptions and perceptual data/expectations. The power of the GSM proposal is demonstrated through the real-world example of a manipulator robot with speech and vision, with abilities comparable to those required by a normally- developing child in order to pass the Token Test, a standard psychological test for three-year old children.

Beyond the Carrot and Stick Approach to Enforcement: An Agent-Based Model

by giulia andrighetto

Co-authored with Daniel Villatoro

The Computational Representation of Concepts in Formal Ontologies: Some General Considerations

by Antonio Lieto

Marcello Frixione and Antonio Lieto, Proceedings of KEOD 2010, International Conference on Knowledge Engineering and Ontology Development, 25-28 October 2010, Valencia. Spain.

Integrating Fast and Slow Cognitive Processes

by Bill Kennedy

Co-authored with Magda Bugajska at NRL

Human reactions appear to be controlled by two separate types of mental processes: one fast, automatic, and... more Human reactions appear to be controlled by two separate types of mental processes: one fast, automatic, and unconscious and the other slow, deliberate, and conscious. With the attention in the literature focused on the taxonomy of the two processes, there is little discussion of how they interact. In this paper, we focus on modeling the slower process’s ability to inhibit the fast process. We present computational cognitive models in which different strategies allow a human to consciously inhibit an undesirable fast response. These general strategies include (a) blocking sensory input, (b), blocking or interrupting the fast process’s response, and (c) slowing down or delaying processing by introducing additional task. Furthermore, we discuss an approach to learning such strategies based on the inference of the causes and effects of the fast process.

"Like-Me" Simulation as an Effective and Cognitively Plausible Basis for Social Robotics

by Bill Kennedy

co-authored with Magda Bugajska, Tony Harrison, & Greg Trafton; published in Int J Soc Robot

We present a successful design approach for social robotics based on a computational cognitive architecture and mental... more We present a successful design approach for social robotics based on a computational cognitive architecture and mental simulation. We discuss an approach to a Theory of Mind known as a “like-me” simulation in which the agent uses its own knowledge and capabilities as a model of another agent to predict that agent’s actions. We present three examples of a “like-me” mental simulation in a social context implemented in the embodied version of the Adaptive Control of Thought-Rational (ACT-R) cognitive architecture, ACT-R/E (for ACT-R Embodied). Our examples show the efficacy of a simulation approach in modeling perspective taking (identifying another’s left or right hand), teamwork (simulating a teammate for better team performance), and dominant-submissive social behavior (primate social experiments). We conclude with a discussion of the cognitive plausibility of this approach and our conclusions.