Abstract

Cognitive modeling is concerned with modeling and simulating human cognitive processes in various forms, especially in a computational or mathematical form. Empirical observations on cognition need to be made sense of and modeling is crucial for developing such understanding. Research in cognitive modeling explores the essence of cognition and various cognitive functionalities through developing process-based understanding by specifying corresponding models of representations, mechanisms, and processes, especially computational or mathematical models. Various paradigms of cognitive modeling exist, ranging from symbolic and connectionist models to purely mathematical models, and from domain-specific models to comprehensive cognitive architectures. Cognitive modeling has been applied to many cognitive domains, ranging from learning to memory, from individual thinking to social interaction, and from sensory-motor processes to intellectual skills. Cognitive modeling has the potential of producing useful theories with both conceptual clarity and precision for a variety of purposes.