Matters

Mixing Memory: Connectionism in Action: Lexicon ex nihilo: "Connectionism in Action: Lexicon ex nihilo
After describing the basics of connectionist models the other day, I thought it might be interesting to give an example of their use. A responsible cognitive science blogger would choose a typical model that is designed to implement some individual aspect of cognition. But a responsible cognitive science blogger would be boring! I, on the other hand, not being boring, have chosen something a little different to use as an example: an agent-based model of the development of a lexicon in a community. Agent-based models are a relatively new breed in cognitive science, and I have to admit that I'm not really qualified to speak to all of their strengths and weaknesses, though an in press Trends in Cognitive Sciences paper by Rob Goldstone (aka Mr. Percepts and Concepts; see the picture at the linked site) seems to do a nice job of laying these out. If you want to learn more about agent-based models in general, I recommend reading it."