Computer simulation and Artificial Intelligence

Computer simulation and Artificial Intelligence

•         Characterization

–        Simulation: Attempt to make computers simulate human cognitive performance

–        AI: Attempt to make computers demonstrate intelligent cognitive performance (regardless of its resemblance to human cognitive processing)

•         Advantages

–        Clear testing of theoretical models and predictions

•         Disadvantages

–        Limits of hardware and software

Modern cognitive psychology says people are a kind of information processor. Cognition is a whole course of inputting information by transforming, analyzing, processing, memorizing, restoring and using sense. Psychological cognition system of computer simulation could compile computer Procedure and realize simulation in same way by having an approximate and exploring understanding of person's psychology and simplifying, formalizing, signifying them.

A computer simulation is one of the types of models commonly used in psychology or cognitive science (Dawson, 2004). With the computer revolution, many theorists believed not only that cognition was information processing, but also that the most appropriate way of bringing theories of information processing to life was in terms of designing effective procedures (Johnson-Laird, 1993). For instance, Simon and Newell (1958) predicted that “within ten years most theories in psychology will take the form of computer programs.” Like a mathematical model, a computer simulation attempts to capture existing empirical regularities, and also to provide novel insights that fuel future experiments. However, one key difference between these two types of models is that computer simulations usually generate the behavior of interest, while mathematical models do not (they describe it, but do not perform it (Dawson, 2004)). It has also been argued (Luce, 1989, 1995) that computer simulations have eliminated the notion of "goodness of fit" from mathematical modeling, and have as a result caused a substantial decline in the use of mathematical models.

Artificial intelligence is concerned with the attempt to develop complex computer programs that will be capable of performing difficult cognitive tasks. Some of those who work in artificial intelligence are relatively unconcerned as to whether the programs they devise mimic human cognitive functioning, while others have the explicit goal of simulating human cognition on the computer.

The artificial intelligence approach has been applied to several different areas within cognitive psychology, including perception, memory, imagery, thinking, and problem solving.

There are a number of advantages of the artificial intelligence approach to cognition. Computer programming requires that every process be specified in detail, unlike cognitive psychology which often relies on vague descriptions. AI also tends to be highly theoretical, which leads to general theoretical orientations having wide applicability. The main disadvantage of AI is that there is a lot of controversy about the ultimate similarity between human cognitive functioning and computer functioning.

Some of the major differences between brains and computers were spelled out in the following terms by Churchland (1989, p.100): "The brain seems to be a computer with a radically different style. For example, the brain changes as it learns, it appears to store and process information in the same places...Most obviously, the brain is a parallel machine, in which many interactions occur at the same time in many different channels." This contrasts with most computer functions which involves serial processing and relatively few interactions.

n  Atkinson & Shiffrin’s multistore model

–        Three parts of system

§  Sensory register

§  Short term memory (STM) (book = short term store)

§  Long term memory (LTM) (book = long term store)

–        Inborn and universal

–        Analogy = computer

§  Stores = hardware

§  Control processes/mental strategies = software

n  Sensory Register

–        Sights/sounds represented directly

–        Limited capacity

n  Short-Term Memory (STM)

–        Conscious part

–        Limited capacity

§  7 +/- 2 units of information

–        Limited time

n  Long-Term Memory (LTM)

–        Unlimited capacity

–        Unlimited time frame

–        Organization and memory strategies