CONNECTIONISM AND COGNITIVE THEORIES
Commentary on Green on Connectionist-Explanation

Abstract

The relationship between connectionist models and cognitive theories has been a source of considerable debate within cognitive science. Green (1998) has recently joined this debate, arguing that connectionist models should only be interpreted as literal models of brain activity; in other words, connectionist models only contribute to cognitive theories at the implementational level. Recent results, however, have shown that interpreting the internal structure of connectionist models can produce novel cognitive theories that are more than mere implementations of classical theories (e.g., Dawson, Medler, & Berkeley, 1997). Furthermore, such connectionist theories have an advantage over more classical approaches to cognitive theories in that they posit explanatory -- as opposed to merely descriptive -- theories of cognition.

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References

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