1. Cog166 Introduction to Cognitive Science

2. Day 1 Question of the Day Syllabus Keynote Slides on “What is CogSci?”

3. What is Cognitive Science? Cognitive Science is the study of the mind which adopts interdisciplinarity and computational modeling as its two core values.

4. The Interdisciplinary Assumption The interdisciplinary assumption is the believe that understanding of the mind can best be advanced by studying it from the perspectives of several fields with an eye towards sharing significant insights.

5. The Cognitive Hexagon Psychology Computer Science LinguisticsBiology PhilosophyAnthropology

6. The Computational/Represent ational Assumption The computational/representational assumption is the belief that the mind can best be studied when viewed in terms of representations and computations involving the representations.

7. Why the Computational Emphasis? The computer is central to the enterprise since computer modeling invites comparison to cognitive processing, provides an exacting interactive medium in which to formulate and test theories, and facilitates the collection of data for analysis.

8. Quote of the Day We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world. Marcel Proust

9. Day 2 Review/Extend Day 1 Content Question of the Day Short Texts on the Origin of CogSci

10. Quote of the Day The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms. Socrates

11. What is Cognitive Science? Cognitive science is the science of cognition. Denotational Definitionn

12. On the Denotational Definition The richer our understanding of “science” and “cognition”, the richer our conception of cognitive science will be by virtue of this definition.

13. Two Sides of Science It is an analytical science because it takes seriously the notion of manipulating objects in controlled ways to extend knowledge, clarify ideas, refine explanations, and validate (or invalidate) theories. It is a design science because it seeks to explore, expand, and explain principles of design as it creates the objects of its analytical side.

14. Objects of Manipulation What are these objects that cognitive scientists create and manipulate in support of their work? They are formal models, often taking the form of computer programs, inspired by various aspects of thought and action in individuals and societies.

15. What do Scientists Do? They theorize. Like all humans, they propose, use, and refine theories. Unlike most humans, however, scientists tent to “go meta” with their theorizing, and “go public” with their theories.

16. Cognition The focus of cognitive science is cognition. Cognition can be thought of as the collection of all phenomena surrounding the mind. This includes the acquisition and creative use of language, visual and musical perception, memory development and deployment, semiotics, learning, planning, and all sorts of problem solving.

17. What is Cognitive Science? Connotational Definitionn Cognitive Science is the study of the mind which adopts interdisciplinarity and computational modeling as its two core values.

18. What is Cognitive Science? Doctrinal Definitionn Cognitive science is the study of the human mind in terms of information processing.