文档介绍：Foreword
neuroscience? Can we not learn everything we need to
The Role putational Models in Cognitive know about the neural basis of cognition through ex-
Neuroscience perimental investigation? Do we need a book like the
present one to explore the principles of pu-
The publication of O’Reilly and Munakata’puta- tation and apply them to the task of understanding how
tional Explorations in Cognitive es at cognition arises from neuronal interactions?
an opportune moment. The field is rapidly growing, The answer is: Yes, we do putational mod-
with centers and institutes springing up everywhere. els in cognitive neuroscience. To support this answer, I
Researchers from backgrounds ranging from psychol- will begin by describing what I take to be one of the cen-
ogy to molecular biology are pouring into the field. Eric tral goals of cognitive neuroscience. I will then describe
Kandel has suggested that “cognitive neuroscience— what we mean by the phrase “putational model”
with its concern about perception, action, memory, lan- and consider the role such models can play in address-
guage and selective attention—will e ing the central goal. Along the way I hope to indicate
to represent the central focus of all neurosciences in the some of the ings of experimental research un-
twentyfirst century.” dertaken without the aid putational models and
Today, quite a bit of the excitement in the field sur- how models can be used to go beyond these limitations.
rounds the use of several important new experimental The goal is to make clear exactly what models are, and
methodologies. For the study of the neural basis of the role they are intended to play.
cognition in humans, fMRI and other imaging modal- First, what is this central goal of cognitive neuro-
ities hold great promise to allow us to visualize the science? To me, and I think to O’Reilly, Munakata, and
brain while cognition is occurring, and it is likely that many researchers in the field, the goal is to un