harnad@seismo.CSS.GOV@mind.UUCP (01/07/87)
Subject: Anderson on algorithm/implementation: BBS Call for Commentators
Keywords: cognitive science, instructional science, AI, connectionism
Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University
The following is the abstract of a forthcoming article on which BBS
[Behavioral and Brain Sciences -- An international, interdisciplinary
Journal of Open Peer Commentary, published by Cambridge University Press]
invites self-nominations by potential commentators.
(Please note that the editorial office must exercise selectivity among the
nominations received so as to ensure a strong and balanced cross-specialty
spectrum of eligible commentators. The procedure is explained after
the abstract.)
-----
METHODOLOGIES FOR STUDYING HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
John R. Anderson
Psychology Department
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA 15213
ABSTRACT
The appropriate methodology for psychological research depends
on whether one is studying algorithms or their implementation.
Mental algorithms are abstract specifications of the steps taken
by procedures that run in the mind. Implementational issues concern
factors that determine the speed and reliability with which these
procedures run. Issues at the algorithmic level can only be explored by
studying across-task variation. This contrasts with psychology's
dominant methodology of looking for within-task generalities,
which is only appropriate for studying implementational issues.
The implementation/algorithm distinction is related to a number of
other "levels" proposed in cognitive science. Its realization in the
ACT (Anderson 1973) theory of cognition is discussed. Research at the
algorithmic level is more promising because it is hard to make further
fundamental scientific progress at the implementational level with
the methodologies available at this level. Protocol data, which are
only appropriate for algorithm-level theories, provide a richer data
source than data available at the implementational level. Research at
the algorithmic level will also yield more insight into fundamental
properties of human knowledge because the significant learning
transitions are defined at this level.
The best way to study the algorithmic level is by pedagogical
experiments that manipulate instructional experience and look for
differential learning outcomes. This is because they provide control
and prediction in realistically complex learning situations. The
intelligent tutoring paradigm provides a particularly fruitful way to
implement such experiments. In addition to these major points, the
implications of this analysis are developed for the issue of modularity
of mind, the status of language, research on human-computer interaction,
and connectionist models.
-----
This is an experiment in using the Net to find eligible commentators
for articles in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), an
international, interdisciplinary journal of "open peer commentary,"
published by Cambridge University Press, with its editorial office in
Princeton NJ.
The journal publishes important and controversial interdisciplinary
articles in psychology, neuroscience, behavioral biology, cognitive science,
artificial intelligence, linguistics and philosophy. Articles are
rigorously refereed and, if accepted, are circulated to a large number
of potential commentators around the world in the various specialties
on which the article impinges. Their 1000-word commentaries are then
co-published with the target article as well as the author's response
to each. The commentaries consist of analyses, elaborations,
complementary and supplementary data and theory, criticisms and
cross-specialty syntheses.
Commentators are selected by the following means: (1) BBS maintains a
computerized file of over 3000 BBS Associates; the size of this group
is increased annually as authors, referees, commentators and nominees
of current Associates become eligible to become Associates. Many
commentators are selected from this list. (2) The BBS editorial office
does informal as well as formal computerized literature searches on
the topic of the target articles to find additional potential commentators
from across specialties and around the world who are not yet BBS Associates.
(3) The referees recommend potential commentators. (4) The author recommends
potential commentators.
We now propose to add the following source for selecting potential
commentators: The abstract of the target article will be posted in the
relevant newsgroups on the net. Eligible individuals who judge that they
would have a relevant commentary to contribute should contact the editor at
the e-mail address indicated at the bottom of this message, or should
write by normal mail to:
Stevan Harnad
Editor
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
20 Nassau Street, Room 240
Princeton NJ 08542
(phone: 609-921-7771)
"Eligibility" usually means being an academically trained professional
contributor to one of the disciplines mentioned earlier, or to related
academic disciplines. The letter should indicate the candidate's
general qualifications as well as their basis for wishing to serve as
commentator for the particular target article in question. It is
preferable also to enclose a Curriculum Vitae. (This self-nomination
format may also be used by those who wish to become BBS Associates,
but they must also specify a current Associate who knows their work
and is prepared to nominate them; where no current Associate is known
by the candidate, the editorial office will send the Vita to
approporiate Associates to ask whether they would be prepared to
nominate the candidate.)
BBS has rapidly become a widely read read and highly influential forum in the
biobehavioral and cognitive sciences. A recent recalculation of BBS's
"impact factor" (ratio of citations to number of articles) in the
American Psychologist [41(3) 1986] reports that already in its fifth year of
publication (1982) BBS's impact factor had risen to become the highest of
all psychology journals indexed as well as 3rd highest of all 1300 journals
indexed in the Social Sciences Citation Index and 50th of all 3900 journals
indexed in the Science Citation index, which indexes all the scientific
disciplines.
Potential commentators should send their names, addresses, a description of
their general qualifications and their basis for seeking to comment on
this target article in particular to the address indicated earlier or
to the following e-mail address:
{allegra, bellcore, seismo, rutgers, packard} !princeton!mind!harnad
harnad%mind@princeton.csnet
--
Stevan Harnad (609) - 921 7771
{allegra, bellcore, seismo, rutgers, packard} !princeton!mind!harnad
harnad%mind@princeton.csnet