Research on Identification of Mental System Architecture

研究人类行为的一种卓有成效的方法是使用 环境、知觉、 信息流，以及由此产生的行为， 心理结构和功能，建筑的 心理系统 从这个角度来看，心理功能， as perception知觉，motivation动机，cognition认知，decisionmaking决策，learning学习， 记忆和解决问题被认为是嵌入在抽象的 内部心理状态的模型。 一个重要的方法来建模这些心理 函数是用封闭形式的数学模型（ 当然，有时需要使用计算机进行研究， 模拟）。 至少和独立模型一样重要 个体过程的数学探索 心理系统的定性和定量行为， 表现出特殊的性质。 汤森的实验室已经， 在先前NSF支持的帮助下， 数学结果 这个项目旨在调查 心理系统的行为， 特性：（1）信息只向前流动，没有反馈 循环;（2）流是连续的，部分信息被 在整个系统中连续传输，而不是 比每个子流程在发送结果之前完成 （3）每个过程的输出是 随机的，即涉及随机性的元素。 此外，本发明还提供了一种方法， 结果将扩展到满足条件（1）的系统， (3)，而不是（2）。 实验工作将致力于发现 涉及反应时间和准确性的定性特性， 将有可能识别系统架构。 其他 实验将涉及理论结果的探索 最近获得的。 最后，一个数学模型将 为最近的实验范例而构建， 反应趋势的连续测量。 这项研究虽然是基础性的，但却以间接的方式影响着 教育和机器的设计，人们必须 互动.

A fruitful approach to the study of human behavior is the use of the relationships between the environment, the perceptual information flow, and the consequent behavior to infer psychological structure and function, the architecture of the mental system. From this approach, psychological functions such as perception, motivation, cognition, decision making, learning, memory, and problem solving are seen as embedded in abstract models of the internal psychological states. An important approach to the modeling of these psychological functions is to do so with closed-form mathematical models (which may, of course, need to be studied at times using computer simulations). At least as important as the individual models of individual processes is the mathematical exploration of the qualitative and quantitative behavior of mental systems which exhibit particular properties. Townsend's laboratory has been, with the aid of prior NSF support, a main source of such mathematical results. This project is designed to investigate the behavior of mental systems which have the following properties: (1) information flows only forward, with no feedback loops; (2) flow is continuous, with partial information being transmitted throughout the system on a continuous basis, rather than each subprocess being completed before it sends the results on down the line; and (3) the outputs of each process are stochastic, i.e. involve elements of randomness. In addition, results will be extended to systems that meet conditions (1) and (3), but not (2). Experimental work will be directed toward discovery of qualitative properties involving reaction time and accuracy that will make it possible to identify the system architecture. Other experiments will involve exploration of theoretical results obtained recently. Finally, a mathematical model will be constructed for a recent experimental paradigm that acquires continuous measures of response tendencies. This research, though basic, impacts in an indirect way on education and on the design of machines with which people must interact.