Physical Computation and Cognitive Science

This book presents a study of digital computation in contemporary cognitive science. Here, for the first time, the author develops the instructional information processing account, which encompasses the multiple types of existing models of computation.

Promotes a clear understanding of concrete digital computation Establishes the fundamental role of computation in modern cognitive science, while rejecting the extrinsically representational nature of computation Critically analyzes several accounts of digital computation and proposes for the first time the instructional information processing account Makes a significant contribution to the fields of computational cognitive science and the philosophy of cognition

Inhalt
Setting the Stage: Computation in Cognitive Science.- An Analysis of the Adequacy Criteria for Evaluating Accounts of Computation.- Starting at the Beginning: Turing's Account Examined.- The Triviality Account Examined.- Semantic Accounts of Computation Examined.- Computation as Information Processing.- Causal and Functional Accounts of Computation Examined.- Computation Revisited in the Context of Cognitive Science.