Inspirational anchors: minimal computational models in cognitive science
In model-based science, a minimal computational model (MCM) is a computational model developed without the guidance of significant empirical evidence about the mechanism being modelled. Despite their historical and contemporary prominence in cognitive science, MCMs face serious challenges:
(1) because of the lack of empirical grounding, it is hard to see how we are justified in making inferences from a model to its target and (2) if they say nothing about their targets, it seems that their utility is limited to the articulation of mere logical possibilities. In this article,
I scrutinise this challenge by surveying and rejecting some alternative accounts of the epistemological role of MCMs. I argue that these models are best viewed as fulcra upon which additional research is leveraged. In support, I draw connections between cognitive and economic modelling, and
sketch how a prominent account of the latter can be extended to cover the former.
Keywords: computational modelling; model-based science; models; simulation
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Department of Philosophy,College of Charleston, 14 Glebe StreetCharleston,SC 29424, USA
Publication date: 01 September 2012
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