Class Practise of Cognitive Science by Creating Models

Abstract

We designed and practiced a cognitive science class for graduate students. In the class, the participants were required to build three cognitive models: a bug model, a trace model, and an individual model. In the construction of the bug model, the participants learn to construct a cognitive model by monitoring their mental processing. The participants confirmed that the trace model can explain human normative behavior; and also understood that the individual model can explain various patterns of human behavior that are generated by different problem solving strategies. The post questionnaire analysis shows that the participants successfully understood various aspects of advantages of the mode-based approach in cognitive science and important features of human cognitive processing.