Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!pucc!PSYCH@TCSVM From: harnad@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Stevan Harnad) Newsgroups: sci.psychology.digest Subject: PSYCOLOQUY V1 #12 (announcements : 244 lines) Message-ID: <9009160521.AA14166@psycho.Princeton.EDU> Date: 15 Sep 90 18:16:16 GMT Sender: VMNNPOST@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Listserv to Netnews Gateway) Organization: Listserv to Netnews Gateway at pucc.Princeton.EDU Lines: 239 Approved: PSYCH@TCSVM PSYCOLOQUY Sat, 15 Sep 90 Volume 1 : Issue 13 JR Anderson on Cognition & Optimality: BBS Call for Commentators (line 17) APA General Aptitude Test Battery Information (line 65) International Conference on the Learning Sciences (line 110) ML91 -- THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON MACHINE LEARNING (line 154) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Below is the abstract of a forthcoming target article to appear in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), an international, interdisciplinary journal that provides Open Peer Commentary on important and controversial current research in the biobehavioral and cognitive sciences. Commentators must be current BBS Associates or nominated by a current BBS Associate. To be considered as a commentator on this article, to suggest other appropriate commentators, or for information about how to become a BBS Associate, please send email to: harnad@clarity.princeton.edu or harnad@pucc.bitnet or write to: BBS, 20 Nassau Street, #240, Princeton NJ 08542 [tel: 609-921-7771] To help us put together a balanced list of commentators, please give some indication of the aspects of the topic on which you would bring your areas of expertise to bear if you are selected as a commentator. ____________________________________________________________________ IS HUMAN COGNITION ADAPTIVE? John R. Anderson Psychology Department Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh,PA 15213-3890 ABSTRACT: Can the output of human cognition be predicted from the assumption that it is an optimal response to the information-processing demands of the environment? A methodology called rational analysis is described for deriving predictions about cognitive phenomena using optimization assumptions. The predictions flow from the statistical structure of the environment and not the assumed structure of the mind. Bayesian inference is used, assuming that people start with a weak prior model of the world which they integrate with experience to develop stronger models of specific aspects of the world. Cognitive performance maximizes the difference between the expected gain and cost of mental effort. (1) Memory performance can be predicted on the assumption that retrieval seeks a maximal trade-off between the probability of finding the relevant memories and the effort required to do so; in (2) categorization performance there is a similar trade-off between accuracy in predicting object features and the cost of hypothesis formation; in (3) casual inference the trade-off is between accuracy in predicting future events and the cost of hypothesis formation; and in (4) problem solving it is between the probability of achieving goals and the cost of both external and mental problem-solving search. The implemention of these rational prescriptions in neurally plausible architecture is also discussed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: APA Science Directorate Subject: GATB Information To: All interested parties From: Dianne C. Brown Subject: Proposed Policy Guidance on the General Aptitude Test Battery Extended deadline for comments The General Aptitute Test Battery (GATB), used by state employment agencies for selection and career counseling, has become the center of controversy over the use of within-group scoring methods. In response to criticisms of the within-group scoring methods, designed to reduce adverse impact against protected groups, the Department of Labor (DOL) plans to discontinue the use of the GATB for employment selection purposes for a two year period during which extensive research of the test will be conducted. During this period the GATB may still be used as a career counseling device on a voluntary basis, or at the request of the individual. The research plan addresses recommendations made by the National Academy of Science (NAS) following their intensive study of the GATB. The Employment and Training Administration of DOL has released its proposed policy guidance on the GATB for public review and comment. Released in the July 24 Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 142, page 30162, comments to the statement were originally requested by August 23, 1990. The deadline for submitting comments has now been extended to September 24, 1990. The final statement and subsequent discontinuation of the GATB were scheduled for 90 days following the release of the proposed statement (or October 23). The American Psychological Association has submitted comments on the proposed guideline and urges its membership with expertise in this area to also submit comments on behalf of their institutions or as individuals. We would appreciate a copy of any comments you may develop just for our information in following the issue. You can send comments to: Dianne C. Brown American Psychological Association 1200 Seventeenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 If you would like to respond to this memo directly through Bitnet please send all messages to APASDDCB@GWUVM. Thank you. ------------------------------ From: Chuck Chang Subject: International Conference on the Learning Sciences CALL FOR PAPERS / CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT The International Conference on the Learning Sciences (formerly The International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Education) will be held August 4 - 7, 1991 at Northwestern University Leading authorities will present keynote addresses exploring new ideas and tools to improve teaching and learning in all settings (schools, corporate training programs, etc.). In addition, scholars in cognitive science, artificial intelligence (AI), education, and psychology are invited to submit proposals for papers. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: cognitive development, theories of teaching, applications of AI to educational software, computational models of human learning, user models and student models, innovative educational software, simulation as a teaching tool, and evaluation of teaching strategies. All presentations will be 20 minutes long and followed by a 10-minute discussion. Persons wishing to present a paper should submit (in English) 3 copies of a 300-word abstract accompanied by a cover letter. Cover letters should include paper title, author(s), postal and e-mail addresses, and telephone number and should be sent to the following address: Professor Roger C. Schank The Institute for the Learning Sciences Northwestern University 1890 Maple Avenue Evanston, Illinois 60201-3142 USA Important dates: Deadline for submission: January 4, 1991 Notification of acceptance: April 1, 1991 For further information, contact the Conference Director at the above address, or call (708) 491-3500. ------------------------------ From: Lawrence Birnbaum Subject: ML91 -- THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON MACHINE LEARNING CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS AND PRELIMINARY CALL FOR PAPERS On behalf of the organizing committee, we are pleased to solicit proposals for the workshops that will constitute ML91, the Eighth International Workshop on Machine Learning, to be held in late June, 1991, at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. We anticipate choosing six workshops to be held in parallel over the three days of the meeting. Our goal in evaluating workshop proposals is to ensure high quality and broad coverage of work in machine learning. Workshop committees -- which will operate for the most part independently in selecting work to be presented at ML91 -- should include two to four people, preferably at different institutions. The organizing committee may select some workshops as proposed, or may suggest changes or combinations of proposals in order to achieve the goals of quality and balance. Proposals are due October 10, 1990, preferably by email to: ml91@ils.nwu.edu although hardcopy may also be sent to the following address: ML91 Northwestern University The Institute for the Learning Sciences 1890 Maple Avenue Evanston, IL 60201 USA fax (708) 491-5258 Please include the following information: 1. Workshop topic 2. Names, addresses, and positions of workshop committee members 3. Brief description of topic 4. Workshop format 5. Justification for workshop, including assessment of breadth of appeal Workshop format is somewhat flexible, and may include invited talks, panel discussions, short presentations, and even small working group meetings. However, it is expected that the majority of time will be devoted to technical presentations of 20 to 30 minutes in length, and we encourage the inclusion of a poster session in each workshop. Each workshop will be allocated approximately 100 pages in the Proceedings, and papers to be published must have a minimum length of (most likely) 4 to 5 pages in double column format. Workshop committee members should be aware of these space limitations in designing their workshops. We encourage proposals in all areas of machine learning, including induction, explanation-based learning, connectionist and neural net models, adaptive control, pattern recognition, computational models of human learning, perceptual learning, genetic algorithms, computational approaches to teaching informed by learning theories, scientific theory formation, etc. Proposals centered around research problems that can fruitfully be addressed from a variety of perspectives are particularly welcome. The workshops to be held at ML91 will be announced towards the end of October. In the meantime, we would like to announce a preliminary call for papers; the submission deadline is February 1, 1990. Authors should bear in mind the space limitations described above. On behalf of the organizing committee, Larry Birnbaum Gregg Collins Program co-chairs, ML91 ------------------------------ PSYCOLOQUY is sponsored by the Science Directorate of the American Psychological Association (202) 955-7653 Co-Editors: (scientific discussion) (professional/clinical discussion) Stevan Harnad Perry London, Dean, Cary Cherniss (Assoc Ed.) Psychology Department Graduate School of Applied Graduate School of Applied Princeton University and Professional Psychology and Professional Psychology Rutgers University Rutgers University Assistant Editors: Malcolm Bauer John Pizutelli Psychology Department Psychology Department Princeton University Rutgers University End of PSYCOLOQUY Digest ******************************