Connectionist models and dyslexia

Abstract

Identifies the bases of disagreements among cognitive psychologists regarding the relationship between theories and computational models and discusses their implications for connectionist modeling. The role of connectionist modeling in explaining behavior in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience has generated considerable debate. Connectionism can be treated as a form of simulation modeling in which the goal is to implement preexisting theories. In this approach, connectionist models function as a statistical tool, a way of analyzing a complex set of data. Connectionism can also be seen as providing a small set of general theoretical principles that apply in a variety of domains. Construed in this way, it contributes to the development of theories that are explanatory, not merely descriptive.