Introduction Research Methods in Cognitive Systems

Web: http://www.cogsys.ubc.ca/cogs303/

“ What is it that confers the noblest delight? What is that which swells a man’s breast with pride above that which any experience can bring to him? Discovery!

To know that you are walking where none others have walked; that you are beholding what human eye has not seen before...”

—Mark Twain

Goal of the Course1.

To teach you the basic skills needed to do effective analysis and research in the constituent disciplines associated with Cognitive Systems

• Computer Science

• Linguistics

• Philosophy

• Psychology

Not just techniques for particular problems in particular sciences, but general ways of approaching the unknown…

These skills include things such as:

• Using words effectively• Reasoning effectively• Spotting problems in an argument

• Observing more of what’s around you• Developing your creative abilities• Making better decisions

• Designing experiments• Finding good research topics• Getting a feel for systems

• Writing essays• Giving presentations

What You Will Hopefully Learn2.

Intelligence is not a fixed trait, like height.

It is something you can improve with effort, like dancing.

What You Will Hopefully Learn2.

1. Doing research well is not governed by genetics, but by training. You can do it if you work at it.

5. Logical thinking / intelligence

The Five Most Important Factors in Researchers:

2. Open-mindedness

1. Curiosity

4. Intuitive ability / imagination

3. Persistence

What You Will Hopefully Learn2.

1. Doing research well is not governed by genetics, but by training. You can do it if you work at it.

2. The skills needed are just more controlled forms of those used in everyday thinking. It’s all connected.

Recognize the weaknesses of human reasoning, and guard against them as much as possible

Develop a robustness that will let you “hang in there”, and live comfortably with uncertainty

Extensions:

Learn to accept negative feedback so that you can continue to improve

What You Will Hopefully Learn2.

1. Doing research well is not governed by genetics, but by training. You can do it if you work at it.

2. The skills needed are just more controlled forms of those used in everyday thinking. It’s all connected.

3. Community is an important part of research in the real world. Communication is critical.

The Need for Communication Skills:

Your careers will be determined largely byhow well you speak, by how well you write, and by the quality of your ideas

in that order. —Patrick Winston

In Other Words…3.

The goal is to develop people who have

- a depth of particular technical knowledge in one or more domains (efficiency)

- the general skills to apply this knowledgein the right way (effectiveness)

“ When we speak of improving the mind we are usually referring to the acquisition of information or knowledge, or to the type of thoughts one should have, and not to the actual functioning of the mind.

We spend little time monitoring our own thinking...”

—James L. Adams

The Approach4.

Research, analysis, and science are just more controlled forms of the thinking done in everyday life

Need to use more conscious control and more intuition, and handle these in the right way

• back-and-forth use of these—systolic process

Developing a skill requires practice.

This course will largely be about such practice• readings to be done before class

• seminar format

class time will be largely devoted to discussions and exercises based on these points

Focus will be on three kinds of skills (built up in layers):

Evaluating An Argument4.1

Need for controlled rational thinking (critical thinking)

Much of thinking done via specialized modules • cognitive illusions

- e.g., Darwinian algorithms

• incomplete separations (confusions)- e.g., between correlation and causation

Need to combat

Many basic issues not resolved (especially in Cog Systems)• need to compare results/frameworks in different fields• many issues not even formalized

Finding An Explanation4.2

Need for controlled imagination (creativity)

Much of the hypothesizing (guessing) done is suboptimal

• failure of generative thinking- e.g., don’t consider all reasonable possibilities

• failure of critical thinking (evaluation)- e.g., hold on to personal favourites

Need to learn to generate and evaluate alternatives

Systematization4.3

Need for controlled exploration (science)

• experiment design- operationalization of terms- critical experiment

• systems thinking- hierarchies- power laws (80/20 rule)

• the right research question- a difference that makes a difference- theories, models, paradigms, etc

Communication Skills4.4

• writing- clarity- conciseness

• presentations- clarity- effective slide design

• debates- exposure to both sides- effective verbal skills

Background mode; distributed throughout the course:

Classes5.

1. Brief quiz (5 min)

2. Comments about readings (5-15 min)

3. Group analyses (30-40 min)

4. Discussions / exercises (10-40 min)

6. Real-world segment (remaining time)

5. Overview of assignment for next class (5 min)

Evaluation6.

15% Quizzes

25% Submitted material- 15% written essays- 10% target articles / presentations

15% Analyses (groups)

10% Debates (teams)

10% Critique of research papers

10% Mid-term exam

15% Final exam

Contacts7.

Website: http://www.cogsys.ubc.ca/cogs303/

TA: cogs303@gmail.com

Prof: theo@ubcviscog.comEric.Vatikiotis-Bateson@ubc.ca

Essay 1Next Week:

Write an essay (≤ 400 words) supporting or refuting one of the following topics:

1. global warming is due to human activity.2. there will be a severe oil shortage in the next 30 years3. nuclear power is something we should use4. we should continue to expand offshore drilling of oil5. it is right to use animals for research…

(complete list in COGS303-essay1.pdf)

Give three reasons in support of your position.

Typographic Format

Font: Times New Roman, 12 point

Margins: 1-1.5 inch, all sides

Spacing: Single-spaced

Lines: Numbered

Copies: 3

Please hand in at the beginning of class.

-Topic, position, at top of page

- Word count at top right-hand side of first page

- Include line numbers on your essay. - For instructions on line numbers in Microsoft Word, see :

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/HA010429571033.aspx

- Your assigned code name should be on the upper right hand corner of every page except the cover page, which should be blank.

Bring 3 copies of your essay to class.

Marks (out of 12):

You will be graded based on the quality of your reasons

Content: Two marks for each reason (0-6 marks)Style: Organization (3) + Others (3) (0-6 marks)

Details

Content: Start with 0 marks

+2 marks for each good example / reason (up to 3)

0 marks for each absent or unconvincing example / reason

-1 marks for each bad example / error in reasoning (up to 3)

Style: Start with 6 marks

-1 mark for each problem with organization (up to 3) -1 mark for any other problem [e.g. conciseness] (up to 3)

Essay 1-ANext Tuesday:

- Cohort A (see website for lists)

Essay 1-BNext Thursday:

- Cohort B (see website for lists)

Abhari, KiyanAcevedo, JoaquinApolinar, PauloAv-Shalom, Na’amaBarath, Hannah Capiendo, KaylaChen, LisaHaupt, DirkKrentz, JeremyLoxton, LiamMalik, LovedeepMyers, AlisonNip, BruceSiy, AlexWilkieson, Kelly

aA

Borhani, Mahtab Chan, Cherrie Chang, JohnnyConant, TroyFriedman, ArielleGordon, DamianLam, AndreaLam, TracyMackenzie, DouglasMiszkurka, AlexRivlin, AlexSilvestri, GaiaStaudacher, BradenVenkatasubramanian, VarunYip, Catherine

aB

Writing I - Basic Style

Main goals of style:

1. Clarity. Communicate exactly what you have in mind. (Including the level of precision you intend.)

2. Conciseness. Do this with the fewest words possible.

(Maximum signal-to-noise ratio.)

Reason:

Humans don’t like to work. If they are forced to work when reading a passage, they will associate the resulting negative feeling with what you’ve written. That’s not good.

(cf. Zipf’s Law and the Principle of Least Effort)

1. Omit needless words.

Use whatever words are necessary. No others.Each word should do something critical.

Thus,

…the reason why is that… NO

-> …because… YES

Other examples…

on account of the fact that as

ifif it is assumed that

are found to be in agreement agree

We are in the process of making We are making

the reason for this is because because

In general

Ask yourself if something really is needed- if it were removed, what would happen?

See if you can express something in a simpler way- are those exact words really necessary?- cf. style of Ernest Hemingway

Reason:

Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest. Plus, the reader may not know the meanings of some of the words.

(Again) If forced to work, reader will associate the resulting negative feeling with what you’ve written. That’s not good.

2. Avoid fancy words. Avoid jargon.

Use a complexity no higher than necessary.

Use a precision no higher than necessary(e.g., to avoid confusion with other things being discussed)

Thus,

He established visual contact with the ungulate. NO

-> He saw the cow. YES

Other examples…

accomplish do

endeavour try

initiate start

subsequently later

utilization use

Reason:

Humans don’t naturally think in terms of abstract generalities. Rather, they use definite, specific, and concrete mental models (Johnson-Laird, 1983)

3. Use definite, specific, concrete language.

Prefer the specific to the general.

Prefer the definite to the vague.

Prefer the concrete to the abstract.

Thus,

A period of unfavourable weather set in. NO

-> It rained every day for a week. YES

A. Use strong nouns as often as possible.- nouns that invoke the senses (e.g. visual images)

- “pastoral environment” - NO- “farm” - YES

B. Use strong verbs as often as possible.- verbs that involve direct actions

- “made arrangements for” - NO- “arranged” - YES

Reason:

Humans use definite and concrete mental models (Johnson-Laird, 1983). In addition, it takes time and effort to negate any of these. Also, negation is not easily handled nonconsciously.

4. Put statements in positive form.

Make definite assertions.

Avoid tame, colourless, noncommittal language.

Minimize the use of the word “not”.

Thus,

He was not very often on time. NO

-> He usually arrived late. YES

Other examples…

not honest dishonest

did not remember forgot

did not pay attention to ignored

did not have much confidence in distrusted

Thus, several factors (use of positives, conciseness)can be addressed at the same time.