Why is a computational framework for motivational and metacognitive control needed?

Abstract

This paper discusses, in the context of computational modelling and simulation of cognition, the relevance of deeper structures in the control of behaviour. Such deeper structures include motivational control of behaviour, which provides underlying causes for actions, and also metacognitive control, which provides higher-order processes for monitoring and regulation. It is argued that such deeper structures are important and thus cannot be ignored in computational cognitive architectures. A general framework based on the Clarion cognitive architecture is outlined that emphasises the interaction amongst action selection, motivation, and metacognition. The upshot is that it is necessary to incorporate all essential processes; short of that, the understanding of cognition can only be incomplete.

Keywords:

• Cognitive architecture
• motivation
• metacognition
• implicit cognition
• explicit cognition
• cognitive modelling

Notes

1. In a way, this is akin to the BDI framework, but in a more nuanced, more psychologically realistic way (Sun, 2016).