"It often does more harm than good to force definitions on things we don't
understand. Besides, only in logic and mathematics do definitions ever
capture concepts perfectly. The things we deal with in practical life are
usually too complicated to be represented by neat, compact expressions.
Especially when it comes to understanding minds, we still know so little
that we can't be sure our ideas about psychology are even aimed in the right
directions. In any case, one must not mistake defining things for knowing
what they are."
-- Marvin Minsky, from The Society Of Mind, 1985
With this warning from Professor Minsky keenly in mind, feel free to explore the dictionary entries below.
As of December 5, 1995 73 entries have been made to the Dictionary. Currently, only the letters G, J, K, Q, U, X, and Y have no definitions associated with them.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M
N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Current List Of Words
This dictionary of cognitive science terms was initiated by Dr. Michael Dawson, and introduced as a class project for Psychology 560, a graduate course in memory and cognition offered at the University of Alberta. The project was designed to give students the opportunity to learn more about the basic concepts of cognitive science, and also to learn about the delivery of information via the world wide web. This page is maintained by Dr. Michael Dawson, and is protected by copyright.