An Ontology for Comparative Cognition: A Functional Approach
Stan Franklin, Michael H. Ferkin · Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews · 2006
The authors introduce an ontology for the study of how animals think, as well as a comprehensive model of human and animal cognition utilizing the ontology.The IDA (Intelligent Distribution Agent) model of cognition, a computational and conceptual model derived from a working software agent, is described within the framework of the ontology.The model is built on functional needs of animals, relating it to the existing literature.The article provides testable hypotheses and a sample a model of decision-making processes in voles.The article closes with a brief comparison of the IDA model to other computational models of cognition, and a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the ontology and the model.