An Introduction to Model-Based Cognitive

Neuroscience
Birte U. Forstmann • Eric-Jan Wagenmakers
Editors

An Introduction to
Model-Based Cognitive
Neuroscience

2123
Editors
Birte U. Forstmann Eric-Jan Wagenmakers
Cognitive Science Center Department of Psychological Methods
University of Amsterdam University of Amsterdam
Amsterdam Amsterdam
The Netherlands The Netherlands

ISBN 978-1-4939-2235-2 ISBN 978-1-4939-2236-9 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-2236-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015930523

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Preface

This is the first book on model-based cognitive neuroscience, a nascent field that
is defined by a reciprocal relationship between cognitive neuroscience and behav-
ioral mathematical modeling. Traditionally, cognitive neuroscience and behavioral
modeling are separate disciplines with little crosstalk. In recent years, however, neu-
roscientists have discovered the advantages of mathematical models of cognition
and performance, whereas mathematical psychologists are increasingly aware of the
fact that brain data can constrain mathematical models in ways that are useful and
unique.
To stimulate the further integration between behavioral modeling and cognitive
neuroscience, this book brings together 17 invited contributions from leading re-
searchers in the field of model-based cognitive neuroscience. The main challenge in
coordinating these contributions was to make the book accessible to both mathemat-
ical modelers and neuroscientists, a challenge we met in two ways. Firstly, the book
starts with seven tutorial chapters: three of these chapters outline and illustrate the
principles of mathematical modeling of behavior, another three chapters describe ba-
sic principles of brain function and structure, and the final tutorial chapter concerns
the interaction between modeling and neuroscience. Secondly, in order to highlight
the reciprocal relationship between the two fields, the five chapers in Part 2 feature
applications that emphasize the value of modeling for neuroscience, whereas the five
chapters in Part 3 deal with applications that center on the value of neuroscience for
modeling.
The authors of each chapter have tried hard to make their work accessible. As
a result of their efforts, this book can be used as the core material for an advanced
undergraduate or graduate course on model-based cognitive neuroscience. To facil-
itate the use of the book for teaching, each chapter ends with a list of recommended
readings and a series of questions. The readings can be used to expand the course
materials, and the questions can be used to deepen the learning process. Teach-
ers can obtain the answers to the questions upon request. The 17 chapters vary in
scope and in difficulty, and we suggest that teachers cherry-pick the chapters they
expect to be particularly relevant and appropriate for the student’s background level
of knowledge.

v
vi Preface

Just as the chapter authors, we are excited about the advantages and challenges
that come with the integration of two disciplines, disciplines that share the same
goal—to unravel the mysteries of the human mind—but so far have pursued that
common goal in disparate ways. We hope that the enthusiasm with which the book
was written is noticable for the reader, whether undergraduate student, graduate
student, or academic staff member.
Finally, should you note any typographical errors, conceptual mistakes, glaring
omissions, overgeneralizations, or anything else you feel requires correction: please
do not hesitate to contact us so we can address these issues in an erratum that we
will post on our websites.

Amsterdam Birte U. Forstmann

31-05-2014 Eric-Jan Wagenmakers
Contents

Part I Tutorials

1 An Introduction to Cognitive Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Simon Farrell and Stephan Lewandowsky

2 An Introduction to Good Practices in Cognitive Modeling . . . . . . . . . . 25

Andrew Heathcote, Scott D. Brown and Eric-JanWagenmakers

3 An Introduction to the Diffusion Model of Decision Making . . . . . . . . 49

Philip L. Smith and Roger Ratcliff

4 An Introduction to Human Brain Anatomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Birte U. Forstmann, Max C. Keuken and Anneke Alkemade

5 An Introduction to fMRI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
F. Gregory Ashby

6 An Introduction to Neuroscientific Methods: Single-cell Recordings . 113

Veit Stuphorn and Xiaomo Chen

7 Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience: A Conceptual Introduction . . 139

Birte U. Forstmann and Eric-JanWagenmakers

Part II How Cognitive Models Inform the Cognitive Neurosciences

8 Linking Across Levels of Computation in Model-Based Cognitive

Neuroscience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Michael J. Frank

9 Bayesian Models in Cognitive Neuroscience: A Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Jill X. O’Reilly and Rogier B. Mars

vii
viii Contents

10 Constraining Cognitive Abstractions Through Bayesian Modeling . . 199

Brandon M. Turner

11 Predictive Coding in Sensory Cortex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Peter Kok and Floris P. de Lange

12 Using Human Neuroimaging to Examine Top-down Modulation of

Visual Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Thomas C. Sprague and John T. Serences

Part III How the Cognitive Neurosciences Inform Cognitive Models

13 Distinguishing Between Models of Perceptual Decision Making . . . . . 277

Jochen Ditterich

14 Optimal Decision Making in the Cortico-Basal-Ganglia Circuit . . . . 291

Rafal Bogacz

15 Inhibitory Control in Mind and Brain: The Mathematics and

Neurophysiology of the Underlying Computation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Gordon D. Logan, Jeffrey D. Schall and Thomas J. Palmeri

16 Reciprocal Interactions of Computational Modeling and Empirical

Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
William H. Alexander and JoshuaW. Brown

17 Using the ACT-R Cognitive Architecture in Combination With fMRI

Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Jelmer P. Borst and John R. Anderson

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Contributors

William H. Alexander Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University,

Gent, Belgium
Anneke Alkemade University of Amsterdam, Cognitive Science Center Amster-
dam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
John R. Anderson Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
F. Gregory Ashby Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of
California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Rafal Bogacz Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of
Oxford, Oxford, UK
Jelmer P. Borst Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Joshua W. Brown Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana
University, Bloomington, USA
Scott D. Brown School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, UniversityAvenue,
Callaghan, Australia
Xiaomo Chen Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Jochen Ditterich Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurobiology,
Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Simon Farrell School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley,
WA, Australia
Birte U. Forstmann University of Amsterdam, Cognitive Science Center Amster-
dam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, VZ, The
Netherlands

ix
x Contributors

Michael J. Frank Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown Institute

for Brain Science, Providence, USA
Andrew Heathcote School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, University
Avenue, Callaghan, Australia
Max C. Keuken University of Amsterdam, Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Peter Kok Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud
University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, HB, The Netherlands
Floris P. de Lange Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud
University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, HB, The Netherlands
Stephan Lewandowsky University of Bristol, Department of Experimental Psy-
chology, Bristol, UK
Gordon D. Logan Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,
TN, USA
Rogier B. Mars Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford,
Oxford, UK
Jill X. O’Reilly Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield De-
partment of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford,
Oxford, UK
Thomas J. Palmeri Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville,
TN, USA
Roger Ratcliff Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus,
OH, USA
Jeffrey D. Schall Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN,
USA
John T. Serences Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego,
CA, USA
Philip L. Smith Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of
Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Thomas C. Sprague Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California,
San Diego, CA, USA
Veit Stuphorn Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD, USA
Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and
Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
Contributors xi

Brandon M. Turner Psychology Department, The Ohio State University, Colum-

bus, OH, USA
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers Department of Psychological Methods, University of
Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, Amsterdam, The Netherlands