A Hybrid Theory of Event Memory

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A Hybrid Theory of Event Memory
Title:
A Hybrid Theory of Event Memory
Journal Title:
Minds and Machines
Keywords:
Publication Date:
02 November 2021
Citation:
Ménager, D. H., Choi, D., & Robins, S. K. (2021). A Hybrid Theory of Event Memory. Minds and Machines, 32(2), 365–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-021-09578-3
Abstract:
Amongst philosophers, there is ongoing debate about what successful event remembering requires. Causal theorists argue that it requires a causal connection to the past event. Simulation theorists argue, in contrast, that successful remembering requires only production by a reliable memory system. Both views must contend with the fact that people can remember past events they have experienced with varying degrees of accuracy. The debate between them thus concerns not only the account of successful remembering, but how each account explains the various forms of memory error as well. Advancing the debate therefore must include exploration of the cognitive architecture implicated by each view and whether that architecture is capable of producing the range of event representations seen in human remembering. Our paper begins by exploring these architectures, framing casual theories as best suited to the storage of event instances and simulation theories as best suited to store schemas. While each approach has its advantages, neither can account for the full range of our event remembering abilities. We then propose a novel hybrid theory that combines both instance and schematic elements in the event memory. In addition, we provide an implementation of our theory in the context of a cognitive architecture. We also discuss an agent we developed using this system and its ability to remember events in the blocks world domain.
License type:
Publisher Copyright
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research - Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Programmatic Grant
Grant Reference no. : A18A2b0046
Description:
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11023-021-09578-3
ISSN:
0924-6495
1572-8641
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