Cogent: a coherence-driven cognitive agent modelling and experimentation framework. (2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sivaraj, Sunit; Yilmaz, Levent
• Is Part Of: International journal of simulation and process modelling. Volume 14:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 36
• Page End: 50
• Publication Date: 2019
• Subjects: cognitive agent -- coherence -- ethical decision making -- cognitive computing -- domain-specific language -- DSL; Management -- Computer simulation -- Periodicals; Mathematical models -- Periodicals; Operations research -- Periodicals; Simulation methods -- Periodicals; 003.05
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-2123

Abstract

Most agent modelling and simulation languages lack high-level syntactic features necessary for cognitive modelling. In this paper, we present Cogent, an interactive coherence-driven agent specification and simulation platform and demonstrate its use in ethical decision making. The underlying strategy is based on the concept of a connectionist, interactive activation model that implements the theory of coherence. Agents in the Cogent language are specified by a domain-specific language (DSL). The DSL provides the syntax for specifying the decision-making strategy along with its cognitive coherence model. The framework also provides the ability to model complex hierarchical cognitive network structures. To illustrate the utility of Cogent, we explore a machine ethics case study.