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The simplicity principle in perception and cognition.

Jacob Feldman1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Center for Cognitive Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Cognitive Science
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The simplicity principle, or Occam's razor, guides cognitive science by favoring simpler explanations. Modern computational and probabilistic approaches clarify how minimizing complexity aids inference in perception, reasoning, and neuroscience.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • The simplicity principle, known as Occam's razor, posits that simpler explanations are preferable.
  • Modern advancements in computation and probability have refined the understanding of complexity minimization in inference.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To survey the applications of the simplicity principle across cognitive science.
  • To highlight the integration of complexity minimization into probabilistic models of inference.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on the simplicity principle in cognitive science.
  • Analysis of how complexity minimization is incorporated into probabilistic inference models.

Main Results:

  • The simplicity principle is applied across diverse cognitive domains including perception, categorization, reasoning, and neuroscience.
  • Cognitive processes balance a bias for simplicity with the need for models consistent with observations.

Conclusions:

  • The simplicity principle, enhanced by computational and probabilistic frameworks, offers a powerful lens for understanding cognitive inference.
  • Complexity minimization is a key mechanism underlying how the mind interprets observations.