How Do Computational Models in the Cognitive and Brain Sciences Explain?

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Traditionally, scientific explanation in cognitive and brain sciences focused on mechanistic explanation.
• Recent interest has grown in computational explanation within these fields.
• The relationship between computational and mechanistic explanations is under debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the status of computational explanation in brain sciences.
• To compare mechanistic and computational accounts of explanation.
• To clarify the criteria for scientific explanation in neuroscience.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing existing literature on scientific explanation.
• Analyzing computational accounts by Piccinini, Milkowski, Cao, Chirimuuta, and Ross.
• Comparing these accounts against established criteria for causal and mechanistic explanations.

Main Results:

• Many computational explanations in neuroscience align with criteria for causal explanations.
• However, not all proposed computational accounts meet these criteria.
• The study highlights varying degrees to which computational explanations satisfy explanatory standards.

Conclusions:

• The integration of computational explanation into neuroscience requires careful consideration of its explanatory power.
• Understanding the criteria met by different computational accounts is crucial for interpreting their significance.
• This work has implications for the philosophy of science and the practice of neuroscience.