Retrieval by Accumulating Evidence in an Architecture (RACE/A)
RACE/A is an extension to the ACT-R theory of cognition that models the process of one retrieval from memory. In RACE/A, retrieval of a chunk from declarative memory is thought of as a process in which evidence is accumulated for the likelihood that a chunk will be needed, similar to sequential sampling models of cognitive behavior (e.g., Ratcliff, 1978; Usher & McClelland, 2001). The dynamics of the competition between memory chunks govern the retrieval time from declarative memory. Because RACE/A dynamically updates the activation values of chunks, it can explain interference effects observed in semantic memory retrieval better than existing ACT-R models.
Download: RACE/A has been implemented as a module in ACT-R. You can download the module here . The module requires ACT-R 6 .
Publications involving RACE/A:
Van Maanen, L . & Van Rijn, H. (2019) The observed locus of semantic interference may not coincide with the functional locus of semantic interference: A commentary to Shitova et al. Cortex, 111 , 327-332.
Van Maanen, L., & Van Rijn, H. (2010). The locus of the Gratton effect in picture-word interference. Topics in Cognitive Science, 2, 168-180.
Van Maanen, L. , Van Rijn, H. (2007) An accumulator model of semantic interference. Cognitive Systems Research, 8, 174-181.
Van Maanen, L., Van Rijn, H. (2007) Accounting for subliminal priming in ACT-R. in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling ,
Van Maanen, L. , Van Rijn, H., & Borst, J.P. (2009). Stroop and picture-word interference are two sides of the same coin. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 16, 987-999.
Van Maanen, L., Van Rijn, H., & Taatgen, N.A. (2012) RACE/A: An architectural account of the interactions between learning, task control, and retrieval dynamics. Cognitive Science, 36, 62-101
Van Rijn, H. Borst, J.P., Taatgen, N.A., & Van Maanen, L. (2016) On the Necessity of Integrating Multiple Levels of Abstraction in a Single Computational Framework. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 11, 116-120 .