In this essay, I consider the distinction between theories and models in research on cognitive systems. I start by reviewing some classic examples of theories from the history of science, and then discuss four accounts of increasing specificity that focus on intelligent behavior. In each case, I present the frameworkâs postulates on cognitive structures, its assumptions about mental processing, and the form of models that connect it to particular domains. After this, I examine implications for papers on cognitive systems that follow from the difference between theories and models, along with broader issues about the sources of explanatory power.
