Constructing a Standard Model: Lessons from CHREST

Although it might be too early for a standard model of the mind (SMM), comparison between current cognitive architectures is a useful exercise. This article highlights some of the likely difficulties facing the development of a SMM – both empirical and theoretical. In particular, it follows Newell (1990) by arguing that a viable model of the mind must be constructed taking advantage of experimental constraints, based on comparisons of the model with (human or animal) data. We then describe our proposed methodology for ensuring a tight link between psychological data and a cognitive architecture. We also discuss CHREST, a cognitive model with a particular emphasis on modelling psychological results. CHREST has been applied in several domains, such as language acquisition and expertise. The article concludes by highlighting some of the features that distinguish CHREST from architectures such as Soar and ACT-R. Some of these differences are significant, creating challenges for a SMM.