Computational modeling is now ubiquitous in psychology, and researchers who are not modelers may find it increasingly difficult to follow the theoretical developments in their field. This book presents an integrated framework for the development and application of models in psychology and related disciplines. Researchers and students are given the knowledge and tools to interpret models published in their area, as well as to develop, fit, and test their own models. Both the development of models and key features of any model are covered, as are the applications of models in a variety of domains across the behavioural sciences. A number of chapters are devoted to fitting models using maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation, including fitting hierarchical and mixture models. Model comparison is described as a core philosophy of scientific inference, and the use of models to understand theories and advance scientific discourse is explained.
Covers both basic and advanced topics to appeal to students and researchers alike
Provides a framework for using models in a variety of domains across psychology and related disciplines
Describes the application of models by walking through code written in R, a popular and free statistical programming language.
Preface
Part I. Introduction to Modeling:
1. Introduction
2. From words to models: building a toolkit
Part II. Parameter Estimation:
3. Basic parameter estimation techniques
4. Maximum likelihood parameter estimation
5. Combining information from multiple participants
6. Bayesian parameter estimation: basic concepts
7. Bayesian parameter estimation: Monte Carlo methods
8. Bayesian parameter estimation: the JAGS language
9. Multilevel or hierarchical modeling
Part III. Model Comparison:
10. Model comparison
11. Bayesian model comparison using Bayes factors
Part IV. Models in Psychology:
12. Using models in psychology
13. Neural network models
14. Models of choice response time
15. Models in neuroscience
Appendix A: Greek symbols
Appendix B: mathematical terminology
References
Index.
