Cognitive scientists describe the workings of a mind at a level so detailed that a computer could execute the task in the same way.

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only with probabilistic models
• D. It depends on context

Answer: (A)

Describing mental operations as computations is a central approach in cognitive science. When researchers break down a cognitive task into representations and step-by-step procedures, they define a sequence of operations that a computer could carry out to achieve the same outcome. This is why many cognitive theories are implemented as computational models, spanning symbolic rule-based systems, connectionist networks, and cognitive architectures like ACT-R or Soar that specify how information is encoded, transformed, and retrieved. If the description faithfully captures the essential operations, a computer can execute the task in the same way, given the right algorithm and data. The idea is not tied to a single modeling approach or to probabilistic reasoning alone; rather, it reflects the aim to translate cognitive processes into computable procedures that can replicate task performance.