Process Algebraic Modelling of Attentional Capture and Human Electrophysiology in Reactive Systems

Previous research has developed a formal methods-based (cognitive-level) model of the Interact- ing Cognitive Subsystems central engine, with which we have simulated attentional capture in the context of Barnard's key-distractor Attentional Blink task. This model captures core aspects of the allocation of human attention over time and as such should be applicable across a range of practical settings when human attentional limitations come into play. In addition, this model simulates human electrophysiological data, such as electroencephalogram recordings, which can be compared to real electrophysiological data recorded from human participants. We have used this model to evaluate the performance trade-os that would arise from varying key parameters and applying either a constructive or a reactive approach to improving in- teractive systems in a stimulus rich environment. A strength of formal methods is that they are abstract and the resulting specications of the operator are general purpose, ensuring that our ndings are broadly applicable. Thus, we argue that new modelling techniques from computer science can also be employed in computational modelling of the mind. These would complement existing techniques, being specically tar- geted at psychological level modelling, in which it is advantageous to directly represent the distribution of control.