Connecting human and machine learning via probabilistic models of cognition

Human performance defines the standard that machine learning systems aspire to in many areas, including learning language. This suggests that studying human cognition may be a good way to develop better learning algorithms, as well as providing basic insights into how the human mind works. However, in order for ideas to flow easily from cognitive science to computer science and vice versa, we need a common framework for describing human and machine learning. I will summarize recent work exploring the hypothesis that probabilistic models of cognition, which view learning as a form of statistical inference, provide such a framework, including results that illustrate how novel ideas from statistics can inform cognitive science. Specifically, I will talk about how probabilistic models can be used to identify the assumptions of learners, learn at different levels of abstraction, and link the inductive biases of individuals to cultural universals.