A conceptual linkage between cognitive architectures and social interaction

Cognitive representations are being shaped and determined by interaction with the environment. The social environment constitutes an important part of this environment. Yet in formal models of cognition, there is little attention for processes resulting from social interaction. On the other hand, in formal models of social interaction, little attention has been spent on the cognitive origins of social interaction. Recently, a few studies have been published combining cognitive representations with social interaction. In this article, we discuss how social cognitive representations (SCRs) provide a concept for a further linkage of cognitive models and social interaction. The paper concludes with requirements for the use of SCRs for different levels of research questions, and identifies a number of promising venues for further research.