Predictive models can overcome reductionism in cognitive neuroimaging
Résumé
Understanding the organization of complex behavior as it relates to the brain requires modeling the behavior, the
relevant mental processes, and the corresponding neural activity. Experiments in cognitive neuroscience typically study
a psychological process via controlled manipulations, reducing behavior to one of its component. Such reductionism
can easily lead to paradigm-bound theories. Predictive models can generalize brain-mind associations to arbitrary new
tasks and stimuli. We argue that they are needed to broaden theories beyond specific paradigms. Predicting behavior
from neural activity can support robust reverse inference, isolating brain structures that govern mental processes. The
converse prediction enables modeling brain responses as a function of a complete description of the task, rather than
building on oppositions.
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