= Cognitive science
<Cognitive science> investigates the <mind> and <intelligence> by combining methods from disciplines including <psychology>, <neuroscience>, <linguistics>, <computer science> and <artificial intelligence>. Its scientific questions concern mechanisms of perceiving, learning, reasoning and acting, rather than just naming mental abilities.<Cognitive Science overview at UC Davis>[About, multidisciplinary study of the mind and information processing]{ref}
A <computational model of cognition> makes an account precise enough to compare with observations. For example, consider two hypotheses about people performing <synchronous speech>. One predicts that a designated follower always trails a leader by a constant interval $d$. Another allows both people to adjust their timing. Recording corresponding speech landmarks produces a sequence of signed timing differences; this can test whether the proposed constant-follower account fits the task.
<Fred Cummins>'s paired-reading experiments supply a concrete connection between <linguistics> and quantitative behavioural measurement: corresponding speech events can be closely aligned, and both speakers adjust their timing relative to individual readings.<Practice and performance in speech produced synchronously by Fred Cummins>[Abstract and individual-versus-paired timing comparisons]{ref}
A successful behavioural prediction does not uniquely identify a neural mechanism. Combining task performance, explicit models and independent physiological measurements helps distinguish explanations that agree on one observable. The field's different methods constrain one another without requiring every question to be answered at the same descriptive level.
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