Cognitive Systems Research 3 (2002) 255--270

In the past, a variety of computational problems have been tackled with different connectionist network approaches. However, very little research has been done on a framework which connects neuroscience-inspired models with connectionist models and higher level symbolic processing. In this paper, we outline a preference machine framework which focuses on a hybrid integration of various neural and symbolic techniques in order to address how we may process higher level concepts based on concepts from neuroscience. It is a first hybrid framework which allows a link between spiking neural networks, connectionist preference machines and symbolic finite state machines. Furthermore, we present an example experiment on interpreting a neuroscience-inspired network by using preferences which may be connected to connectionist or symbolic interpretations