Are ACT-R and Spaun the state of the art in cognitive science computational models? I've been looking for a computational model in cognitive science, and perused Anderson's "How can the human mind occur in the physical universe?".

I've also seen this question comparing ACT-R with a empirical model called Spaun.

Are Anderson's ACT-R model and Spaun the state of the art in Cognitive Science, or are there other competing models currently being researched?
There are TONS of other Cognitive Models being researched. Specifically, see this giant comprehensive list of Cognitive Models [1]. Given such a wide array of models, it might be more helpful to focus on which framework are still under active use, in addition to Spaun and ACT-R. In "How to Build a Brain" by Chris Eliasmith, he compares Spaun with some other architectures in active use, including:


LISA
Neural Blackboard Architecture (NBA)
ICS
Dynamic Field Theory (DFT)
Leabra
Soar


However, in my personal experience as a researcher, the only one in that list that I've still seen active publications from is Leabra.

In conclusion, the cognitive modelling community is still very heterogenous. You never know when an old framework is going to be revived or a new one started, but hopefully the references I gave you are a good starting point.


[1] "40 Years of Cognitive Architectures: Focus on Perception, Attention, Learning and Applications" Iuliia Kotseruba, Oscar J. Avella Gonzalez, John K. Tsotsos