Representation has always been a central part of models in cognitive scienc
e, but this idea has come under attack. Researchers advocating the alternat
ive approaches of perceptual symbol systems, situated action, embodied cogn
ition, and dynamical systems have argued against central assumptions of the
classical representational approach to mind. We review the core assumption
s of the representational view and these four suggested alternatives. We ar
gue that representation should remain a core part of cognitive science, but
that the insights from these alternative approaches must incorporated into
models of cognitive processing.