Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Chapter 1. Questions to Consider How is cognitive psychology...
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Transcript of Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Chapter 1. Questions to Consider How is cognitive psychology...
Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Chapter 1
Questions to Consider
How is cognitive psychology relevant to everyday experience?
Are there practical applications of cognitive psychology?
How is it possible to study the inner workings of the mind, when we can’t really see the mind directly?
What is the field of cognitive psychology?
Learning Objectives
Challenges of the Field History of the Field Modern Approaches to Studying the
Mind Strategies for Successful Learning
Cognition and Cognitive Psychology
Cognition The mental processes that are involved
in perception, attention, memory, problem solving, reasoning, and making decisions
Cognitive Psychology Branch of psychology concerned with
the scientific study of cognition
Challenges of Cognitive Ψ
Often times, “the processes involved in cognition are complex and hidden from view”
Take a moment and think about all that is happening around you (perception, attention, memory, reasoning)
Complexity examples Stroop effect
Described by J.R. Stroop in 1935 Name of word interferes with naming of the color—
some stimuli influence us even when we don’t want them to do so
Angela example in text—revisited grandparent’s and memories of childhood came back
History of Cognitive Ψ
1st cognitive psychology experiment, 1868 Franciscus Donders, Dutch physiologist Used mental chronometry
What is mental chronometry?
What are 2 ways to measure reaction time? ____________ ____________
Mental processes are ____________ from behavior
History of Cognitive Ψ
1st cognitive psychology experiment, 1868 Franciscus Donders, Dutch physiologist Used mental chronometry
Measures time-course of cognitive processes Measured reaction time: time b/w presentation of
stimulus and person’s response to that stimulus Simple reaction time Choice reaction time (push one of two buttons in
response to a stimulus) Inferred mental process of perception
Mental response cannot be measured directly, but can be inferred from behavior (choice reaction time – simple reaction time = length of time to make a decision)
All research in cognitive psychology deals with inferred mental processes
Helmholtz’s Unconscious Inference Helmholtz developed the ophthalmoscope;
proposed theories of object perception, color vision, and hearing
Theory of unconscious inference: some perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions that we make about the environment; past experiences with objects may impact our perceptions
2 sheets of paper exercise
Ebbinghaus Learned lists of nonsense syllables (e.g., DAX, QEH) Why nonsense syllables? Repeated lists and noted how many repetitions it
took to repeat the list with no errors; this was called __________
Waited a period of time and then relearned the list Computed a savings score
Savings = [(initial repetitions) – relearning repetitions]/initial repetitions; then multiply by 100 for a %
Forgetting curve (Figure 1.6) Measured behavior to infer processes of memory
These early researchers were physiologists, physicists, and philosophers
Ebbinghaus Learned lists of nonsense syllables (e.g., DAX, QEH) Why nonsense syllables?
Did not want actual words to influence his ability to memorize or recall certain words
Repeated lists and noted how many repetitions it took to repeat the list with no errors; this was called savings method
Waited a period of time and then relearned the list Computed a savings score
Savings = [(initial repetitions) – relearning repetitions]/initial repetitions; then multiply by 100 for a %
Forgetting curve (Figure 1.6) Measured behavior to infer processes of memory
These early researchers were physiologists, physicists, and philosophers
Wilhelm Wundt 1879, founded first laboratory of scientific
psychology at the University of Leipzig, in order to study the mind scientifically
Carried out reaction-time experiments Developed analytic introspection
Procedure used in which trained participants described their experiences and thought processes elicited by stimuli presented under controlled conditions
Problematic: introspection did not seem to reveal the structure of thought; results from different laboratories often disagreed
Decline and Rebirth
John Watson and Behaviorism Developed new approach to psychology by
studying actual behaviors in their own right and not worrying about consciousness
Argued behavior is observable and objective Studied impact of stimulus conditions on
behavior (stimulus-response) Most famous study: Little Albert
B.F. Skinner Studied operant conditioning: believe
reinforcements, not free will, determined behavior
Published book on verbal behavior that claimed language developed through imitation and reinforcement
Noam Chomsky, linguist Disagreed with Skinner, and believed language
development was inborn and held across cultures Defended his theory with
Children say sentences they have never heard Incorrect grammar
Realization that to understand complex cognitive behaviors need to consider how the mind works in addition to S-R
Rise of the Information Processing Metaphor Broadbent’s flow diagram depicted the mind as
processing information in a sequences of stages Information processing models conceive of cognitive
activities as involving a series of steps, procedures, or processes that take time (e.g., 1/10 second)
Modern Approaches to Study the Mind
Behavioral Approach Measure behavior and explain cognition in
terms of behavior e.g., reaction time Measuring mental rotation exercise (Figure
1.10 and Figure 1.11) Physiological Approach
Measure both behavior and physiology and explain cognition in terms of physiology;
e.g., reaction time and brain wave activity or brain activation
Davachi experiment Figure 1.12 (words that were remembered on the memory test had more brain activity when words were first exposed
Cognitive Psychology
Scientific study of mental processes Simply put “it is the study of thought” Behavior is examined by cognitive
psychologists the same way that physicists infer the force of gravity from the behavior of objects in the world.
Mental Processes: remembering, attention, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions
Thinking is something that is constantly happening, yet we rarely stop to think about it
Omnipresence of Cognitive Processes
Perception and Sensory Memory Organize and interpret incoming information
(e.g., first lecture) Sensory memory holds information, like an
information buffer, just long enough to determine whether it seems worthwhile
Attention Set of processes through which you focus on
incoming information Ability to attend is flexible—can divert (cocktail
party effect, police car) Attention is also limited
Working Memory Like a mental juggling act: to fully
process and understand facts and figures, have to repeat material/info and/or jot it down in your notes
Pattern Recognition and Concept Representation Recognize the term s-y-l-l-a-b-u-s and
that activates some concept in memory
Long-Term Memory Have to store what is being said for later use
Memory Distortion Forgetting, Misremember information Trying to think of a person’s last name
Autobiographical Memory Research focuses on how we remember
information about ourselves, our personal past
Knowledge Representation Mental representations are representations of
your stored knowledge, and you access them when necessary
Language Your implicit knowledge of syntax (word
arrangement rules) and semantics (rules for expressing meaning) allows you to comprehend instantly what makes sense and what does not
Problem Solving Involves operating within constraints
(such as time) and reaching a goal from a starting state that is nowhere near the goal
Decision Making If I miss a class will it affect my grade? How much time should I spend
studying?
Cognitive Science
Cognitive Science Study of the mind (mental processes)
as carried out by many different disciplines
Disciplines: cognitive psychology, and research on the mind within the fields of computer science, linguistics, neuroscience, anthropology, artificial intelligence, and philosophy
(Figure 1.14)
Study Techniques
Elaborate Organize Associate Take breaks Matching learning and testing
conditions