Chapter1 Introduction To Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. SternbergChapter 1

Chapter 1: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology


Cognitive Psychology Is…

• The study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about information.

Problem Solving

Attention

Memory Decision Making

ReadingLanguage


Dialectic Progression of Ideas: Hegel

Thesis Antithesisflaws/alt idea

Synthesis: best of both

New Thesis flaws/alt idea


RationalistLogic & reasoning is key

Empiricist Experience & observation is key

Philosophical Roots


Rationalism(Descartes)

Empiricism(Locke)

Synthesis:

Both have a role (Kant)


Structuralism(Titchener)

Functionalism(James) led toPragmatists

Synthesis:

Associationism(Ebbinghaus & Thorndike)


Associationism (Thorndike)

Behaviorism(Pavlov)

Synthesis:

Extreme form of Behaviorism took hold.Psychology should study only observable behavior(Watson & Skinner).


BehaviorismDominated until….

Synthesis:

Cognitions should play an active role in psychology (Gestalt, Bandura)

Less radicalBehavioristCognitive Map (Tolman)


Contributions to Cognitive Psychology

• Hebb & Lashley emphasize how cognition could be explained by neuroscience.

• Chompsky’s review of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior: “reductio ad absurdum”

• Development of Computers and Artificial Intelligence

• These developments led to the “cognitive revolution” and increased interest in the study of mental processes (cognitions)


Cognitive Methods

• Experiments

• Psychobiological studies

• Self report

• Case studies

• Naturalistic Observation

• Computer Simulations


In an Experiment…

• Random sample of participants

• Manipulate the Independent Variable– Create experimental group

– Create control group

– Randomly assign participants

• Measure the Dependent Variable– Same for all groups

• Control all other variables– Prevent confounds


Typical Independent Variables

•Manipulate stimulus materials– Compare words to non-words

– Compare color diagrams to black and white

– Compare Yes questions to No questions

•Control how participants process materials– Use imagery to study versus repetition

– Vary speed of presentation of materials


Typical Dependent Variables

•Reaction Time (milliseconds)– Mental events take time

•Accuracy/Error analysis – How well the participant does on a task


Psychobiological Studies

• Postmortem studies– Examine the cortex of dyslexics after death

• Brain damaged individuals and their deficits– Study amnesiacs with hippocampus damage

• Monitor a participant doing a cognitive task– Measure brain activity while a participant is

reciting a poem


Self Report Studies

• Verbal Protocol– Participants describe their conscious

thoughts while solving a story problem

• Diary Study– Participants keep track of memory failures

• Naturalistic Observation– Monitor decision making of pilots during

flights


Case Studies

• Intensive studies of individuals– May examine archival records,

interviews, direct observation, or participant-observations • Creativity of successful individuals

• The deficits of a neglected child


Computers in Research

• Analogy for human Cognition– The sequence of symbol

manipulation that underlies thinking

– The goal: discovery of the programs in humans’ memory

• Computer simulations of Artificial Intelligence

– Recreate human processes using computers


Underlying Themes

• Nature vs. Nurture

• Rationalism vs. Empiricism

• Structures vs. Processes

• Domain Generality vs. Domain Specificity

• Causal Inferences vs. Ecological validity

• Applied vs. Basic Research

• Biological vs. Behavioral Methods


Key Ideas in Cognitive…

Theory

Data

Data can only be fully explained with theories, and theories are insufficient without data – thus creating the cycle of science.



• Cognition is typically adaptive, but errors made can be informative.– Example- Spoonerisms:

• A lack of pies (A pack of lies) • It's roaring with pain (It's pouring with rain)

– Errors can be used to infer how speech production occurs.



• Cognitive processes interact with each other and with non-cognitive processes– Emotions may affect decisions

– Working memory capacity contributes to reading speed

– Perception contributes to memory decisions



• Many different methods are used to study cognition– Experiments

– Individual differences

– Case studies

– Clinical studies



• Basic research often leads to important applications and applied research often contributes to a more basic understanding of cognition– Priming is explained by spreading activation

in memory, and can also explain why skilled readers may read faster

– Studying the common errors that 1st graders make in math class can help us to better understand how humans process mathematical information

Chapter1 Introduction To Cognitive Psychology

Technology

Transcript of Chapter1 Introduction To Cognitive Psychology