1. Overview & History

Question 1

What is the main issue in cognitive psych?

Answer 1

• can’t understand what happens in between a stimulus and response (internal mental processes)

Question 2

What was the original idea of introspection?

Answer 2

• with training we cam monitor our own thought processes

Question 3

What are the issues with introspection?

Answer 3

• may be inaccurate
• some IMPs may not be amendable

Question 4

What is behaviourism?

Answer 4

• idea that we can’t measure IMPs but can measure behaviour
• behaviour may just be able to be explained by stimulus-response

Question 5

What is Skinners box?

Answer 5

• rats put in a box
• behaviour is reinforced by the use of stimuli e.g a loudspeaker
• behaviour is learnt through the consequence associated with the stimulus

Question 6

What are the issues with behaviourism?

Answer 6

• we can form sentences we haven’t heard before
• able to learn language without reinforcement

Question 7

What is the cognitive revolution?

Answer 7

mental processes can exist and be studied
- information processing likened to a computer model
- decomposition: multiple processes act together
- representations: cognitions transforms information

Question 8

How are experiments used in cognitive psychology?

Answer 8

• use simplified context to target specific sub processes that we are interested in
• manipulate IV to measure DV
• tests predictions and forms theories

Question 9

How is cognitive neuroscience used?

Answer 9

• allows us to look at IMPs by measuring brain action
• many techniques e.g fMRI scans

Question 10

What are the advantages and disadvantages of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 10

+ observe brain activity
- images can be blurry and low quality
- limited insight

Question 11

What is embodied cognition?

Answer 11

• our body shapes how we sense and act on the world
  methods:
• focus on action
• focus on behaviourally relevant tasks