background

Question 1

what is cognition

Answer 1

• Cognition - refers to all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used (Ulrich Neisser, 1967)
  
  • Then goes on to say that cognition is involved in everything a human might possibly do - that every psychological phenomenon is a cognitive phenomenon.
• Understanding cognitive processes provides a framework for understanding all other branches of psychology.

Question 2

approaches

Answer 2

• 4 approaches to testing models of cognitive function:
  
  1. Experimental psychology:
     * Psychological experiments with healthy humans
     * Typically involve reasonably large sample sizes and small budgets
     * Traditional inferential statistics used to determine success
  2. Computational modelling:
     * Computer stimulations of cognitive processes
     * Often involving parallel distributed processing
  3. Cognitive Neuropsychology/neuropsychiatry:
     * Studying the consequences of brain damage/psychiatric disorders of cognitive function
     * Single cases can be important
     * Associations/dissociations used to reveal the “modularity of the mind”.
  4. Cognitive neuroscience:
     * Studies how the brain implements cognitive functions, often using expensive neuroimaging technology
     * EEG/MEG/TMS/PET/FMRI
• Sophisticated techniques required to interpret data

Question 3

top-down vs bottom-up processing

Answer 3

• Information processing models often assume a “bottom up” approach - input proceeds through a series of processing stages until the required output is produced.
  
  • In reality “top down” influences are enormous (but much harder to model)
  • They include - goals, expectations, desires, beliefs, plans, intentions, etc.
• Eye movements reflect both: influenced both by external stimuli (e.g., a flashing light) and our current goals (e.g. watching football).

Question 4

summary

Answer 4

• It concerns the study of mental processes such as those involved in perception, attention, memory, language and thinking.
  
  • In order to understand constructs, models are developed, and tested against behavioural/computational/neuropsychological/neuroimaging data.
• A firm grasp of cognitive psychology is essential in order to truly appreciate other branches of psychology (e.g., social/developmental/clinical).