Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is cognitive psychology?
the branch of psychology that is concerned with the scientific study of mental processes
What did they believe about the mind in the 1800’s
that it was impossible to study the mind
French psychologist _______ did one of the first psychological experiments called the _______ ___________ __________.
Doners; Cognitive Psychology Experiment
What was Donders interested in determining?
How long it takes for a person to make a decision
How did Donders measure how long it takes a person to make a decision
by Reaction Time = how long it takes to respond to a stimulus
What are the two measures of Reaction Time
(Cognitive Psychology Experiment)
Simple Reaction Time = he asked participants to push a button as rapidly as possible when they saw a light turn on
Choice Reaction Time = he asked his participants to push the left button when the left light went on, and push the right button when the right light went on
The choice reaction time took 1/10th of a second longer than the simple reaction time, what did Donder conclude by this?
That the decision making process takes one-thenth of a second
Donders “cognitive psychology experiment” was important why?
because it showed that mental responses can’t be measured directly but it has to be inferred by behaviour.
Wundt’s approach to psychology was called ______________.
Structuralism
What is Structuralism?
The idea that our overall experience is determined by combining elements of experience called “sensations”
Wundt wanted to create a “________ _______ of the mind” which would include all the basic sensations involved in creating experience
Periodic Table of the mind
What is Analytic Introspection?
A procedure where trained participants described their experiences and thought processes in response to stimuli
