Chapter 1: Intro

Question 1

What are the two meanings of cognitive psychology?

Answer 1

1) a synonym for cognition

2) theoretical approach

Question 2

Cognitive approach

Answer 2

A theoretical orientation that emphasizes people’s thought processes and their knowledge

Question 3

Empirical evidence

Answer 3

Scientific evidence obtained by careful observation and experimentation

Question 4

Aristotle

Answer 4

The very first cognitive psychologist; examined topics such as perception, memory, and mental imagery

Question 5

Wundt

Answer 5

Founder of psychology; introduced the idea of introspection

Question 6

Introspection

Answer 6

Carefully trained observer’s word systematically analyze their own sensations and report them as objectively as possible, under standardized conditions

Question 7

Cognition

Answer 7

Mental activity; Describes the acquisition, storage, transformation, and use of knowledge

Question 8

Ebbinghaus

Answer 8

First person to scientifically study human memory;Examined a variety of factors that might influence performance; often used nonsense syllables

Question 9

Calkins

Answer 9

Emphasized that psychologists should study how real people use their cognitive processes in the real world

Question 10

Recency effect

Answer 10

The observation that our recall is especially accurate for the final items in a series of stimuli

Question 11

William James

Answer 11

Preferred to theorize about our everyday psychological experiences; well known for his textbook “principles of psychology”

Question 12

Operational definition

Answer 12

A precise definition that specified exactly how a concept is to be measured and valued carefully in controlled research

Question 13

Behaviourism

Answer 13

The idea that psychology must focus on objective, observable reactions to stimuli in the environment, rather than introspection

Question 14

John B. Watson

Answer 14

Most prominent early behaviourist; emphasized observable behaviour

Question 15

Gestalt psychology

Answer 15

Emphasizes that we humans have basic tendencies to actively organize what we see; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

Question 16

Bartlett

Answer 16

Conducted research on human memory and discovered that people make systematic errors when trying to recall lengthy stories and he proposed that human memory is an active, constructive process in which we interpret and transform the information we encounter. We search for meaning and try to integrate new information to fit with our personal experiences

Question 17

Information processing model (Atkinson and Shiffrin)

Answer 17

Argues that our mental processes operate similar to that of a computer, and that memory involves a sequence of separate steps

Question 18

Sensory memory

Answer 18

Stores information from the senses for about 2 seconds before it is forgotten, unless it passes to short-term memory

Question 19

Short term memory can be lost within about _____ seconds. Unless _________.

Answer 19

30, it is somehow repeated

Question 20

Ecological validity

Answer 20

Whether or not research is conducted in conditions that are similar to the natural setting where the results will be applied

Question 21

Cognitive neuroscience

Answer 21

Combines the research and techniques of cognitive psychology with various methods for assessing the structure and function of the brain

Question 22

Brain lesions

Answer 22

Destruction of an area in the brain

Question 23

PET scan

Answer 23

Measures blood flow in the brain by injecting the person with a low-dose of radioactive chemical

Question 24

fMRI

Answer 24

Measures oxygen rich blood using magnets and taking photos of the brain during cognitive tasks (fast, precise, and less invasive)

Question 25

Event-related potential (ERP)

Answer 25

Using electrodes on a persons scalp, records the very brief fluctuations in the brains electrical activity in response to a stimulus such as an auditory tone

Question 26

The computer metaphors

Answer 26

Our cognitive processes work like a computer, that is, a complex multipurpose machine that processes information quickly and accurately

Question 27

Distinguish between “Pure AI” and “computer simulation”

Answer 27

Pure AI: designed to accomplish a cognitive task as effectively as possible
Computer simulation: takes human limitation into account and aims to perform a cognitive task in the same way a human would

Question 28

Connectionist approach

Answer 28

Argues that cognitive processes can be understood in terms of networks that link together a neuron like units; in addition, many operations can proceed simultaneously

Question 29

What are two other common names for the connectionist approach?

Answer 29

Parallel distributed processing approach (PDP), and Neural-network approach

Question 30

Cognitive science

Answer 30

An interdisciplinary field that tries to answer questions about the mind