Cognitive Key Terms

Question 1

John Locke.

Answer 1

Empiricist, philosopher, based on logic and reasoning. “Armchair psychology”.

Question 2

Wilhelm Wundt.

Answer 2

Father of experimental psychology, used introspection. One of first laboratories for psychological research.

Question 3

Introspection and it’s issues.

Answer 3

Training people to carefully and objectively as possible analyse the content of their own thoughts.

• Is it really science? Reports not always reliable; possible biases.
• many interesting mental activities (learning, personality, development, etc.) are not transparent and accessible to introspection.
• impossible to study young children and animals.

Question 4

Behaviourism.

Answer 4

Everything that organisms do (including acting, thinking and feeling) can and should be regarded as behaviours. Most (perhaps all) types of behaviour are learned rather than innate
Scientists can only observe stimuli and responses – internal structure of the mind is opaque.

Question 5

Skinner’s box.

Answer 5

Controlled environment allows systematic study of how to modify behaviour – via reinforcement (food) or punishment (electric shock).
OC.
Law of effect

• Good outcome → repeat action
• Bad outcome → avoid repeating action

Question 6

Noam Chomsky.

Answer 6

• American linguist, philosopher, and political activist.
• in 1959, published devastating criticism of behaviourist approach.
  Nativist.

Question 7

The mind according to cognitive psychology.

Answer 7

The mind according to cognitive psychology can be conceptualised as an information processing device:
- note: does not imply that the mind is literally a computer (merely that it performs computational functions).
- So suggests the mind is not a black box, and you can instead access the functioning.

Question 8

How does the brain function, in terms of holistically or discretely?

Answer 8

• Neither completely “discrete”, nor entirely “holistic”:
• Specific areas of the brain support corresponding mental functions (e.g., vision: occipital cortex; executive control: frontal cortex, etc.).
• … but most mental activities in the real world involve much of the brain.
• “Graceful degradation” – brain is to some extent protected against total wreckage.
• Many instances of acquired brain damage result in impairment in one particular mental domain, but not in others.

Question 9

Single and double dissociation.

Answer 9

“Double dissociation”: finding two patients who have complementary impairments.
If double dissociation can be found, the two mental domains are likely carried out in different underlying brain systems.