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PSYC1002 > Cognitive Processes > Flashcards

Cognitive Processes Flashcards

1
Q

Cognitive Psychology

A

branch of psychology dedicated to the study of mental processes, develop systematic understandings of them

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2
Q

behaviourist view of psychology

A

a purely objective, experimental branch of natural science which needs introspection as little as do the sciences of chem and physics

Rejected internal mental structures, describing all behaviours as complex S-R associations

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3
Q

Tolman’s 1948 work with rats

A

you can learn without reward or punishment
provided evidence in support of internal mental representations

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4
Q

Cognitive model

A

input -> cognitive processes -> output

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5
Q

We can use computers as a model for human information processing systems

A

Processing > encoding (form memory code)> storage(maintaining coded info over time) > retrieval

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6
Q

Mental chronometry

A

Compare behaviour in two tasks that differ in only one mental processes
Method of measuring the speed and organisation of mental process

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7
Q

(Modern) Whittled Donder’s complex process down to 3 subprocesses:

A

Stimulus input time
Central processing/ decision time
Motor response time

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8
Q

F. C. Donders

A

Used subtraction method to measure the speed of mental processes

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9
Q

choice reaction time (b-reaction)

A

2 or more stimuli are present and the subject must indicate which stimulus has been presented by producing one of two or more responses, a different response for each stimulus - press one button for red light and another for green light

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10
Q

subtraction method

A

Difference between simple reaction time (a-reaction) and choice reaction time (b-reaction) must represent the sum of discrimination time and motor choice time.

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11
Q

c-reaction

A

Subject is presented with 2 or more stimuli, just as in the b-reaction, but makes only a single response, to one of the stimuli, and moits that response to all others

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12
Q

simple reaction time (a-reaction)

A

press button to any light

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13
Q

mental chronometry is used but…

A

But it is clunky and it only works if tasks are carefully equated so that they are the only things different - there is also motor/prep time etc.

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14
Q

Sternberg paradigm

A

subjects memorise a short set-size and they are asked later if something (probe) was one of them - infer how people search through memory

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15
Q

How can people search through memory?

A
  1. People may search parallel (at the same time) or serially (one by one)
  2. Do they stop when they get to item (self-terminating) or keep going to check the whole set (exhaustive)
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15
Q

How can people search through memory?

A
  1. People may search parallel (at the same time) or serially (one by one)
  2. Do they stop when they get to item (self-terminating) or keep going to check the whole set (exhaustive)
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16
Q

Why do we have to investigate cognitive processes so indirectly?

A

Introspective data do not provide valid insight into the determinants of cognition
Some conscious process occur without any conscious awareness or control and therefore are not available for introspection

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17
Q

Cognitive heuristic

A

useful mental shortcuts we use to reduce cognitive load and respond quickly

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18
Q

problems with cognitive heuristic

A

can lead to systematic errors - biases
used in marketing (sunk cost fallacy, experience/authority fallacy)

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19
Q

Encoding

A

getting info in - When forming a memory code you may emphasise how it looks, how it sounds or what it means. Requires attention, conscious effort

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20
Q

storage

A

maintaining it - Keeping it stored in a long time
Storage isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll remember it, it’s the process of retrieving that counts more

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21
Q

retrieval

A

getting the memory out

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22
Q

Attention

A

focusing awareness on a narrow range of stimuli or events - CNS is ready to respond

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23
Q

why is attention important?

A

You need to pay attention for info to be processed in your mind

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24
Q

We have limited “attentional resources”

A

We can either focus on one stream
Or
Spread our attention across many streams

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25
Q

Early selection

A

some info was processed but some discarded

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26
Q

late selection

A

all info was processed but after meaning was established only certain things were processed further

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27
Q

Dichotic listening task

A

listener has headphones, two messages are played (one in each ear) and is asked to repeat (shadow) one of them - were they able to remember the story from the ear that they weren’t listening to?

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28
Q

Flexible locus

A

attention varies under the intensity of cognitive load. Heavy cognitive load you wouldn’t process small things going on but when it is light the selection is light and you would notice many things

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29
Q

Feature integration theory

A

we process features independently in a pre-attentive matter (doing this very quickly in parallel), and the role of attention (spotlight) was to bind these features together into objects (a slow and serial process)

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30
Q

Involuntary

A

stimulus is exogenous, on the outside, has captured you

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31
Q

Voluntary

A

stimulus is endogenous, it is coming from you, effortful

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32
Q

Goal-directed attention

A

I am deciding to do, I am imposing my thoughts and directing my attentions

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33
Q

change blindness

A

Our sense of “completeness” or experiencing a whole scene in one go is an illusion - can only encode if we are slowly paying attention to small parts

34
Q

Sensory memory (short term)

A

literal copies of visual/auditory event
large capacity but very short duration
buffer for the temporary storage of info

35
Q

iconic memory

A

see - around 200ms
visuals are a lot more to process

36
Q

echoic memory

A

hear- 8-10s
in use all the time, piece small info together to make something meaningful

37
Q

serial-position effects in short-term recall

A

Primary: info transferred to LTM, if a list of letters the end and starting letters will probably be recalled the best
Recency: info “dumped” from short term buffer

38
Q

coding differences of STM and LTM

A

STM worse for phonologically confusing info
LTM worse for semantically confusing info

39
Q

working memory consists of…

A

central executive, episodic buffer and “slave” systems

40
Q

central executive

A

manipulating info, organising, get slave system to work, allocate attention

41
Q

Slave systems

A

Phonological loop - memory span depends on how long it takes to repeat information eg. word, length, speech rate
Language differences in ‘digit span task’

Visuo-spatial scratch pad

42
Q

Declarative memory system

A

Explicit
Facts
- semantic
- episodic

43
Q

semantic memory

A

General knowledge
The meaning of things
Knowing versus remembering

44
Q

episodic memory

A

recollections of personal experience

45
Q

semantic memory is organised by…

A

logical hierarchical structure with interconnected nodes (meaning)

46
Q

spreading activation

A

retrieves meaning - activation of appropriate notes and thus related nodes

47
Q

spreading activation model - nodes

A

Certain things become quite close because there is an underlying thing tying them together (semantic-relatedness)

48
Q

problems with hierarchical model

A

Don’t put in atypical examples because it messes up design, but we are full of atypical things
It’s too orderly
Cognitive economy probably isn’t quite right either

49
Q

propositional network models

A

More complex, tied to linguistics
Associated with interactions

50
Q

Parallel distributed processing (PDP) models

A

Set of interconnecting nodes (neurons) that communicate by sending activation or inhibition
Very complex pattern of associations
Attributes of things in the world

51
Q

schema

A

generalised mental representations, or concepts, describing a class of objects, people, scenes or events

52
Q

Schemas for stories

A

some people change stories to fit their expectations
Hard to interpret items were omitted

53
Q

structure of schemas in LTM governs…

A

How you perceive events happening in front of you
How you encode and remember what you have experienced
The expectations you have of everything
How well you cope

54
Q

why are schemas helpful?

A

make memory encoding more efficient

55
Q

why are schemas unhelpful?

A

distort experiences and perception as all kinds of information is forced into a existing schema

56
Q

Scripts

A

“Event schemas”, generalised mental representations of events in time

57
Q

stereotypes

A

“Person schemas” are used for ease of understanding
Gender
Age
Ethnic
Occupational

58
Q

nondeclaritive memory

A

Skills, actions, motor
Focus on procedural memory

59
Q

priming

A

Display or mention of one concept leads to spreading activation of other related concepts

60
Q

Procedural memory

A

implicit
Memory for how to do things
Not verbalisable, not available to conscious awareness
Learnt through gradual learning

61
Q

Levels of processing and memory

A

is this word in capital letters (structural)? Does it rhyme with train (phonemic)? Does it fit into this sentence (semantic)?

62
Q

explicit memory tasks

A

ask you to do a specific task, you will know that your memory is tested
E.g. free recall and recognition
Subjects explicitly told to remember items from previous list -> engage in intentional retrieval

63
Q

implicit memory tasks

A

you will not know memory is being tested - just asked to perform a task
E.g. fragment completion, stem completion, perceptual identification.
Exposure to a word in previous taks will make you more inclined to answer with that word unintentionally (e.g. fill in the blank)

64
Q

Implicit memory performance is better when…

A

the stimulus modality/format is the same at encoding and retrieval
Better preserved over delay

65
Q

light bulb memories

A

What you were doing when a big event occurred (9/11, natural disaster etc.)

66
Q

rehearsal of memory

A

Reminds yourself of it, strengthens the memory
Every time you recall a memory, you re-instantiate it

67
Q

Confabulation

A

You have no intention to deceive, but you are unaware that you have provided incorrect information (often despite high confidence)
A ‘filling in’ of the blanks

68
Q

why does confabulation occur?

A

Preserve self image, image control, completeness, coherence
Errors in retrieval accompanied by errors in monitoring (frontal lobe issues)
Imposed a self schema

69
Q

Infantile amnesia

A

Don’t have a lot of memories of being very young
Often say they remember things but it is from a photo
Typically we have no mems from the first 3 years of life

70
Q

Reminiscence bump

A

A surprisingly large number of memories coming from the years between 10-30 (especially 15-25) - not just personal memories

71
Q

motivation to remember (MTR)

A

Raising MTR at retrieval has no effect, raising MTR at encoding greatly improves memory
Don’t leave to the last minute

72
Q

Free recall task

A

report items from earlier study episode

73
Q

Recognition task

A

select previously studied items from a mixture of old and new items. The actual answer is there which sparks the recall, retrieval cue. Less effort than recall test

74
Q

memory in older years

A

memory is good throughout lifespan, but that there is less effort at encoding
neurons die across our lifespan, and myelination is reduced, affecting processing speed
Attributions (I am too old, changes how you think) change across the lifespan

75
Q

Cues

A

recognition task provide a cue that can activate (“prime”) the memory network
but cues can prime the wrong info (mc questions)

76
Q

retroactive

A

new material effects old material

77
Q

Proactive

A

old material affects new material

78
Q

deep processing

A

Ask questions - elaboration of material
Structuring material semantically

79
Q

low utility processing

A

summarisation
highlighting/underlining
rereading

80
Q

high utility processing

A

practice testing
distributed practice

81
Q

the method of loci

A

memory journey, pathway of remembering things

82
Q

the method of loci

A

memory journey, pathway of remembering things

PSYC1002 (6 decks)

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