COGNITIVE PROCESSES

Question 1

define cognitive psychology

Answer 1

internal processes involved in making sense of the environment.
central to all human behaviour

Question 2

frameworks in cog psych

Answer 2

• 1950-80s: computer metaphor; info processing
• 1980s-now: connectionist, neural networks
• 1990s-now: neuroimaging

Question 3

brain image dependence?

Answer 3

• neuroscience increased quality of good and circular interpretations
• seductive allure of neuroscience

Question 4

levels of description

Answer 4

1. computational - what needs to be computed for the goals
2. conceptual - representational algorithm; steps for output
3. hardware - physical means of representation

Question 5

experimental cog psych

Answer 5

• behavioural evidence to test science

BUT theories often abstract

Question 6

cognitive neuropsychology

Answer 6

• patterns of impairment

BUT only single cases

Question 7

computational modelling

Answer 7

• computational modelling

BUT often specify details not part of theory

Question 8

cognitive neuroscience

Answer 8

• snapshots of brain activity with fMRI

BUT diff measures show diff brain functioning

Question 9

defining memory

Answer 9

kinds of knowledge

1. sensory memory- breif copy of event
2. STM- buffer for temp maintenance of info
3. LTM- facts/episodes/procedures

Question 10

traditional view of memory

Answer 10

sensory stores -> STM -> LTM

Question 11

STM traditional view

Answer 11

capacity: 7+2
decays within 30secs
phonological

Question 12

LTM traditional view

Answer 12

capacity: unlimited
forgetting due to interference rather than decay
semantic

Question 13

problems with traditional view

Answer 13

• not always bottom up process

Question 14

semantic influences on STM tasks

Answer 14

• proactive interference - recall deteriorates across successive trials
• semantic in LTM influences tasks in STM

Question 15

Interactive memory architecture describe features

Answer 15

LTM - declarative memory (semantic & episodic) & procedural memory (memory how to do things)
WM- working memory

Question 16

Baddeley working memory what is central executive

Answer 16

responsible for memory processes

- limited capacity control system responsible for co-ordination, selection

Question 17

what are the slave systems responsible for temp storage

Answer 17

phonological loop- verbal info

visuospatial sketchpad- maintains visual and spatial info

Question 18

limitations of baddeley’s model

Answer 18

• central executive is poorly defined, poorer performance when asked to do 2 tasks at once

Question 19

executive function approach

Answer 19

• control and regulation of thought associated with frontal lobes

Question 20

how is executive functions identified?

Answer 20

• wisconsin card sort
  1. updating: letter memory
  2. shifting: colour shape task
  3. inhibition: anti-saccade task

Question 21

How does psychometric approach measure work done by WM

Answer 21

memory capacity in real world tasks to assess simultaneously BOTH storage and processing

Question 22

complex span task

Answer 22

• requires both processing and storage, better predictors of comprehension

Question 23

individual diff in WM

Answer 23

• higher WM less seductive details effect, not distracted

- higher WM less vulnerable to mind wandering