Cognitive Psychology

Question 1

What does cognitive psychology study?

Answer 1

Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as memory, perception, recall, and forgetting, focusing on how these processes affect behaviour.

Question 2

How does cognitive psychology differ from behaviourism?

Answer 2

Cognitive psychology focuses on unobservable mental processes like problem-solving and reasoning, which behaviourists typically reject.

Question 3

Describe the selective attention test involving a gorilla video.

Answer 3

In the selective attention test, viewers are asked to count passes made by players in white and black shirts, often missing a gorilla that appears unexpectedly.

Question 4

What did the gorilla experiment by Simons and Chabris reveal about human perception?

Answer 4

The experiment revealed that people often miss significant details in their environment and are unaware of how much they overlook.

Question 5

Explain the concept of perception.

Answer 5

Perception is the recognition, organization, and interpretation of sensory information, influenced by the energy detected by our senses.

Question 6

What are the two main types of processing in perception?

Answer 6

The two main types of processing are bottom-up processing, which starts with sensory input, and top-down processing, which uses prior knowledge and expectations.

Question 7

How do optical illusions relate to perception?

Answer 7

Optical illusions demonstrate how our brains interpret sensory information, leading us to perceive images differently than they actually are.

Question 8

What is bottom-up processing?

Answer 8

Bottom-up processing begins with sensory input, where information is gathered from the environment and converted into signals for the brain.

Question 9

Define top-down processing.

Answer 9

Top-down processing uses existing knowledge, expectations, and experiences to interpret sensory information.

Question 10

Describe an illusion in the context of perception and reality.

Answer 10

An illusion occurs when our perception does not align with reality, leading us to see things that aren’t there or miss things that are present.

Question 11

Explain the concept of selective attention in cognitive psychology.

Answer 11

Selective attention refers to the brain’s inability to focus on more than one thing at a time, which can lead to missing certain stimuli in our environment.

Question 12

Describe the focus of cognitive psychology.

Answer 12

Cognitive psychology is concerned with how people comprehend, digest, organise, and utilise information.

Question 13

How did the emergence of computers influence cognitive psychology in the 1960s?

Answer 13

The emergence of computers contributed to the cognitive approach in psychology as researchers began to draw parallels between the mind and computer processes.

Question 14

Define internal mental processes according to cognitive psychologists.

Answer 14

Internal mental processes are the cognitive activities such as memory, perception, reasoning, and language that process information and affect behaviour.

Question 15

What is the role of schemas in cognitive psychology?

Answer 15

Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help organise and interpret information, acting as mental shortcuts for understanding the world and our experiences.

Question 16

Discuss a strength of cognitive psychology.

Answer 16

Cognitive psychology uses scientific and controlled experiments, such as MRI scans, to produce reliable and replicable outcomes.

Question 17

List some assumptions of cognitive psychology.

Answer 17

1. Internal mental processes can be studied empirically. 2. The mind works like a computer (input, process, output). 3. Individuals function as information processors. 4. Internal mental processes cause behaviour. 5. Schemas impact internal mental processes.

Question 18

Identify a limitation of cognitive psychology.

Answer 18

Cognitive psychology has been criticised for ignoring the impact of emotions on behaviour and for being reductionist, oversimplifying human activity to computer-like processes.

Question 19

How does cognitive psychology apply to understanding psychological conditions like depression?

Answer 19

Cognitive psychology provides insights into conditions like depression by suggesting that negative schemas about oneself, the world, and the future contribute to the disorder.

Question 20

What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and its relevance in cognitive psychology?

Answer 20

CBT is a practical application of cognitive psychology that can effectively treat conditions like depression by addressing negative thought patterns.

Question 21

Who are two of the main theorists associated with cognitive psychology in relation to cognitive development?

Answer 21

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.

Question 22

What is Jean Piaget known for in the field of psychology?

Answer 22

Jean Piaget is known for his work on the cognitive development of children and the acquisition of understanding, and is considered one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century.

Question 23

What is the title of one of Piaget’s key works, and when was it published?

Answer 23

The title of one of Piaget’s key works is “The Origins of Intelligence in Children,” published in 1936.

Question 24

What are the four key stages of Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development?

Answer 24

The four key stages are: Sensory-motor stage (birth - 2 years), Preoperational stage (2 - 7 years), Concrete operational stage (7 - 11 years), and Formal operational stage (11 years - adulthood).

Question 25

What happens during the sensory-motor stage of cognitive development?

Answer 25

During the sensory-motor stage, babies explore and learn about the world through their senses and movements, engaging in activities like touching, looking, and listening to objects to understand their environment.

Question 26

What is the main characteristic of the preoperational stage according to Piaget?

Answer 26

In the preoperational stage, children start to use language and engage in pretend play, but their thinking is egocentric, and they struggle to understand the perspectives of others.

Question 27

What does the concrete operational stage of development entail?

Answer 27

In the concrete operational stage, children begin to think more logically about concrete events, understand conservation, and can perform simple mental operations.

Question 28

What is a key concept of Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development?

Answer 28

A key concept is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which refers to the difference between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with assistance from more knowledgeable individuals.

Question 29

What role does language play in Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development?

Answer 29

Vygotsky believed that language is the root of all learning and serves as a tool for thinking, playing a crucial role in cognitive development.

Question 30

What is private speech according to Vygotsky?

Answer 30

Private speech is when young children talk to themselves, which Vygotsky observed as part of their cognitive development process.

Question 31

What is one strength of Vygotsky's theory in education?

Answer 31

One strength is that Vygotsky's theory has been successfully applied to education, particularly through scaffolding, which helps teachers guide children from what they can do to the next learning step.

Question 32

How does scaffolding work in the classroom according to Vygotsky's theory?

Answer 32

Scaffolding involves teachers guiding children from their current abilities to the next stage in their learning, often through collaborative work with peers of varying skill levels.

Question 33

What is a limitation of Vygotsky's theory related to scientific testing?

Answer 33

A limitation is that many concepts in Vygotsky's theory, such as the zone of proximal development, are difficult to test scientifically, making it hard to objectively evaluate the theory.

Question 34

What criticism is made about Vygotsky's focus in his theory?

Answer 34

Critics argue that Vygotsky overemphasized socio-cultural factors while neglecting biological influences on development.

Question 35

What do cross-cultural studies suggest about cognitive development stages?

Answer 35

Cross-cultural studies indicate that cognitive development stages, except for the formal operational stage, occur in the same order across all cultures, suggesting that cognitive development may be a product of biological maturation.

Question 36

What does Vygotsky believe about the relationship between private speech and cognitive development?

Answer 36

Vygotsky believed that private speech is a sign of cognitive development and helps children transition from social speech to inner speech.

Question 37

How has Vygotsky's theory influenced teaching methods?

Answer 37

Vygotsky's theory has influenced teaching methods by promoting collaborative work and peer teaching, allowing children with different abilities to learn from each other.

Question 38

What evidence supports the effectiveness of scaffolding in education?

Answer 38

Evidence from studies, such as those by Freund in 1990, supports that scaffolding is an effective teaching method that aids in children's learning and development.

Question 39

Why is it challenging to evaluate Vygotsky's theory objectively?

Answer 39

It is challenging to evaluate Vygotsky's theory objectively because many of its concepts do not lend themselves easily to scientific investigation, complicating empirical validation.