Cognitive Psychology Chapters 1-4 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Cognitive Psychology?

A

The scientific interdisciplinary study of the mind

-Interested in how the brain processes information

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2
Q

Cognition

A

The mental events and knowledge we use when we recognize an object, remember a name, have an idea, understand a sentence, or solve a problem

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3
Q

Cognitive Science

A

The scientific study of thought, language, and the brain, in short, the scientific study of the mind

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4
Q

Research Oriented because…

A

Empirical (scientific) and models used

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5
Q

Emotions effect on processing of the brain

A

We pass an emotional judgement to see if something is worth time spent, *A way emotional aspect is used in cog. psych

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6
Q

Mental processes

A

Can occur with little conscious awareness.

-Mental processes are complex (elaborate)

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7
Q

Memory

A

The mental processes of acquiring and retaining information for later retrieval and the mental storage system that enables these processes.
*Not always consciously using memories that one has

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8
Q

Retrieval of Memories

A

Retrieval of memories deals with both the conscious and the automatic recalling—-> we can also alter our memories

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9
Q

Human Biases

A

*Humans have a bias towards negativity (It grabs our attention)

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10
Q

How to study mental processes

A

Mental processes can be studied by behaviors (Ex. reaction time and responses)
-Technology is a big factor in studying cognition

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11
Q

Assumptions of Cog. Psych (1)

A

Mental processes exist

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12
Q

Assumptions of Cog. Psych (2)

A

Mental processes can be studied scientifically

“If it exists it can be studied”

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13
Q

Assumptions of Cog. Psych (3)

ACTIVE INFORMATION PROCESSORS

A

Scientist Miller calls us informavores

Hear info., you process it and decide if you need it or don’t need it by processors—–> Have to undergo a process to get rid of a previously ignored info. longer reaction time occurs because of this

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14
Q

Assumptions of Cog. Psych (4)

A

Some processes occur without conscious awareness

  • Representations reflects the sensory modality and meaning of information…Components of this are:
    1) Format: the means by which it conveys info.
    2) Content: the meaning, conveyed by a particular representation
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15
Q

Three stages

A

Encoding, Retention, Retrieval

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16
Q

Neisser 1976

A

Ecological Validitiy: findings are true of the real world

17
Q

Reductionist Approach

A

Attempting to understand complex events by breaking them down into their components

18
Q

First Lab created in 1879 for Cog Psych

A

Wundt founded this labratory

To see: How does the brain work?

19
Q

Introspection

A

A method in which one looks carefully inward, reporting on inner sensations and experiences.

*Original method of studying cognitive psych, but today’s research is different and focuses on behavior expressed from study

20
Q

Major Contributions from Wundt’s School

A

(1) Demonstrated that mental activity can be broken down into more basic operations
(2) Created objective methods to study mental processes

21
Q

Edward Titchner

A

Not too interested in memory

  • Used introspection
  • Used structuralism: The structure of the conscious mind, sensations, images, and feelings that were the very elements of the mind’s structure
22
Q

Hermann Vonn Ebbinghaus

A
  • Thought that a study of the mind through objective measures was possible
  • Studied memory using nonsense syllables (CVC) so their wouldn’t be interference….Learn the lost then wait and try again gets a savings score.
23
Q

William James

A
  • Functionalism: the functions of consciousness, rather than its structure, were of interest
  • Divided memory into 2 areas; one that is of immediate circumstances and one that is large and more hidden or passive
24
Q

Behaviorism (1913)

A

Watson started behaviorism

*Behaviorism: the scientific study of behavior

25
Q

Dissatisfaction with behaviorism

A

~Cognitive revolution was about the 1950’s

~Disagreement about:

- New behaviors come through conditioning:stimulus response psychology
- Used animals
- Skinner thought that a theory of behavior wasn't neccesary
26
Q

The Language Debate

A

In 1959,
Chomsky blasted Skinner’s 1957 book “Verbal Behavior”
~Language is generative, not reinforced

27
Q

Four Methods to Measure Cognitive Processes

A

RT and Accuracy

Verbal Reports

neuropsychological evidence

28
Q

Donder’s Speed of Mental Processes (1868)

A

Donder’s method of subtraction

Ex:
A+B+C=1200ms
A+C=800ms
Therefore B=400ms

29
Q

Neuropsychological Evidence

A

Cognitive psychologists use detailed observation of the brain instead of other methods used before

~Dissociation: when damage to one area of the brain will show impaired performance on one task, but not other tasks

30
Q

The Computer Analogy

A

A computer model was created outlining cognitive processes

~Process Model: hypothesis about the specific mental processes that take place when a particular task is preformed

31
Q

Lexical Decision Task

A

***A timed task in which people decide whether letter strings are or are not English words.

Stages:

(1) Encoding (Input)
(2) Search Retrieval
(3) Activation Stage
(4) Decision
(5) Response (Output)

32
Q

The Strict Information Processing Approach

A

Assumptions of sequential stages of processing and independent/nonoverlapping
——-> It was believed that each stage of a process has to be completed before moving on to the next stage (FOUND to not be always true; FLAWED)

*Multiple stages can be happening at once, or a whole stage was seen to even get skipped

33
Q

Neural Net Models: Connectionism

A

A computer based technique for modeling complex systems

*The connectionist models gives us insight into how cognition is set up bottom-up and top-down