Cognitive science Flashcards

History of Cognitive science

1
Q

What was the goal of structuralism, and what method did it employ?

A

Structuralism aimed to identify the basic elements or “atoms” of thought through the method of introspection, where individuals would try to describe their conscious experiences in detail

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2
Q

Who developed the idea of functionalism, and what was its central focus?

A

William James developed functionalism, which focused on understanding the different functions or processes of the mind, such as perceiving, remembering, and imagining, rather than its structures.

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3
Q

What was the central tenet of behaviourism, and who was one of its key proponents?

A

Behaviourism argued that psychology should focus solely on observable behaviour, as the mind is a “black box” that cannot be studied scientifically. John Watson was a key proponent of behaviourism.

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4
Q

What was the significance of Franciscus Donders’ experiment in 1868?

A

Donders conducted one of the first psychology experiments to measure the time it takes to make a decision, laying the foundation for experimental methods in cognitive psychology

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5
Q

What did Hermann Ebbinghaus discover through his experiments on human memory?

A

Ebbinghaus discovered the forgetting curve, which shows how we tend to forget information over time unless it’s reviewed and reinforced, as well as the spacing effect, where distributing practice and review over time leads to better long-term retention.

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6
Q

What factors contributed to the cognitive revolution in the 1940s-1950s?

A

Factors such as decision-making situations in World War II, information theory, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and Noam Chomsky’s work on language acquisition all contributed to the resurgence of interest in studying the mind.

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7
Q

How did the cognitive approach differ from previous approaches in psychology?

A

The cognitive approach adopted the experimental methods of behaviourism but used them to study mental processes, rather than just observable behaviour, marking a shift towards understanding the mind’s workings.

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8
Q

What is cognitive science, and why is it considered an interdisciplinary field?

A

Cognitive science is the study of the mind, and it is considered an interdisciplinary field because it involves contributions from multiple disciplines, such as psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, computer science, and linguistics, to understand the mind’s complexity.

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9
Q

What is the significance of Noam Chomsky’s work in linguistics for cognitive science?

A

Chomsky’s work demonstrated that children’s language development could not be explained solely by imitation, as they follow internal rules to generate novel sentences they have never heard before, highlighting the importance of language in understanding the mind’s capacity for generating and comprehending complex structures.

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10
Q

How did World War II decision-making situations contribute to the cognitive revolution?

A

Engineers training radar operators found that people sometimes made mistakes in distinguishing between enemy aircraft and other signals, leading to the development of signal detection theory, which required understanding the thought processes and expectations influencing people’s judgments.

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11
Q

What was the significance of Claude Shannon’s work on information theory for cognitive science?

A

Shannon’s work on transmitting signals from a sender to a receiver inspired psychologists to think about the mind as an information processing system, with information flowing in, being transformed, and coming out as actions or language.

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12
Q

How did artificial intelligence contribute to the study of the mind in cognitive science?

A

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) created a cross-talk between AI researchers trying to model human-like intelligence and psychologists studying human minds, with AI providing a way to test ideas about how the mind works by creating simplified artificial “minds.”

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13
Q

What was the central idea behind the functionalist approach in the study of the mind?

A

The functionalist approach focused on understanding the different functions or processes of the mind, such as perceiving, remembering, and imagining, rather than its structures.

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14
Q

Who conducted one of the first experiments on human memory, and what did they discover?

A

Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted the first experiments on human memory using nonsense syllables, and he discovered the forgetting curve and the spacing effect.

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15
Q

What was the significance of Paul Broca’s work in the mid-1800s?

A

Paul Broca’s work with patients who had suffered strokes and lost the ability to speak was one of the first discoveries that different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions, laying the groundwork for understanding the brain’s role in cognitive processes.

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16
Q

How did the cognitive approach differ from the structuralist and functionalist approaches in terms of methodology?

A

While the structuralists relied on introspection and the functionalists lacked rigorous experimental methods, the cognitive approach adopted the experimental methods of behaviourism but used them to study mental processes, allowing for more reliable data collection and analysis

17
Q

What is a cognitive task, and how do cognitive scientists use it to study the mind?

A

A cognitive task is a task that requires participants to think in a certain way. Cognitive scientists observe participants’ behavior, such as reaction times and accuracy, during these tasks to study cognitive processes.

18
Q

How do cognitive scientists use neuroscience methods to study the mind?

A

Cognitive scientists use brain imaging techniques like fMRI and EEG to measure brain activity during cognitive tasks, allowing them to map cognitive processes to their neural underpinnings.

19
Q

What is the difference between data-driven and conceptually-driven processes?

A

Data-driven processes are bottom-up and driven by sensory input, while conceptually-driven processes are top-down and influenced by existing knowledge and concepts.

20
Q

Give an example of a data-driven process.

A

Initially perceiving an ambiguous image, like the cow image, requires processing the visual data in a bottom-up, data-driven manner.

21
Q

Give an example of a conceptually-driven process.

A

Once you recognize the image as a cow, your existing knowledge and concept of what a cow looks like guides your perception in a top-down, conceptually-driven manner.

22
Q

What are automatic processes, and give an example.

A

Automatic processes occur effortlessly, quickly, and without intentional effort. An example is skilled reading for adults.

23
Q

What are controlled processes, and give an example.

A

Controlled processes require voluntary control and mental effort. An example is solving a math problem or learning to read for children.

24
Q

How do automatic and controlled processes differ in terms of experience?

A

Automatic processes feel effortless and instantaneous, while controlled processes involve a distinct feeling of intentional effort.

25
Q

What is the difference between conscious and unconscious processes?

A

Conscious processes are mental operations we are aware of, while unconscious processes occur without conscious awareness.

26
Q

Give an example of an unconscious process.

A

Semantic priming, where a briefly flashed word facilitates the processing of a related word, even if you don’t consciously register the first word.

27
Q

What are cognitive representations, and why are they important?

A

Cognitive representations are the “blueprints” or ways in which information about the world is stored and organized in the mind, allowing for flexible processing and storage of diverse information.

28
Q

Give an example of a visual cognitive representation.

A

A mental image or visual representation of an object, like a chair

29
Q

Give an example of a verbal cognitive representation

A

Words or concepts stored in the mind, such as the word “chair.”

30
Q

Give an example of a functional cognitive representation

A

Knowledge about how to use tools, like the function and use of a chair for sitting.

31
Q

How do different cognitive representations capture different aspects of the world?

A

Different representations, such as visual, verbal, and functional, capture and store different types of information about the world, allowing for diverse and flexible processing

32
Q

Why is it important to study both behavioral and neuroscience data in cognitive science?

A

Combining behavioral data from cognitive tasks with neuroscience data from brain imaging helps map cognitive processes to their neural underpinnings, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the mind.