Exam 1 Flashcards
What is cognitive psychology?
The study of the mind and thinking, memory, its processes, etc.
What is the computer metaphor at the heart of cognitive psychology?
The mind as a computer - info comes in, and something comes out. People process info and a behavior results. Helps guide research questions (ex. do we do things serially?)
Founders:
Describe the area of psychology Ernst Weber and Gustav Fechner focused on
Psychophysics - focus on the relationship between external stimuli and internal experience
History of Field:
When did Wilhelm Wundt establish the first psychology lab and what did he focus on? What technique did he use?
- 1879.
- Focused on understanding what goes into conscious experience.
- Utilized introspection - asking people about what they’re thinking (usually report sensory responses, thoughts, images)
History of Field:
Describe the school of thought Wilhelm Wundt was associated with.
Structuralism - understanding components/structure of consciousness
History of Field:
History of Field:
Who was Edward Titchner and what was his contribution?
Student of Wundt. Brought Structuralism to the United States
History of Field:
What was Sigmund Freud’s contribution?
- First to engage in traditional psychotherapy
- First to point out the unconscious mind
History Field:
What was Max Wertheimer’s contribution?
- Gestalt psychology: study of how brain organizes the world (ex. we see patterns like groupings of color)
History of Field:
What area did John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner focus on?
-Behaviorism: focus on stimulus and behavior
History of Field:
What was Donald Broadbent’s role?
- Father of cognitive psychology
History of Field:
What research areas did cognitive psychology focus during WWII?
- Communication theory (how messages get transferred)
- Human performance
- Machine/computer learning
How is Sternberg’s study an example of the information-processing approach?
- response time is a clue as to how the brain retrieves something
Research Methods:
What are three things to take note of when reading research studies?
- What stimuli are researchers using? (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.)
- What type of response is coming from participants? (manual, vocal, or physiological)
- What measurements are being obtained from the responses?
(“Response time” - how long it takes to make a decision; also may measure accuracy)
Research Methods:
Describe how an EEG measures physiological responses
- Measures electrical charge change when neurons fire
- Good indicating “when” brain becomes active
- Not very specific with “where”
Research Methods:
Describe how an fMRI measures physiological responses
- measures oxygenation (more blood flow in area, more brain activity there)
- good with spatial resolution, “where”
- not good with temporal res. “when”
Research Methods:
Describe how a PET scan measures physiological responses
- sugar/radioactive solution
- more active parts of brain absorb more of solution and glow brighter
- advantage: scan after, cumulative effect
Research Methods:
Describe how TMS measures physiological responses
- Magnetic filed encourages neurons to fire in a certain way (strengthen some connection while weaken others)
- Not as spatially precise as PET or fMRI
Sensation:
What is the difference between sensation and perception?
- Sensation: converting physical energy from the environment into neural code (action potential)
- Perception - psychological interpretation of the sensation
(ex. stop sign: sensation - long wavelength light. perception: red ocatgon, stop sign, slow down
Sensation:
What are the function of the pupil and iris?
- Pupil: allows light to pass into eye
- Iris: muscle: adjusts pupil depending on available light
Sensation:
What is the function of the cornea?
- Provide some protection against damage