intro + background Flashcards
What does cognition refer to?
Cognition refers to processes by which sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used.
When did cognitive psychology emerge, and what influenced its development?
It emerged in the 1950s, influenced by computers as metaphors for the mind and advancements in communications technology and computing
How do cognitive psychologists view the mind?
As an information-processing system.
Why is reaction time a key variable in cognitive psychology?
Because mental processes operate on encoded information, which takes time to process.
What is a key limitation of information-processing systems?
They have finite capacity.
What concepts apply to information processing in both brains and computers?
Storage, retrieval, and transformation.
How are cognitive psychology models developed and refined?
Models are evaluated against data and revised as necessary.
What are the key methodological approaches in cognitive psychology?
Experimental psychology, computational modeling, cognitive neuropsychology/neuropsychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience.
What is the focus of experimental psychology in cognitive studies?
Conducting psychological experiments with healthy humans, often using large sample sizes and small budgets.
What study is an example of state-dependent learning in experimental psychology?
Godden & Baddeley (1975), where material learned while diving is better recalled while diving.
What does computational modeling involve?
Computer simulations of cognitive processes, often using parallel distributed processing (PDP) or neural networks.
What is an example of a computational model in cognitive psychology?
McClelland & Rumelhart’s PDP model of word recognition.
What does cognitive neuropsychology study?
The effects of brain damage or psychiatric disorders on cognitive function.
What is the significance of single cases in cognitive neuropsychology?
They help reveal the modularity of the mind through associations and dissociations.
What is an example of a dissociation studied in cognitive neuropsychology?
The dissociation between acquired dyslexia and acquired anomia.
What is the focus of cognitive neuroscience?
Studying how the brain implements cognitive functions using neuroimaging technologies.
Name four neuroimaging techniques used in cognitive neuroscience.
EEG, MEG, TMS, fMRI, PET.
What question about brain regions has cognitive neuroscience addressed?
Whether different brain regions are involved in naming pictures versus reading words (the answer is yes).
What is bottom-up processing?
A model where input progresses through sequential stages to produce output.
What is top-down processing?
Processing influenced by goals, expectations, desires, beliefs, plans, and intentions.
How do eye movements demonstrate both bottom-up and top-down processing?
They are influenced by external stimuli (e.g., flashing light) and internal goals (e.g., watching TV).
What mental processes does cognitive psychology study?
Perception, attention, memory, language, and thinking.
How are cognitive psychology models tested?
Against behavioral, computational, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging data.
Why is cognitive psychology essential to understanding other psychology branches?
It provides foundational knowledge crucial for areas like social, developmental, and clinical psychology
