intro + background

Question 1

What does cognition refer to?

Answer 1

Cognition refers to processes by which sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used.

Question 2

When did cognitive psychology emerge, and what influenced its development?

Answer 2

It emerged in the 1950s, influenced by computers as metaphors for the mind and advancements in communications technology and computing

Question 3

How do cognitive psychologists view the mind?

Answer 3

As an information-processing system.

Question 4

Why is reaction time a key variable in cognitive psychology?

Answer 4

Because mental processes operate on encoded information, which takes time to process.

Question 5

What is a key limitation of information-processing systems?

Answer 5

They have finite capacity.

Question 6

What concepts apply to information processing in both brains and computers?

Answer 6

Storage, retrieval, and transformation.

Question 7

How are cognitive psychology models developed and refined?

Answer 7

Models are evaluated against data and revised as necessary.

Question 8

What are the key methodological approaches in cognitive psychology?

Answer 8

Experimental psychology, computational modeling, cognitive neuropsychology/neuropsychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience.

Question 9

What is the focus of experimental psychology in cognitive studies?

Answer 9

Conducting psychological experiments with healthy humans, often using large sample sizes and small budgets.

Question 10

What study is an example of state-dependent learning in experimental psychology?

Answer 10

Godden & Baddeley (1975), where material learned while diving is better recalled while diving.

Question 11

What does computational modeling involve?

Answer 11

Computer simulations of cognitive processes, often using parallel distributed processing (PDP) or neural networks.

Question 12

What is an example of a computational model in cognitive psychology?

Answer 12

McClelland & Rumelhart’s PDP model of word recognition.

Question 13

What does cognitive neuropsychology study?

Answer 13

The effects of brain damage or psychiatric disorders on cognitive function.

Question 14

What is the significance of single cases in cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 14

They help reveal the modularity of the mind through associations and dissociations.

Question 15

What is an example of a dissociation studied in cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 15

The dissociation between acquired dyslexia and acquired anomia.

Question 16

What is the focus of cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 16

Studying how the brain implements cognitive functions using neuroimaging technologies.

Question 17

Name four neuroimaging techniques used in cognitive neuroscience.

Answer 17

EEG, MEG, TMS, fMRI, PET.

Question 18

What question about brain regions has cognitive neuroscience addressed?

Answer 18

Whether different brain regions are involved in naming pictures versus reading words (the answer is yes).

Question 19

What is bottom-up processing?

Answer 19

A model where input progresses through sequential stages to produce output.

Question 20

What is top-down processing?

Answer 20

Processing influenced by goals, expectations, desires, beliefs, plans, and intentions.

Question 21

How do eye movements demonstrate both bottom-up and top-down processing?

Answer 21

They are influenced by external stimuli (e.g., flashing light) and internal goals (e.g., watching TV).

Question 22

What mental processes does cognitive psychology study?

Answer 22

Perception, attention, memory, language, and thinking.

Question 23

How are cognitive psychology models tested?

Answer 23

Against behavioral, computational, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging data.

Question 24

Why is cognitive psychology essential to understanding other psychology branches?

Answer 24

It provides foundational knowledge crucial for areas like social, developmental, and clinical psychology