Introduction to Clinical Psychology

Question 1

Define cognition

Answer 1

All processes by which sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered and used

Question 2

What are the four reasons cognitive psychology needs models?

Answer 2

1. Scientific theories aim to be refutable (can be proved wrong)
2. Hypotheses can be evaluated using empirical data
3. We can’t look inside the mind to “see” cognition
4. Models of cognition are evaluate against data and always revised

Question 3

What are the four approaches to testing models of cognitive function?

Answer 3

1. Experimental psychology
2. Computational modelling
3. Cognitive Neuropsychology/neuropsychiatry
4. Cognitive Neuroscience

Question 4

What is meant by “modularity of the mind”?

Answer 4

The notion that the mind is composed of innate neural structures which have distinct, established and evolutionary developed functions

Question 5

What is meant by a “bottom-up” approach?

Answer 5

Input proceeds through a series of processing stages until a required output is produced

Question 6

Give some examples go top-down influences

Answer 6

Goals, expectations, desires, beliefs, plans, intentions

Question 7

How is it that our eye-movements reflect both top-down and bottom-up processes??

Answer 7

They’re influenced by external stimuli (e.g. flashing light) and our current goal (e.g. watching the football)

Question 8

What are five mental processes cognitive psychology concerns?

Answer 8

Perception, attention, memory, language, thinking

Question 9

To understand theories, models are developed and tested against what data?

Answer 9

Behavioural, computational, neuropsychological and neuroimaging