Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Question 1

Who is Wilhelm Wundt and what research technique did he develop?

Answer 1

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the ‘father of experimental psychology’ and his idea was that mid/behaviour can be studied as a science.
He developed introspectionism as a research method to study the mind.

Question 2

How is introspection used?

Answer 2

By using introspection in a controlled environment(lab), we can gather information about how our minds work. Involves training people to carefully analyse the content of their own thoughts. people were presented with carefully controlled sensory events and asked to describe their mental experiences of these events. Repeating the experiment generated the same results.

Question 3

What is an example of a Wundtian experimentation?

Answer 3

Participants need to do two things at same time: observe a rotating clock, and report the time then the bell rings. The delay between actual and reported time will indicate the speed of attention. The conclusion was that individuals cant focus on 2 things at once.

Question 3

What are problems with the introspective method?

Answer 3

• People question whether it’s really science
• Many mental activities can;t be assessed through introspection ( learning, personality, development)
• Cant study on young children and animals

Question 4

What is Behaviorism?

Answer 4

• Everything that organisms do (eg acting, thinking and feeling) can and should be regarded as behaviours.
• Only overt behaviour can be scientifically studied, if we want to have a science of mind
• Most types of behaviour are learned rather than innate

Question 5

What is ‘Pavlov’s Dog’ ?

Answer 5

• Pavlov studied establishment and extinction of ‘conditional reflexes’ (e.g salivation) that only occurs conditionally upon specific previous experiences of the animal e.g sound of a bell
• classical conditioning is a learning process where a neutral stimulus gets associated with a natural occurring stimulus, leading to a learned response

Question 6

What is the law of effect`/

Answer 6

• when a good come means the action will be repeated
• a bad outcome means it will lead to avoiding repeating the action

Question 6

What is the ‘Skinner box’ ?

Answer 6

Skinner developed a controlled environment which allows systematic study of how to modify behaviour - via reinforcement (food) or punishment (electric shock)
OPERANT CONDITIONING

Question 6

What is the mind perceived as according to behaviourism?

Answer 6

• a black box, scientists can only observe stimuli and responses so the internal structure of the mind is opaque

Question 7

What device can the mind be interpreted as well?

Answer 7

• an information processing device so it performs computational functions
• e.g it receives a stimulus and comes up with a response

Question 8

How can we study the brain/mind? (3)

Answer 8

• Experimental studies
• Neuroimaging
• Cases of individuals with acquired brain damage