Introspection Flashcards
1
Q
HISTORY OF INTROSPECTION IN PSYCH
A
DONDERS (1868)
- how long does it take to make a decision (simple RT VS choice RT; 1st cog exp)
WUNDT (1879)
- 1st scientific psych lab; analytic introspection; trained pps described sensations/feelings/thought processes responding to stimuli (sweetness/redness etc)
JAMES (1890)
- reported own experience obs (some attention valid)
BEHAVIOURISM (1913-40s)
- classical/operant conditioning (+/- reinforcement
COGNITIVE REVOLUTION (1950s)
- digital computers; AIs
2
Q
IS INTROSPECTION USEFUL/ACCEPTABLE?
A
- allows possible reporting of:
- intentional states (I believe/know/desire X)
- emotional states
- processes (matching/choosing/decision making)
- causes (why influence X = beh effect)
3
Q
VERIFICATION PROBLEM
A
- cannot check individual report BUT if lots of individuals report same = v sceptical doubting truth
- cog psych introspection egs:
- decision making studies use sub-goal reports/hypotheses/partial solutions/intermediate products inferring problem solving strategies
- visual illusions (ie. perception)
4
Q
ACCESS PROBLEM LACK
A
- lack of access to processes/causes (in some contents) for basic cog skills: (object/face/word recognition; language comprehension/production)
- some actions have access to accurate representation despite conscious awareness not (ie. blindsight = access to stimuli locus/properties info)
- blindsight patients = blind area via cortical V1 damage; no conscious awareness of blind region stimuli
- BUT if forced to guess voluntarily point at moving object in blind region w/discriminations (form/colour) better than chance
5
Q
SUMMARY
A
- introspections bear somewhat principled relation to goings on in the mind BUT to which we have no access
- many mental process/representation kinds which, though assumed awareness requirement turn out not to (hence awareness NOT causal) ie:
- meanings/emotions activations
- stimuli-triggered/spontaneous action
- some choice/decision making
