Lecture 02 Methods in Cognitive Psychology

Question 1

Scientific Principles

Answer 1

• Rationalism
• Empiricism
• Self-regulatory
• Falsifiability

Question 2

Rationalism

Answer 2

Logical and systematic theories

Question 3

Empiricism

Answer 3

Predictions and hypotheses are tested against empirical observations

Question 4

Self-regulatory

Answer 4

• Theories and data are scrutinized by scientific communities
• Peer-reviewed journal, open data, pre-registration.

Question 5

Falsifiability

Answer 5

A theory is scientific only if it can be, in principle, proven false

Question 6

Research Designs

Answer 6

• Descriptive Research
• Relational research
• Experimental Research

Question 7

Descriptive Research

Answer 7

To describe the phenomenon but not to explain the cause
- Observation
1) Controlled
2) Naturalistic
3) Participant
- Case study
1) Rare events
2) Few cases being studied in details

Question 8

Strength and Weakness of Descriptive Research

Answer 8

Strength
- A starting point for later research
Weakness
- Can’t explain or imply causation

Question 9

Relational Research

Answer 9

Association between two or more variables
- Linear relationship
- Nonlinear relationship

Question 10

Limitation of Relational Research

Answer 10

Only explaining linear regression part of exponential
- Constraining or controlling for other variables

Question 11

Criteria for Causal Inferences

Answer 11

• Time precedence
• Covariation
• No alternative explanations

Question 12

Covariation

Answer 12

The amount or the absence of the cause affect the amount or the absence of the outcome

Question 13

Causal Modeling with SEM

Answer 13

Constraining or controlling for other variables

Question 14

Experimental Research

Answer 14

1. True Experiment
2. Quasi-experiment

Question 15

True Experiment

Answer 15

• Manipulation of independent variable
• Control/comparison groups
• Random assignment

Question 16

Purpose of Random Assignment

Answer 16

Equalizer
- Because some variables can’t be controlled, like pre-detemined characteristics.

Question 17

Limitation of True Experiment

Answer 17

Unable to manipulate some variables, such as race
- It will be more of naturalistic experiment

Question 18

Quasi-experiment

Answer 18

• Experimental design without random assignment
• Practical or ethical reasons
• Usually in field research

Question 19

Limitation of Quasi-experiment

Answer 19

• Threats to internal validity
  1) Self-selection
  2) Pre-existing differences
• It does provide strong claim as pure experimental research
• In naturalistic setting, something can’t be manipulated due to ethics

Question 20

Between-subject Design

Answer 20

• Prevent carry-over effect
• “Blind” to conditions
• More variation due to individual differences

Question 21

Within-subject Design

Answer 21

• Subjects are their own control
• Higher statistical power -> less N
• Prone to carry-over effect
• No confounding of individual difference
• Preferred by cognitive experiments

Question 22

Validity

Answer 22

• Internal validity
• External validity
• Construct validity
• Statistical conclusion validity

Question 23

Internal Validity

Answer 23

Free of confounds
- Running multiple experiment to examine alternative explanation

Question 24

External Validity

Answer 24

Generalizability
- Concern in the field study or applied study
- Ecological validity: Applying knowledge or findings in real world
- Cross cultural research

Question 25

Construct Validity

Answer 25

Representability of Constructs - e.g., Preventing rehearsal in working memory → Backward counting task

Question 26

Statistical Conclusion Validity

Answer 26

- Appropriate statistical test for the data - Violation of statistical assumptions - Interpretation of the strength of relationship (i.e., effect size)

Question 27

Psychophysics

Answer 27

- Method of limits - Method of constant stimuli - Method of adjustment

Question 28

Method of Limits

Answer 28

Human perception threshold: light, sound, taste

Question 29

Method of Constant Stimuli

Answer 29

Discriminating different types of stimuli - Sound - Perceptual illusion

Question 30

Method of Adjustment

Answer 30

Adjusting stimuli’s characteristic to the target stimuli: gray banana color

Question 31

Mental Chronometry

Answer 31

- Helmholtz speed of nerve impulse - Reaction time - Donder’s subtraction method

Question 32

Object and Face Recognition Task

Answer 32

Up side down face: Face perception doesn’t associate general object recognition

Question 33

Visual Search Task

Answer 33

Visual

Question 34

Go/No-Go Task

Answer 34

Study response inhibition, attention

Question 35

Simon Task

Answer 35

Attention, conflict processing

Question 36

Posner Cuing Task

Answer 36

Attention allocation

Question 37

N-Back Task

Answer 37

Working memory

Question 38

Lexical Decision

Answer 38

Decide whether the presented is a word or non-word - Language processing

Question 39

Memory Span

Answer 39

- Memorize a list - Then recall in a correct order

Question 40

Decision Making

Answer 40

- Economic games - Judge/estimate occurrence - Choice

Question 41

Animal Study

Answer 41

- Maze - Puzzle box - Memory task

Question 42

Physiological

Answer 42

- Electrocardiogram (ECG) - Electrodermal Activity (EDA)

Question 43

Brain Damage Case Studies

Answer 43

- Phineas Gage: Frontal lobe lesion -> Cognitive control - H.M.: Hippocampus removal -> Long term memory

Question 44

Brain Activity

Answer 44

- Electroencephalogram (EEG) - Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Question 45

Brain Stimulation/Inhibition

Answer 45

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Question 46

Brain Imaging

Answer 46

- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) - Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)