Notes Flashcards
Define cognitive psychology
It is the study of mental processes
How the brain processes information, including learning, memory storage, thinking, and language.
What is ‘cognition’
Refers to how we take in information, make sense of it, and utilise it. It involves different stages of information processing.
Stages of cognitive processing
Perception
Learning and memory storage
Retrieval
Thinking
Explain the complexity of processes
The stages of cognitive processing are interconnected and overlap, rather than being strictly sequential or distinct
Approaches to studying cognition:
1) experimental cognitive psychology
2) cognitive neuroscience
3) cognitive neuropsychology
4) Computer modelling
What is ‘experimental cognitive psychology’
The scientific testing of psychological processes in human and animal subjects
What is ‘computer modelling’
The simulation of human cognitive processes by computer.
This is often used as a method of testing feasibility of an information processing mechanism
What is ‘cognitive neuropsychology’
The study of the brain activities underlying cognitive processes, often by investigating cognitive impairment in brain- damaged patients
What is ‘cognitive neuroscience’
The investigation of human cognition by relating it to brain structure and function, normally obtained from brain- imaging techniques
How did behaviourism influence cognitive psychology
It slowed down its research, where cognitive psychology only studied observable behaviours, ignoring mental processes.
This limited understanding of complex cognitive activities
Who laid the foundation for studying mental processes ‘scientifically’
Pioneers like Wilhelm Wundt, Hermann ebbinghaus and William James
Gesalt psychologists also argued that we mentally add meaning to our perceptions
Gesalt theory:
Perception is more than just adding up simple parts of what we see.
We use our knowledge to make sense of objects, forming whole figures that are more meaningful than their individual elements
E.g, when we see a circle and two lines, we perceive it as a face, even though there’s no actual face
Schema theory
Bartlett’s schema theory suggests that we interpret new information by comparing it to things we’ve seen or heard before, called ‘schemas’
- these schemas are mental patterns stored in memory, and they help us make sense of new experiences
- our perception can be unique because it’s influenced by our past experiences
Schema theory and distortion of memory
Schema theory implied that we sometimes change or distort new information to fit into what we already know, making our perception and memory unique to each individual
Top-down processing
(Schema driven)
Involves using our stored knowledge and schemas to interpret sensory input
Bottom-up processing
(Stimulus driven)
Starts with sensory input and builds towards interpretation
What did Neisser(1967) argue about both top- down processing and bottom- up processing
Neisser(1967) argued that both types of processing work together, with top- down schemas interacting with bottom-up stimuli to process information more effectively
How did gestalt and schema theories take the focus off behaviourism
Emphasised mental processes
Electronic computers and cognitive processing of the human brain
I’m the 1950s, electronic computers gave cognitive psychologists new ideas for understanding how the brain works.
- computers process information similarly to how the brain does for tasks like perception and memory
- this led to computer models that stimulate brain functions, helping scientists test theories about how human cognition operates
Designing computer programs
Psychologists can design computer programs that mimic human cognitive processes by breaking them down into stages.
These programs could solve simple problems, offering insights into human problem- solving and thinking
- more recent programs have tackled complex tasks, such as recognising faces, using systems like feature detectors
