The Science of the Mind

Question 1

What is the scope of cognitive psychology?

Answer 1

Cognitive psychology is concerned with how people remember, pay attention, and think.

Question 2

What is the broad role of memory?

Answer 2

Memory is important for guiding what we do, say, and feel, as well as our understanding of new situations.

Question 3

What did HM’s experience tell us about amnesia and memory loss?

Answer 3

He couldn’t form new memories but retained old memories, displaying anterograde amnesia. In addition, his procedural memory could improve, but he would forget about completing the task. This displays the complexity of memory and how much of the brain is utilized for memory.

Question 4

What is introspection?

Answer 4

The examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings

Question 5

What are the limits of introspection?

Answer 5

Difficult to be objective - came up with conclusions that the lab agreed with
Only aware of thoughts that are present in consciousness - unconscious thoughts unaddressed

Question 6

What is behaviorism?

Answer 6

The study of observable stimuli and behaviors - no reference to beliefs, preferences, etc.

Question 7

What is an issue with behaviorism?

Answer 7

Produces surface-level generalizations (“pass the salt”)

Question 8

What is the transcendental method?

Answer 8

Kant - identifying invisible causes from visible effects

Question 9

How did behaviorism lead to the cognitive revolution (Tolman)?

Answer 9

Learning can occur without it being displayed immediately (rats only displayed learning once reward was presented)

Question 10

How did behaviorism lead to the cognitive revolution (Skinner)?

Answer 10

Language could also be viewed in the context of behaviors and rewards (based on environmental stimuli)

Question 11

How did behaviorism lead to the cognitive revolution (Chomsky)?

Answer 11

Creativity is also integral to language (not just responding to environmental stimuli)

Question 12

What are the European roots of the cognitive revolution?

Answer 12

Gestalt psychology - behaviors, ideas, and perceptions can only be understood as part of the whole (emphasis on role of the perceiver in organizing their experience)
Bartlett - fit experiences into mental framework (“schema”), rely on these to interpret experiences

Question 13

How are computers related to the cognitive revolution?

Answer 13

The human mind follows processes similar to that of a computer (“buffers”, “gates”, “central processors”, etc.)
Allowed a new style of theorizing using a series of information-processing events to explain behaviors

Question 14

How do cognitive psychologists use response time (RT) in research?

Answer 14

Response time is the amount of time it takes for participants to make a particular response, and response time provides interesting information in regard to what is going on in the mind (i.e. do cats have whiskers (mental picture)/heads (no mental picture))

Question 15

How do cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience work together to produce insights regarding human cognition?

Answer 15

The comparison of healthy brains vs. damaged brains provides a lot of information

Question 16

How does clinical neuropsychology contribute to the knowledge produced by cognitive psychology?

Answer 16

Provides information about damaged brains (i.e HM)

Question 17

How do neuroimaging techniques contribute to the knowledge produced by cognitive psychology?

Answer 17

Provides information about healthy brains (i.e. recording activation patterns during learning)

Question 18

What are some applications of cognitive psychology?

Answer 18

Criminal justice - seeing whether providing a verdict sooner or later impacts whether jurors take into account new evidence
Education - studying memory to see how students can most efficiently study for exams