Ch 1: The Science of the Mind

Cognitive Psych

How are the fields of cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and cognitive neuropsychology similar to each other?

They all use transcendental methods

A scientist who used computer-based vocabulary to characterize and explain the human cognition

Donald Broadbent

A fierce critic of B.F. Skinner’s view that language acquisition could be understood simply in terms of behaviors and rewards

Noam Chomsky

A scientist who demonstrated that people rely heavily on schemas to shape and organize their memories

Frederic Bartlett

A behaviorist who believed learning involved the acquisition of new knowledge — not simply a change in behavior

Edward Tolman

A scientist who wrote the book Cognitive Psychology (1967) and is often referred to as the “father of psychology”

Ulric Neisser

Which of the following activities rely heavily on background knowledge in our memory?

Deciding on a restaurant for dinner, Finding a friend in a crowd, Understanding a conversation, Watching a new episode of fav tv show

The field of cognitive psychology emerged from a succession of changes in our approach to the study of the mind

Introspection → Behaviorism → Cognitive Revolution

Why is memory a primary focus of cognitive psychology?

Memory is essential for understanding experiences, emotions, social interactions, and identity

Why did introspection largely fail as a scientific approach to studying mental activity?

Researchers could not verify if the reported perceptions were true or false observations

Why were computers influential in the development of cognitive psychology?

They provided metaphors for info processing

Alcohol impacts several functions, but one of those is the ability to control your thoughts and behaviors. Which lobe of the brain is being impaired?

Frontal Lobe

Which of the following is the best example of the information the sensory homunculus illustrates?

Hands are more sensitive to touch than arms

Roughly how many glia does the nervous system have compared to the number of neurons?

The same number

Which of the following statements is NOT a possible explanation for how neurons represent ideas?

An individual neuron cannot be more sensitive to one face over others