History, Theories, and Methods

What is the relationship between mind and brain?

It explores how mental processes are linked to brain activity.

What are top-down influences in cognition?

They involve high conscious awareness affecting perception and attention.

What are bottom-up influences in cognition?

They involve low conscious awareness affecting perception and attention.

Who is considered the father of experimental psychology?

Wilhelm Wundt, who established the first psychology lab in 1879.

What is the introspection method?

A technique used by Wundt to explore conscious thought through self-reporting.

What did William James contribute to psychology?

He introduced association in neural terms and criticized Wundt's introspection for not capturing everyday thinking.

What is behaviorism?

A psychological approach focusing on observable events and learning, rejecting introspection.

Who is Ivan Pavlov and what is he known for?

He is known for his work on conditioning, particularly classical conditioning.

What did B.F. Skinner contribute to psychology?

He focused on reinforcement-based learning and language acquisition through selective reinforcement.

What are Gestalt principles?

They are rules that describe how we perceive visual elements as organized patterns.

Name a Gestalt principle related to grouping.

Proximity

What is functional fixity?

A cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used.

What is the 'Candle Problem' in cognitive psychology?

A problem-solving task that illustrates functional fixity and insight in problem-solving.

What was Donald Broadbent's contribution to cognitive psychology?

He researched human factors in aviation, highlighting attentional overload and the active role of humans.

What is the mind-computer analogy in cognitive psychology?

It suggests that mental processes can be understood similarly to computer information processing.

What is the Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory?

A model that describes memory as a process involving sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Who are Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky?

They are renowned psychologists known for their work on decision-making and cognitive biases.

What is fMRI?

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a technique for measuring brain activity over time.

What is the significance of cognitive neuroscience?

It studies the relationship between brain function and cognitive processes.

What is the primary focus of modern cognitive studies?

To explore cognitive processes using various tools and methods influenced by technology.

What is the role of heuristics in decision-making?

They are mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making but can lead to biases.

What is the concept of parallel-distributed processing?

A model suggesting that cognitive processes occur simultaneously across interconnected networks.

What is insight in problem-solving?

A sudden realization of a problem's solution, often associated with prior knowledge.

What is the significance of the 'Illumination' stage in problem-solving?

It represents the moment of insight when a solution becomes clear.

What is the verification stage in problem-solving?

The stage where the proposed solution is confirmed as correct.

What did Wolfgang Kohler study in relation to chimpanzees?

He studied animal reasoning and suggested that chimpanzees exhibit insight in problem-solving.

What is the main critique of behaviorism?

It is criticized for ignoring internal mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior.