Comparing Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology Approaches

Cognitive Psychology

Focuses on information processing and transformation.

Behavioral Psychology

Studies observable behaviors and environmental relationships.

Cognitive Psychologist Questions

Investigate attention, memory, and language interpretation.

Localized Function

Specific brain areas serve distinct cognitive functions.

Distributed Function

Multiple brain areas contribute to a single function.

Specificity Coding

Neurons fire specifically to respond to stimuli.

Distributed Coding

Pattern of neuron firing represents information.

fMRI

Measures blood flow changes related to brain activity.

EEG

Records electrical signals from neuron activity.

fMRI Strengths

Shows causation by comparing brain conditions.

EEG Strengths

High temporal resolution and cost-effective.

Subtraction Logic

Isolates neural activity by subtracting control signals.

Sensation

Stimulation of sensory receptors for information gathering.

Perception

Interpretation and organization of sensory input.

Bottom-Up Processing

Understanding sensory input using basic senses.

Top-Down Processing

Using prior knowledge to interpret sensory input.

Template Matching

Recognizing objects by comparing to stored templates.

Feature Analytic Approach

Breaks stimuli into components for recognition.

Word Superiority Effect

Letters are recognized better in words than alone.

Neural Evidence for Feature Detection

Recognition occurs despite variations in stimuli.

Context in Perception

Visual cues can alter auditory perception.

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize faces due to brain damage.

Event Related Potentials

EEG measures brain responses to specific stimuli.

Attention

Mental concentration on external or internal events.

Early selection models

Focus on filtering information before processing.

Cocktail party effect

Hearing your name in a crowded room.

Change blindness

Difficulty detecting changes without focused attention.

Pop-out effect

Distinctive targets immediately noticeable in displays.

Binding problem

Reassembling features of an object in perception.

Treisman's feature-integration theory

Analyzes features before integrating them into perception.

Inhibition of return

Reduced attention to previously focused locations.

Dual-task studies

Evidence shows attention division depends on task compatibility.

Stroop task

Demonstrates reading occurs automatically without intention.

Controlled task

Requires intention and is motivation-dependent.

Automatic task

Occurs without intention and is motivation-independent.

Sensory memory

Brief storage of sensory information before processing.

Iconic memory

Stores visual information for a fraction of a second.

Echoic memory

Stores auditory information for a few seconds.

Mental rotation

Comparing 2-D representations of 3-D objects.

Reaction time

Measured time correlates with object rotation degree.

Imagery neurons

Neurons responding to perceiving and imagining objects.

Purpose of mental imagery

Facilitates creation and manipulation of mental representations.

Shadowing

Listening and repeating while processing information.

Late selection theories

Suggests processing occurs before response selection.

Dual code benefit

Combines visual images with verbal information for better recall.

Cognitive maps

Mental representations of spatial relationships in the environment.

Method of loci

Visual imagery technique linking items to familiar locations.

Encoding

Process of transferring short-term to long-term memory.

Storage

Retention of encoded memories for future use.

Retrieval

Accessing long-term memories for immediate use.

Short-term memory

Stores information briefly; limited capacity.

Working memory

Temporary system for manipulating and maintaining information.

Galton's study

Used introspection to assess mental imagery recall.

Auditory coding

Representation of information based on sound.

Visual coding

Representation of information based on visual images.

Semantic coding

Representation of information based on meaning.

Propositional representation

Information represented by symbols and language.

Depictive representation

Information represented by realistic images.

Chunking

Grouping information into larger, meaningful units.

Phonological similarity effect

Recall is harder for phonologically similar items.

Visuospatial sketch pad

Stores and manipulates visual and spatial information.

Phonological loop

Processes verbal and auditory information.

Sensory memory

Initial brief storage of sensory information.

Anterograde amnesia

Inability to form new long-lasting conscious memories.

Episodic memory

Memory of personally experienced events.

Semantic memory

Memory of facts and general knowledge.

Explicit memory

Conscious recollection of information.

Implicit memory

Unconscious retention of learned information.

Priming

Change in performance due to prior stimulus exposure.

Proactive interference

Old information disrupts recall of new information.

Anterograde amnesia

Inability to form new long-lasting memories.

Medial temporal lobe

Brain region involved in memory formation.

Hippocampus

Critical for forming new memories.

Semantic memory

Memory of facts and knowledge.

Implicit memory

Unconscious retention of information.

Priming

Prior exposure aids recall of stimuli.

Procedural memory

Memory for cognitive and motor skills.

Prototype

Abstract average of category members encountered.

Exemplar

Actual category members experienced personally.

Representation

Neural patterns encoding abstract concepts.

Semantic network

System of interconnected concepts and representations.

Spreading activation

Activation spreads through connected nodes in memory.

Memory errors

Mistakes in recalling or recognizing information.

Attention

Focus that influences memory encoding effectiveness.

Depth of processing

Engagement level affects memory retention quality.

Spacing

Distributing learning improves memory encoding.

Intention

Purposeful learning enhances memory outcomes.

Mental imagery

Visualizing aids in better memory encoding.

Organization

Structured material is easier to remember.

Generation

Creating connections enhances memory retention.

Testing effect

Testing improves recall beyond additional studying.

Encoding specificity

Recall likelihood depends on retrieval cue match.

Intrinsic context

Integral features of the target stimulus.

Extrinsic context

Other features present during encoding.

Mood

Affects information retrieval ability.

State dependent

Pharmacological state influences memory context.

Asymmetry

Intoxicated to sober affects memory more.

Transfer appropriate processing

Memory performance enhanced by matching encoding and retrieval.

Chomsky's rejection of behaviorism

Children produce unreinforced sentences, not just imitations.

Productive language

Ability to resolve ambiguities in speech.