Early Cognitive Psychologists FLASHCARDS

What was the purpose of Francis Donders's reaction time study in 1868?

To measure the interval between stimulus presentation and a person's response to that stimulus.

What are the two types of reaction time tasks used in Donders's study?

Simple reaction time task and choice reaction time task.

What is the significance of the choice reaction time task?

Participants push one button if the light is on the right side and another button if the light is on the left side.

Who was Hermann Ebbinghaus and what was his contribution to cognitive psychology?

Ebbinghaus studied memory and forgetting by memorizing a list of nonsense syllables and measuring retention.

What does the savings curve indicate about memory retention?

It shows that forgetting occurs rapidly over the first two days and then more slowly afterwards.

What is the formula for calculating savings in Ebbinghaus's studies?

Savings = (Original time to learn list) − (Time to relearn list after delay).

What did Wilhelm Wundt establish in 1879?

The first psychology laboratory.

What psychological approach is Wilhelm Wundt known for?

Structuralism and the method of introspection.

Who is considered the first American psychologist?

William James.

What did William James study in his work 'Principles of Psychology'?

Thinking, attention, memory, perception, and reasoning.