Chapter 1: Cognitive Revolution

What are the 4 new psychological investigations?

1) Human factors engineering

2) Behaviorism failed to adequately explain language

3) Localization of function in brain, which forced discussion of mind

4) Development of computers and artificial intelligence gave a dominant metaphor

Describe human factors engineering

The problem was highlighted in second world war where equipment design required knowledge of human cognition

Focus: optimal way to design machines for capabilities of people using it

Examples: pilots landing airplanes (there are different controls and buttons to help make the process easier without using too much processing power)

This concept introduced the idea that machinery operated by a person, interacts with operator's physical cognitive and motivational capabilities and limitations

What are communication channels?

how much information an individual can transmit per unit of time and how accurately it can be done

Describe limited capacity processors

Humans are capable of doing a limited number of things that require cognition at the same time

Describe the issue with behaviorism and how it fails to adequately explain language

Behaviorism suggested that children learn languages by imitation and reinforcement by Skinner in 1957

In 1959, Chomsky stated that learning languages is independent of any reinforcement and imitation

Examples: Children can say sentences that they have never heard before, and use incorrect grammar, however behaviorism does not support these actions.

What is generative grammar?

A set of rules that we usually are unaware but help us to understand sentences

Describe the localization of function in brain

Donald Hebb suggested that some functions (perceptions) are based on cell assemblies.

Hubel/Weisel demonstrated importance of early experience of development on neuron systems

Examples: cats who identify horizontal lines in early life cannot perceive vertical lines.

Some brain functions can be localized as identified by Hubel and Weisel and some are spread across the brain

What are cell assemblies?

a group of neurons that are repeatedly active at the same time and develop as a single functional unit

Describe the development of computers and AI

Development of computers was informed by how the human mind works, where information is moved around in computer and different memory sections.

This concept was first introduced by Alan Turing

Artificial intelligence studies how to program computers to solve same problems a human can

What is a computer metaphor?

comparison of people's cognitive activities to an operating computer