Cognitive Psychology Exam 1

cognitive psychology

the scientific study of mental processes involved in acquiring, processing, storing, and using information

origin of psychology

• Aristotle studied cognitive functions

• he proposed laws for learning and memory, discussed mental imagery

• empiricism- use of experience and observation

Who contributed to the study of the mind

John Locke and Immanuel Kant (philosophical nature of the mind, but said that the mind couldn’t be quantified/making it hard to study)

Wundt

created the first experimental psychology lab to study the mind

introspection

subjects reported their cognitive reactions to stimuli and then psychologists would analyze their response

structuralism

school of thought focused on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components, analyzing the structure of consciousness

problems with introspection

1. Biases and Inaccuracies

2. Inability to access unconscious processes

3. subjectivity and lack of verifiability

4. potential for negative effects

5. challenges in scientific research

introspection illusion

people tend to overestimate their insight into their own thoughts and motivations

cognitive biases

introspection can be heavily influenced by cognitive biases leading to interpreting events and information in a way that confirms existing beliefs and expectations

bias blind spot

underestimating one’s own susceptibility to biases while readily recognizing biases in others

positivity bias

the tendency to view oneself in a positive and socially desirable light

confabulation

filling in gaps in self-knowledge with plausible but inaccurate explanations for behavior or beliefs, which are then mistakenly believe to be true reasons

unconscious influences

a significant portion of our mental processes, including motivations, biases, and automatic responses, operate outside conscious awareness and cannot be accessed through introspection

personal and subjective nature

introspection relies on individual reports, which are inherently subjective and difficult to verify objectively

lack of repeatability

different individuals may introspect on the same

rumination and overthinking

excessive or unhealthy introspection can lead to rumination, getting stuck in negative thought loops, and dwelling on problems without seeking solutions, potentially exacerbating anxiety, depression, and self- doubt

self-doubt and lack of confidence

over-examining one's thoughts and feelings can lead to self-doubt, erode confidence, and foster a sense of being lost or unable to appreciate one's self-worth, according to Fearless Culture

limited applicability

introspection is difficult or impossible to apply to complex topics like learning, personality, mental disorders, or to populations like children or animals

risk of researcher bias

the process of training individuals for introspection in research can inadvertently introduce bias into their reports

behaviorism school

• lead by Watson

• focus on objective observable reactions

• emphasized that environmental stimuli determine behavior

• undermines the influence of unconscious inner self and mind on our behavior

psychoanalysis

developed by Freud and focuses on the unconscious mind, early childhood experiences, and the role of the unconscious in shaping behavior and personality

the Gestalt approach

emphasizes that humans have basic tendencies to organize what they see and that the whole greater then the sum of its parts (phi phenomenon/brain sees continual motion throughout objects)

7 Gestalt principles in making groups

1. proximity- close objects are perceived as a group

2. similarity- similar objects perceived as a group

3. closure- we complete missing parts in our brain

4. symmetry and order

5. common fate- objects moving the same direction

6. figure vs ground- what is standing out and what’s in the background

7. continuity

Ebinghaus and memory experiment

2,000 non sense syllables

• looked at amount of time it takes for information to decay

William James

• influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, interested in the purpose of mental processes

and how they help individuals adapt to their environment.

• published the textbook Principles of Psychology. One of the most

significant books in cognitive psychology

Edward Tolman

studied cognitive maps and latent learning (learning could occur without immediate reinforcement and might only become visible when there was a reason to demonstrate it)

• did an experiment with rats and mazes

Frederic Bartlett

schemas and reconstructive memory

• suggested that our memory is far from perfect and we don’t store information perfectly in our brain and we construct our memory in a way that makes sense to us based on our schemas (what we think should be, what is expected)

Donald Hebb

connecting cognition to the brain

• when we start learning our cell structure changes

• combination of neurons that group together based on similar information/topics

Piaget stages of Cognitive Development

describes 4 universal stages of cognitive development. His theory provided a foundational understanding of child development, influencing, education by highlighting how children’s thinking changes as they mature

1. sensorimotor

2. peroperational

3. concrete operational

4. formal operational

schema

mental frameworks for organizing information

assimilation

fitting new experiences into existing schemas

accommodation

changing schemas to fit new experiences

object permanence

the understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when out of sight, a key milestone developing during the first two years (sensorimotor stage of life)

symbolic thought

using words/images to represent things

conservation

understanding quantity stays the same despite shape changing (water in different glasses)

abstract thinking

thinking beyond concrete reality (formal operational thought)

Mackworths research

studied radar operators during WW2, early detection of things in the water. also looked at time focusing on a task (max 45 mins) due to lack of focus on this research (they were highly dedicated but not vigilant)

Information processing model

cognitive processes that resemble computer operations, focusing on how humans perceive, analyze, and store information

• development of the computer