1st_Lecture_on_Cognitive_Psychology

1st Lecture on Cognitive Psychology

Introduction

• Cognitive psychology studies key areas such as:

  • Perception

  • Learning

  • Memory

  • Thinking

• Fundamental questions explored include:

  • Why do people remember some experiences better than others?

  • Why do objects seem farther away in fog?

Historical Development

Philosophical Antecedents

• Rationalism: (Plato, Descartes)

  • Emphasizes knowledge through reasoning and logic.

• Empiricism: (Aristotle, Locke)

  • Advocates knowledge through experience and observation.

• Kant's Synthesis:

  • Argues that both rationalism and empiricism are necessary.

Psychological Antecedents

• Structuralism: (Wundt, Titchener)

  • Focused on identifying mental components.

• Functionalism: (James, Dewey)

  • Examined mental processes and their purposes.

• Associationism: (Ebbinghaus, Thorndike)

  • Learning through the formation of associations (including contiguity, similarity, contrast).

• Behaviorism: (Watson, Skinner)

  • Concentrated on observable behavior; criticized for neglecting mental processes.

• Gestalt Psychology:

  • The principle that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

Emergence of Cognitive Psychology

• 1950s: The rise of cognitivism as a response to behaviorism.

• Key Ideas:

  • Focus on mental processes.

  • Information processing frameworks.

  • Problem-solving strategies.

• Psychobiological Contributions:

  • Lashley: Proposed that the brain is active and not merely reactive.

  • Hebb: Suggested that learning occurs through neural connections or cell assemblies.

Applied Cognitive Psychology

• AI (Artificial Intelligence):

  • Efforts began in 1956 to replicate human thinking through machines.

• Modularity of Mind (1970):

  • Some mental functions are believed to be domain-specific, particularly language-related processes.

• Alternative View:

  • Domain-general processing implies some shared cognitive mechanisms across different tasks.

Cognition and Intelligence

• Intelligence: Defined as the ability to learn from experience, engage in metacognition, and adapt to the environment.

• Models of Intelligence:

  • Carroll's Three-Stratum Model:

    • Hierarchical structure from narrow abilities to broad abilities, culminating in general intelligence.

  • Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences:

    • Identifies areas such as linguistic, spatial, and musical intelligences.

  • Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory:

    • Describes creative, analytical, and practical intelligence as distinct forms.

Research Methods in Cognitive Psychology

• Lab Experiments:

  • Control for variables to test specific cognitive functions.

• Psychobiological Research:

  • Uses techniques like brain imaging to study phenomena (e.g., criminal behavior).

• Self-reports:

  • Gather data on subjective experiences from participants.

• Case Studies:

  • Conduct in-depth analyses of single patients (e.g., patient HM).

• Naturalistic Observation:

  • Observational studies of behavior in real-world settings.

• Computer Simulations & AI:

  • Involves cognitive modeling and machine learning to simulate and understand cognitive processes.