Cognitive Psychology-35-50

Cognitive Psychology: Overview

• Definition: Cognitive Psychology is the branch of psychology focused on the scientific study of the mind.

• Key Focus: It examines mental functions such as perception, attention, memory, and decision making.

Understanding the Mind

Everyday Usage of "Mind"

• Memory: "He was able to call to mind what he was doing on the day of the accident."

• Problem Solving: "If you put your mind to it, you can solve that math problem."

• Decision Making: "I haven’t made up my mind yet."

• Functioning: "He is of sound mind and body."

• Value: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

• Beauty: "He has a beautiful mind." (referring to John Nash)

Definitions of the Mind

• Definition 1: The mind creates and controls mental functions (e.g., perception, attention, memory, and reasoning).

• Definition 2: The mind represents the world, enabling actions to achieve goals.

• Integration: These definitions illustrate how the mind influences cognition and functioning, facilitating goal-oriented behavior.

Historical Context

Early Work in Cognitive Psychology

• Scientific Study of the Mind: Gained momentum in the 1800s against initial skepticism about the feasibility of studying the mind.

Pioneering Experiments

Franciscus Donders (1868)

• Main Experiment: Investigated decision-making and reaction times through:

  • Simple Reaction Time Task: Press a button after seeing a light.

  • Choice Reaction Time Task: Press different buttons based on which light illuminates.

• Conclusion: Decision-making takes additional time, measurable through reaction time differences.

Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885)

• Focus: Studied memory and forgetting using nonsense syllables.

• Method: Created a savings curve representing retention over time; evidenced that memory retention drops rapidly after initial learning.

Wundt and the Founding of Psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt (1879): Founded the first psychology lab; focused on structuralism.

  • Structuralism: Experience constructed from basic elements (sensations).

  • Method: Analytic introspection used to gather data on consciousness.

Feedback from William James

• Principles of Psychology (1890): Covered various cognitive topics through introspection, advocating for a broader understanding beyond experiments.

The Rise of Behaviorism

John Watson's Behaviorism

• Founding Principles: Emphasized observable behavior over introspection; criticized analytic introspection for variability and lack of objectivity.

• Key Experiment: Little Albert Experiment, demonstrating classical conditioning principles.

B.F. Skinner's Contributions

• Operant Conditioning: Highlighted reinforcement's role in behavior; further entrenched behaviorism in psychology.

The Cognitive Revolution

Decline of Behaviorism

• Challenging Behaviorism: 1950s saw events leading to cognitive psychology's resurgence, including critiques of behaviorism and advances in technology.

• Key Contributors:

  • Noam Chomsky: Criticized Skinner’s views on language acquisition; emphasized innate cognitive structures.

  • Early Computers: Influence of computers on understanding the mind; led to the development of information processing models.

Essential Experiments and Developments

• Colin Cherry’s Attention Experiment: Showed selective attention in noisy environments.

• Donald Broadbent’s Flow Diagram: Introduced models representing mental processes like attention in stages.

Conferences on AI and Information Theory

• 1956 Dartmouth Conference: Focused on programming computers to mimic human cognition; ignited renewed interest in cognitive processes.

• Significant Research: Logic theorist program showcased machines undertaking reasoning processes.

Studying the Mind Today

Methodological Approaches

• Behavioral: Employs observable behavior to infer mental processes.

• Physiological: Examines biological underpinnings of cognition using brain imaging technologies (like fMRI).

Memory Consolidation Studies

Behavioral Perspective

• Muller and Pilzecker (1900): Showed immediate learning can disrupt memory consolidation.

• Recent Studies on Sleep: Found that sleep enhances memory retention, suggesting it may aid the consolidation process.

Physiological Perspective

• Louis Flexner's Experiment: Established the need for protein synthesis for memory formation.

• Recent Neuroimaging Findings: Identified brain structures involved in memory processes, strengthening the link between cognition and physiology.

Models of the Mind

• Purpose: Represent cognitive processes and how information is processed.

• Flow Diagrams: Serve as helpful tools for understanding complex systems of cognition.

• Adaptability: Models are revised based on new evidence, demonstrating the dynamic nature of cognitive research.

Conclusion and Study Strategies

• Integration of Cognitive Topics: Themes of attention, perception, and memory interlink throughout the book.

• Narrative Learning: Understanding cognitive psychology through mini-stories can enhance retention and comprehension.