Integration of Knowledge in Learning
Emphasis on the importance of integrating knowledge rather than mere surface-level memorization.
This class is a third-year course; students are expected to be able to integrate and apply material.
Encourage students to view their resume as a self-test tool.
The resume can serve multiple purposes:
As a template for creating organizational maps of concepts.
As discussion topics among peers or family.
Students should adapt the use of the interview according to their learning preferences.
Introduction to Cognition
Module 1: Historical Context and Development of Cognitive Psychology
Discussion of cognitive psychology origins, notable historical factors leading to the cognitive revolution.
Key schools of thought influencing cognitive psychology include:
Structuralism: Focused on brain divided into structures, each with differing processes.
Functionalism: Examined the functions and roles of mental processes.
Behaviorism: Studied observable behaviors as responses to environmental stimuli and their rigorous experimental backgrounds.
Importance of studies by Ebbinghaus and Donders in the fields of memory and response behavior.
Evolution of cognitive study beyond its historical foundations and current status as a science.
Cognitive Neuroscience
Module 2: Levels of Analysis in Brain Function Studies
Exploration of micro vs. macro analysis in brain function:
Micro: Interaction of neurons, neurotransmitter release, and synaptic processes.
Macro: Functions of different brain areas and their communicative capacity.
Discussion of neural activity including:
Polarization, hyperpolarization, depolarization, repolarization.
Importance of discovering brain areas of specialization through various studies, notably Hubel and Wiesel’s work.
Methods for measuring brain activity and networks including techniques for identifying task-related brain areas and their contributions to learning and behavior.
Perception
Module 3: Sensation vs. Perception
Distinction between sensation (raw sensory input) and perception (interpretation of sensory input).
Theories of perception:
Top-Down Processing: Interpretation guided by prior knowledge and expectations.
Bottom-Up Processing: Constructing understanding from sensory information.
Introduction to statistical learning: the effect of paired stimuli on conceptual learning and expectations formation.
Models of Object Recognition
Important models for object recognition:
Template Matching Model: Matching stimuli with stored templates.
Feature Matching Model: Identifying specific features of objects for recognition.
Structural Matching Model: Focuses on relationships between features to recognize objects.
Analysis of when each model excels or falls short in simulating human behavior.
Examination of the dorsal (where) and ventral (what) pathways in the brain for object recognition.
Overview of mirror neurons and their activity in understanding perceptions and imitation.
Attention
Module 4: Key Concepts in Attention
Key definitions related to attention:
Control attention, divided attention, multitasking, attentional capture.
Importance of applying definitions in real-world contexts instead of rote memorization.
Selective attention's role in protecting processing systems.
Challenges in measuring attention and why it is a captivating field of study.
Models of Attention
Bottleneck theories:
Investigating how information selection occurs during cognitive overload.
Differences between broadband and treatment models.
Distinction between divided attention (shifting focus between tasks) and multitasking (simultaneously engaging in multiple tasks) and their cognitive resource implications.
Memory
Module 5: Short-term vs. Working Memory
First steps in short-term memory studies leading to the shift towards working memory models.
Clarification of what constitutes a model and discussions on generalization, discrimination, and falsification.
Introduction of the Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of memory, including distinctions between short-term and long-term memory.
Operational details on the sensory register and the limits of short-term memory referencing George Miller's concept of 7 ± 2.
Techniques studied include the digit span test.
Working Memory Models
Overview of the Baddeley model, describing components such as phonological loops, sketch pads, and episodic buffers.
How each component supports the relationship between conscious thought and long-term memory.
Long-term Memory
Module 6: Structural Models and Memory Types
Examination of the Atkinson-Shiffrin and Tulving models to understand implicit vs. explicit memories:
Episodic: Personal experiences.
Semantic: General knowledge.
Procedural: Skills and tasks.
Insights into the serial position curve and isolating recency and primacy effects in experimental contexts.
Attention to proactive interference and its consequences for maintaining long-term memory.
Interaction between episodic and semantic memories leading to autobiographical memory formation.
Discussion on prospective memory, priming, and conditioning.
Procedural Models of Long-term Memory
Reevaluation of segmentation models into more continuous models bridging short-term to long-term memory.
Importance of deeper processing for better memory retention.
Strategies to deepen memory processing:
Elaboration and singularity techniques.
Retrieving memories through cues and pathways, along with understanding the impacts of encoding environments and emotional states on recall.
Consolidation and reconsolidation processes:
Systems and synapse-level changes needed for memory stabilization.
Observation on the fragility of memories during reconsolidation cycles and effects of current knowledge and context on reaffirming memories.
Exam Preparation and Final Thoughts
Students are encouraged to study at their own pace, using all available resources.
Participation in collaborative learning and discussions is beneficial for retention.
Important reminder regarding reaching out for questions about material or logistics, with a cutoff for responses set before the exam date.
Lastly, students are reminded to mitigate stress during exam week and prioritize familiarizing themselves with the material studied.