PSY 200 (History Of Cognitive Psychology Pt.1 Notes)

Question: What is cognitive psychology and what are its primary focuses?

Evidence: Cognitive psychology is defined as the study of the mind and mental processes, encompassing aspects such as perception, attention, memory, language, and decision making. There are basic mental processes which include perception, attention, and memory, while higher mental processes involve knowledge, imagery, and language, alongside thinking aspects like problem solving, judgment, decision making, and reasoning. Furthermore, cognitive psychology is viewed through two perspectives: behavior and the brain, both aimed at understanding the mind. Cognitive neuroscience specifically focuses on the physical basis of these mental processes. Historically, there was a division between cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience, although these fields are increasingly merging.

Conclusion: Cognitive psychology provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how mental processes operate, bridging the gap between behavioral observations and the neuroscientific basis of cognition, indicating a holistic approach to studying the mind.

Question: What is the timeline for the development of cognitive psychology, and what challenges have arisen in studying the mind?

Evidence: The timeline for the emergence of cognitive psychology began in the 1600s with the beginnings of modern physics, followed by modern chemistry in the 1700s, and ultimately leading to the foundations of cognitive psychology in the 1800s. The delay in the development of cognitive psychology can be attributed to the uncertainty surrounding the empirical study of the mind, as it is not a physical entity. Early work focused on exploring whether and how mental processes could be measured.

Conclusion: The progression from early physics and chemistry to the establishment of cognitive psychology highlights the historical challenges faced in accepting the mind as a subject for empirical study, emphasizing the need for advancements in methodologies to evaluate mental processes scientifically.

Question: What role did introspection play as an early method in cognitive psychology?

Evidence: Introspection involves examining one’s own mind to understand mental processes from a first-person perspective. Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) developed a systematic and trained approach known as Analytic Introspection, inspired by chemistry's periodic table, aiming to identify the "elements of the mind"—basic sensations, which can be considered as the "atoms" from which experiences are constructed. William James (1842-1910) employed a less systematic form of introspection, often being his own subject, yet is still recognized as the founder of various subfields within cognitive psychology.

Conclusion: Introspection was a crucial early method in cognitive psychology, providing insights into mental processes through subjective experiences and laying the groundwork for future cognitive theories and subfields.

Question: What are the problems associated with introspection as a method in cognitive psychology?

Evidence: Introspection is highly subjective, making it challenging to obtain reproducible results due to variability between individuals. There is no objective way to measure responses, leading to inconsistencies in findings. Furthermore, Wilhelm Wundt's list of "basic sensations" never converged into a cohesive framework.

Conclusion: The subjective nature and variability inherent in introspection present significant challenges for its reliability as a method in cognitive psychology, limiting its effectiveness and the ability to draw consistent conclusions about mental processes.

Question: What was the significance of Franciscus Donders' work on reaction time?

Evidence: Franciscus Donders (1818-1889) posed the question: "How long does it take to make a mental decision?" He compared response times between identifying the location of a specific dot versus responding to any dot. The difference in response times was interpreted as the duration of the decision-making process.

Conclusion: Donders' work was significant as it resulted in the first determination of the duration of a well-defined mental process, linking a mental process to a physical property.

Question: How fast do memories fade?

Evidence: Hermann Ebbinghaus (1815-1909) memorized random three-letter sequences and then re-learned them after a delay. He measured the savings, which refers to the reduction in re-memorizing duration relative to the initial memorizing duration. The results showed that memory fades quickly in the first few days, after which it levels out.

Conclusion: Ebbinghaus' work provided a quantitative measure of memory decay, illustrating another example of objectively measuring mental processes in psychology. Notably, he used himself as a subject, learning over 40,000 sequences.

Question: Can we measure what you perceive?

Evidence: The Weber-Fechner law states that the larger the quantity (weight, size, length), the larger the change needs to be to be noticed. For example, it is easier to notice a coin's weight in an envelope than in a boot.

Conclusion: The Weber-Fechner law is significant as it remains widely accepted in psychology, providing insight into how changes in stimuli are perceived by individuals.

Question: What is the common thread of early objective approaches in psychology?

Evidence: Early objective approaches linked a mental process to a physical (measurable) property, which moved the mind into the realm of experimental science.

Conclusion: This shift allowed psychology to be studied scientifically, facilitating the empirical examination of mental processes and laying the groundwork for modern psychological research.

Question: Why is there a gap in the timeline for the start of cognitive psychology?

Evidence: People often pinpoint the start of cognitive psychology to the 1950s-1960s, which is well after the initial experiments conducted in the 1800s.

Conclusion: The reasons for this gap will be covered in the next lecture, indicating a need to explore the historical developments that led to the recognition of cognitive psychology as a distinct field.