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The History and Methods Wo Brain Images

Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving. It has evolved from early schools that used introspection to modern approaches using controlled experiments and brain imaging. Key methods include experiments that isolate the effects of independent variables on dependent variables. The field has progressed from structuralism and functionalism to behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and modern cognitive psychology which models the mind as an information processor and uses computers as an analogy.

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Iqbal Baryar
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53 views31 pages

The History and Methods Wo Brain Images

Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving. It has evolved from early schools that used introspection to modern approaches using controlled experiments and brain imaging. Key methods include experiments that isolate the effects of independent variables on dependent variables. The field has progressed from structuralism and functionalism to behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and modern cognitive psychology which models the mind as an information processor and uses computers as an analogy.

Uploaded by

Iqbal Baryar
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The History and Methods of Cognitive Psychology

What is Cognitive Psychology?

The branch of psychology that studies how we perceive, attend, recognize, remember what happens in our minds

Cognitive activities
Perception Attention Memory Language Reasoning/decision making

Some elements of cognitions


Often complex Occur rapidly Occur automatically (unconsciously) May occur with other cognitions

What is the mind ?

How can we study the inner workings of the mind when we cant see the mind?

Variables that could change a cognition


Age How well rested the subject is Cultural background

Experimental Design

Hypothesis

Test or Experiment

Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

Methods of Experimentation
Introspection Naturalistic observation Controlled observation Clinical interviews Experiments (and quasi-experiments) Brain imaging

Methods

Introspection
Insight

Ecological

validity
control

Experimenter

Observer

bias Can you really do something while doing it?

Types of Experiments

Naturalistic observation

Ecological
Little

validity

experimenter control Observer bias

Methods

Experiments

Experimenter

control Isolate causal factors

May

not be ecologically valid

Methods

Controlled observation / Clinical interviews

Ecological Only

validity

some experimenter control Observer bias

Methods

Brain Imaging

Methods

Brain Imaging
CAT/MRI shows anatomy Magnetic fields, not usable on some subjects Small, noisy location for subject Does not show function
PET - shows function Brain activity averaged over time fMRI shows anatomy Similar to MRI EEG/ERP

and function

overall general electrical activity of brain

The history of studying cognitions


Greeks 17-19 c.
Empiricism

Nativism

Schools

of psychology

Schools of psychology
Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt psychology Genetic epistemology Individual differences Cognitive psychology (cognitive revolution)

Schools of psychology

Structuralism
Attempted

to find simplest units of the mind (like a period table of elements) More complex behaviors explained by combining different elements (research never really got this far) Method: Introspection

Schools of psychology

Functionalism
Asked

the question Why?

Why does the mind work the way it does? Why does this behavior help a person adapt to their environment?
Method:

Observations in real life

Schools of psychology

Behaviorism
Goal:

to predict and control behavior

Method:

Observation of only visible, measurable behaviors (mental states cannot be studied)

Schools of psychology

Gestalt psychology
The

mind is not divisible The mind is a whole entity, and imposes its own structure on how to interpret stimuli It is the relationship between elements that matters
Method:

Experimentation with perception, problem solving

Gestalt psychology

Figure 1-1 (p. 11)


Examples of Gestalt figures.

Schools of psychology

Genetic epistemology the mind changes over time


The

mind goes through different stages, which can be separated from each other by the different cognitive abilities present at each stage (Piaget)

Schools of psychology

Individual differences
Tried

to determine if a mental characteristic (eg., intelligence) was inherited or acquired later from the environment Type of statistics typical used in cognitive psychology developed

Schools of psychology

Cognitive psychology
Proposed

that mental states could be studied (reaction to behaviorists)

Some results
Human

factors engineering Limited-capacity processors


The magical number seven, plus or minus two
Linguistics

More results
Localization

of function / plasticity of nervous

system Computer metaphor / artificial intelligence Cognitive neuroscience

Paradigms of Cognitive Psychology


Information Processing Connectionism Evolution Ecology

Figure 1-4 (p. 29)


A typical information-processing model.

Figure 1-5 (p. 31)


A typical connectionist model.

Paradigms of Cognitive Psychology

Evolution
Our

minds are biological systems which evolve and adapt to our environment, and is subject to the laws of natural selection For each type of problem, we therefore have specialpurpose programs to solve them

Ecology
Cognition

occurs in the context of culture, not in a

vacuum

Outline
Syllabus What is cognitive psychology? Elements of cognition What are experiments? History of cognitive psychology Current methods of study Paradigms of cognitive psychology

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