What is Cognitive Psychology?

Broad Definition empirical investigation of mental events and knowledge involved in recognizing an object, remembering a name, having an idea, understanding a sentence, and solving a problem
Specific Definition - the empirical investigation of mental processes and activities used in perceiving, remembering, and thinking, and the act of using those processes.

 Fii atent!
Concept: Atenia modul cum filtrm i selecionm informaiile semnificative i importante din mediul nconjurtor;

Nu tiu.
Concept: Cunotine -- stocarea informaiilor generale i a algoritmilor pentru rezolvarea sarcinilor;

Nu-mi amintesc.
Concept: Memoria rocesul de stocare, pstrare i reactualizare a informaiilor;

Nu m pot decide.
Concept: Luarea deciziilor un set de procese complexe ce conlucreaz pentru funcionarea de zi cu zi;

Istoria psihologiei cognitive

Istoria timpurie origini filosofice
Socrate interesat de originea cunoaterii;

Aristotel interesat n originea cunoateriii a memoriei;

Propune prima teorie a memoriei

Descartes cum sunt reprezentate mental cunotinele

Istoria psihologiei cognitive

Istorie recent rdcinile psihologice
Wilhelm Wundt (1879)
Primul laborator de psihologie experimental n Leipzig;
Fondatorul psihologiei ca tiin de sine stttoare; Multi din psihologii din acea vreme au fost colii n laboratorul lui Wundt Peste 200 de psihologi i-au luat doctoratul

Subiect: cunoaterea uman

Utlizeaz introspecia pentru a descrie coninuturile contientului;

Istoria psihologiei cognitive

Edward Titchner
Studentului lui Wundt, taught at Cornell University in 1892
Proponent of introspection Narrow view of psychology Excluded mental illness, education apps., and social psych, b/c not open to introspection Note: Method defined what was allowable science Founder of Structuralism Study of: Sensations, images, and feelings that were elements of the mind Often argued with Wundt over findings

History of
Herman von Ebbinghaus
Contemporary of Wundt in GE
Big influence on cognitive psych. Developed method for studying forgetting as function of time Stimuli: lists of Consonant-Vowel-Consonants (CVCs) Method: Learn list of CVCs, count number of trials to recall perfectly Wait 2 days re-learn list. Savings score = # of trials to learn the 1st time - # of trials to learn 2nd time One subject entire career himself Learned over 40,000 CVCs

History of
William James
Wundts student, hired at Harvard
Philosopher, but started first American psych. lab

Proposed Functionalism
Stressed the functions over the mind rather than contents How does mind adapt to new circumstances? Proposed multicomponent memory system: Primary Memory vs. Secondary memory Authored: Principles of Psychology, chapters on Sensation, perception, attention, consciousness, memory, reasoning

History of
Modern History
Human Performance (WWII)
Attention and perception,
training of solders to use radio and radar

Signal detection
Blips on radar or sonar

Information theory
abstract method for analyzing information processing

History of
Artificial intelligence
How can we make computers behave intelligently? Contributed host of concepts
Idea of study machine, allowed us to study our own processes

Linguistics
Interested language and language development Contributed new mode of analyzing structure of language

Emergence of Cognitive Psychology

1950s 1970s, no agreed upon date Ulric Neissers Cognitive Psychology text published in 1967 Why did Cog. Psyc emerge?
Two major factors
Dissatisfaction w/ behaviorisms account of complex behavior (e.g., Chompskys new model of language) Convergence of several other fields during WWII
Linguistics, Human performance, AI

Contributors to Cog. Psych

Human Performance
Abstract way to analyze processing of info. (development of psychological tools!) Research ideas in attention and perceptions

AI
Idea of computer as info. Processor Computer model Tool for studying cognition Focus on complex processing (decision making, reasoning)

Contributors to Cog. Psych

Linguistics & Verbal learning
Questions about language and its complexity Reason to reject behaviorism
Complexities of lang. Not handled by behaviorism

Philosophy
Age old questions about knowledge and Memory

Behaviorism
Strong empirical methods and laboratory research

Summary
Cog. Psych began with Wundt
Cognitive issues of mental states But, introspection method not strong
Replication difficult, methodology determined acceptable subdisciplines These problems fueled behaviorist movement

Behaviorism was major paradigm from 1910s to 1960s

Focus shifted to overt behavior
Stimulus response Mind considered a black box, cant study what you cant see, hear, feel, or touch

Psychologists need reason to abandon behaviorism

Linguistics criticisms provided the stimulus

Summary
War time efforts - scientists from different fields came together for one purpose
Focus on attention and perception Expansion of methodological toolboxes
Enabled Psychologist to go beyond S-R psych.

Idea of humans as Active info. Processors

Contrast with behaviorism Organisms respond to environment

Invention of computer & focus on mental processes Chompskys review of Skinners book on language
Illuminated inadequacies of behaviorism

Cognitive Psychology
Information processing approach decomposition of mental processes
Multi-component memory system

Assumptions of Cog. Psych.

Mental processes exist People are active information processors Mental processes and structures can be revealed by time and accuracy measures

Info. Processing model

Environmental Stimuli Sensory Memory Short-term / Working Memory Overt Response Behavior

Cognitive Psychology is concerned with what goes on in here.

Long-term Memory & Knowledge

Component of Model
Sensory memory input device
What info is sent to the processor

Short-term / Working memory

Central processor, actively processes info

Long-term memory / Knowledge

Library of programs, algorithms, data, and experiences that are stored for use
Note similarities to computer!

Sternberg Paradigm
Test of how info is processed Subjects (Ss) memorize list of digits
{4, 6, 5, 9, 3, 2}

Given recognition test

9? Yes/No

Measure both accuracy and reaction time (Msec.)

Some trials were false (8?) Some were true (9?)

Think in terms of Memory system!

STM / WM
+ 9 4 6 5 9 3 2

LTM

Decision

Results
650 600

550

Msec

500

450

400

350 0 2 4 String size 6 8

6, 9, 3, 2 9?
Perceive Stimulus

9=6?

9=9?

9=3 ?

9=2 ?

Make decision

Generate response

7?
Perceive Stimulus

7=6?

7=9?

7=3?

7=2?

Make decision

Generate response

What would happen if the search string were 6 items?

What would happen if degraded the probe? What would happen if we biased the decision process?

 Time to respond was linear function of size of search string

Each element added 38 msec to search time

Serial position did not matter!

Thus, search is exhaustive

Sternbergs conclusion: Ss engaged in serial matching process