An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Assist. Prof. Dr. Ilmiye Seçer Fall 2017-2018

Introducing Cognitive Psychology Brief history of cognitive psychology Cognitive neuroscience techniques Additional areas that contribute to cognitive psychology

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology What is Cognition? Cognition (or mental activity) describes the acqusition, storage, transformation, and use of knowledge. Cognition includes a wide range of mental processes (e.g., perception, memory, imagery, language). What is Cognitive Psychology? Study of mental processes Cognitive approach (theoretical orientation that focuses on people’s thought processes and their knowledge.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology Wilhelm Wundt (lived in Germany, 1832-1920). Proposed that psychology should study mental processes using a technique called introspection. Introspection Trained observers systematically analyze their own sensations and report them as objectivey as possible under standardized consitions.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology Early Memory Researchers Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) First person to study human memory. Used nonsense syllables rather than actual words Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930) Memory phenomenon ‘Recency Effect’ Recall is accurate for the final items in a series of stimuli.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology William James (1842-1910) Theorize everday psychological experiences Best known for his textbook Principles of Psychology (1890). Human mind is active and inquiring. Topics: perception, attention, memory, understanding, reasoning an the tip of the tongue phenomenon.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology Behaviorism John B. Watson (1878-1958) Psychology should focus on observable reactions to environmental stimuli. Cannot study mental representations such as an idea of thought. Contribution to the development of research methos and applied psychology in which the learning principles are used in organizations and education.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology The Gestalt Approach Emphasizes that humans actively organize what we see and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology Origins of Cognitive Psychology Frederic Barlett (1886-1969) Research on human memory using lengthy stories Memory is an active, contructive process in which we interpret and transform information we obtain. Schema based approach to the study of memory Important book: Remembering: An Experimental and Social Study (1932)

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology The Emergence of Modern Cognitive Psychology Information Processing Approach (1960s) Mental processes are similar to the operations of a computer Information progresses through our cognitive system in a series of stages, one step at a time.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology The Emergence of Modern Cognitive Psychology Information Processing Approach (1960s) Richard Atkinson & Richard Shiffrin (1968) The Atkinson-Shiffrin Model Proposed that memory involves a sequence of separate steps, in each step, information is transferred from one storage area to another. External Input > SM > STM > LTM Criqtued by many cognitive psychologists-e.g., sensory memory argued to be part of perception rather than actual memory.

Brief History of Cognitive Psychology The Current Status of Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology is critiqued on ecological validity Ecological validity is high when the lab conditions are similar to the natural setting where the results will be applied. Transfer of effect studies are thus currently of great importance.

Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques Combines cognitive psychology and brain imaging techniques to assess active brain regions when we perform cognitive tasks. Social Cognitive Neuroscience Examines the cognitive processes and brain regions that are active when we interact with other people (e.g., if we think that someone is lying which part of our brain is active).

Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques To perform cognitive task (e.g., recall words) brain needs oxygen and blood flow increases to the part of the brain to carry oxygen to that site. Brain imaging techniques measure properties of blood in different brain regions while people perform a cognitive task. As a result, we can determine which brain regions are responsible for cognitive tasks.

Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan) Radio active chemical injected to participant and blood flow measured while person works on cognitive task. Chemical travels to the region of the brain that is active to perform the task. Downside: Expensive and expose people to radioactive chemicals.

Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Oxygen rich blood is an index of brain activity Measured using a helmet that detects changes in levels of oxygen while the person performs the cognitive task.

Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques Event-Related Potential Technique Records brain electrical activity in response to a stimulus using electrodes that are placed on person’s scalp.

Chapter 1 Review Questions Define the terms cognition and cognitive psychology. Now think about your ideal career, and suggest 3 ways in which the information from cognitive psychology would be relevant to this career. What is one major concern of the introspection technique? Provide an example to support your explanation. Further explain how cognitive psychology has overcome this concern (i.e., think about the methodology). If not taken into account, what could one limitation of cognitive psychology be?