Psy 260: Survey in Cognition and Perception Dr. Susan Brennan

Psy 260: Cognition & Perception Graduate TAsLuciane Pereira-Pasarin Vera Hau Undergrad TA:Rachel Turetsky  Syllabus, supplementary materials, announcements, and updated information will be posted on Blackboard.  Graduate TAsLuciane Pereira-Pasarin Vera Hau Undergrad TA:Rachel Turetsky  Syllabus, supplementary materials, announcements, and updated information will be posted on Blackboard. 

Using Blackboard  Your Blackboard user ID is the same as your Net ID.  Find your ID from your SOLAR account. Under Personal Portfolio, go to link: "Get Your NetID". (It's often, but not always, your first initial and first 7 letters of your last name.)  Password: your SBU ID number (or whatever you’ve changed it to).  Your Blackboard user ID is the same as your Net ID.  Find your ID from your SOLAR account. Under Personal Portfolio, go to link: "Get Your NetID". (It's often, but not always, your first initial and first 7 letters of your last name.)  Password: your SBU ID number (or whatever you’ve changed it to).

Required Texts  Reed, Cognition: Theory and Applications (6th Ed.)  Francis et al., CogLab (classic experiments, simulated)  Reed, Cognition: Theory and Applications (6th Ed.)  Francis et al., CogLab (classic experiments, simulated)

Exams  Two midterms, each covering a different part of the course: Oct 24 th, Dec 12 th.  Final Exam (cumulative): 12/19 5 PM  No make-up or alternative times. Check your calendar now!  Two midterms, each covering a different part of the course: Oct 24 th, Dec 12 th.  Final Exam (cumulative): 12/19 5 PM  No make-up or alternative times. Check your calendar now!

Simulated Experiments (CogLab)  Nine individual experiments (you choose from a set of related expts). You run yourself as a subject and collect your own data.  Interpret your data. If your data don't match the classic results, explain what you think led to the unusual pattern.  Print out your data and turn in the paper copy by the deadline.  Nine individual experiments (you choose from a set of related expts). You run yourself as a subject and collect your own data.  Interpret your data. If your data don't match the classic results, explain what you think led to the unusual pattern.  Print out your data and turn in the paper copy by the deadline.

Grading  Higher midterm score 100 pts possible  Final exam100 pts possible  9 CogLabs 90 pts possible  Pop quizzes for extra credit You are expected to attend class and to take both midterms.  Higher midterm score 100 pts possible  Final exam100 pts possible  9 CogLabs 90 pts possible  Pop quizzes for extra credit You are expected to attend class and to take both midterms. Slide 0

What does psychology mean to you?

"Cognitive psychology refers to all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used." (Ulrich Neisser, 1967) "Cognitive psychology refers to all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used." (Ulrich Neisser, 1967)

 Cognitive Psychology  Clinical Psychology  Social/Health Psychology  Personality Psychology  Biopsychology  Cognitive Psychology  Clinical Psychology  Social/Health Psychology  Personality Psychology  Biopsychology

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus

Structuralism  Late 1800s  Goal: Find fundamental elements of thought.  Method: Introspection.  Problem: Introspection is limited to current, mid-level cognitive processes. And it's biased.  Late 1800s  Goal: Find fundamental elements of thought.  Method: Introspection.  Problem: Introspection is limited to current, mid-level cognitive processes. And it's biased.

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology  Behaviorism  John Watson  B. F. Skinner

Behaviorism  Early & Mid 1900s  Goal: Eliminate explanations based on the mind.  Method: Study behavior. Learning is defined as a change in behavior.  But is that all there is?  Early & Mid 1900s  Goal: Eliminate explanations based on the mind.  Method: Study behavior. Learning is defined as a change in behavior.  But is that all there is?

Scientific psychology (A whirlwind history)  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology  Nature vs. Nurture  Kant: the skeptic  Structuralism  H. von Helmholtz  Wundt: introspection  Hermann Ebbinghaus  Functionalism  W. James: the critic  Gestalt psychology  Behaviorism  John Watson  B. F. Skinner  Cognitive Revolution  George Miller  Donald Broadbent  Allen Newell  Herb Simon  Piaget  Chomsky

Cognitive Psychology (that’s us)  1950s onward  Input  Processing  Output  Person responds to stimulus as he or she interprets it.  Method: We study behavior, assuming that it reflects cognition.  1950s onward  Input  Processing  Output  Person responds to stimulus as he or she interprets it.  Method: We study behavior, assuming that it reflects cognition.

Figure 1.3 (p. 9) Source: Adapted from Biological Psychology (5 th ed.), by J. W. Kalat. Cognitive Neuroscience

Human information processing  Perception  Attention  Memory (sensory, STM, LTM)  “Higher level” processes - Language - Mental imagery - Categorization - Problem solving - Reasoning - Judgment  Perception  Attention  Memory (sensory, STM, LTM)  “Higher level” processes - Language - Mental imagery - Categorization - Problem solving - Reasoning - Judgment

Figure 1.1 (p. 3) Stages of an information-processing model

Bottom-up processing

Top-down processing

Human information processing  Perception  Attention  Memory (sensory, STM, LTM)  “Higher level” processes - Language - Mental imagery - Categorization - Problem solving - Reasoning - Judgment  Perception  Attention  Memory (sensory, STM, LTM)  “Higher level” processes - Language - Mental imagery - Categorization - Problem solving - Reasoning - Judgment