The History and Methods of Cognitive PsychologyWhat is Cognitive Psychology?Cognitive activitiesWhat is the “mind” ?The history of studying cognitionsDonders simple reaction time vs. choice reaction timeEbbinghausSlide 8Slide 9Slide 10Cognitive RevolutionA typical information-processing model.A typical connectionist model.Slide 14MethodsSlide 16Slide 17Brain Imaging Computerized Tomography (CT)Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Issues with Brain ImagingSlide 23Slide 24The History and Methods of Cognitive PsychologyCognitive PsychologySorensonWhat is Cognitive Psychology?The branch of psychology that studies how we perceive, attend, recognize, remember, reason, decide…what happens in our mindsCognitive activitiesPerceptionAttentionMemoryLanguageReasoning and Decision makingWhat is the “mind” ?How can we study the inner workings of the mind when we can’t “see” the mind?NativismThe history of studying cognitionsGreeks – 19th centuryEmpiricismDonders simple reaction time vs. choice reaction timestimulusmental processbehaviorReaction timeEbbinghausGestalt psychologyBehaviorismRejected mentalistic concepts Dealt solely with observable behaviorCognitive RevolutionProposed that mental states could be studied (reaction to behaviorists)Some results…Human factors engineeringLimited-capacity processorsThe magical number seven, plus or minus twoLinguisticsA typical information-processing model.Paradigms of Cognitive PsychologyA typical connectionist model.Paradigms of Cognitive PsychologySo how do we study cognition?MethodsNaturalistic observation Ecological validity Experimenter control Observer bias Observation causing changes in subjects’ behaviorshttp://www.pocketcashatms.com/attachments/Image/ATM_use.jpgMethodsIntrospectionInsight Ecological validityExperimenter control Observer biasCan you really observe something while doing it?http://paulbuckley14059.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/introspection.jpgMethodsExperiments/Quasi-experimentsExperimenter control Isolate causal factorsMay not be ecologically validhttp://www.lightalongthejourney.com/Images/labrat.jpgBrain ImagingComputerized Tomography (CT)CT scanners use x-ray technology to view brain structure© Ribotsky/Custom Medical Stock Photo Normal Twin Twin w/ Schizophreniadetects strong magnetic fields from hydrogen atomsCourtesy Todd A. GouldBrain ImagingMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)http://lcni.uoregon.edu/images/gallery/Machine1500x375.pnghttp://www.sandybeardsley.com/images/mri2.jpgMeasures brain activity based on the utilization of radioactive glucose or oxygen.Courtesy Dept. of Energy Office of Public AffairsBrain ImagingPositron Emission Tomography (PET)uses a series of images taken in a short period of time to analyze brain activity.Brain ImagingFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)Issues with Brain ImagingSubtraction methodLocation of blood/nutrientsInteractivityScalp electrodes provide information about the activity of large populations of neurons.Used to study states of consciousness (sleep/wake) and seizures.Copyright © 2004 Allyn and BaconOther Recording TechniquesElectroencephalogram (EEG)Series of EEG responses to environmental stimuliUseful in studying perceptionOther Recording Techniques Evoked Potentials
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