🧩
Cognitive psychology
Cognition: (People Think)
• cognito = "to know"
• co = "together"
The collection of mental processes and activities used in
perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking, understanding, and the act of
using those processes.
• The study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about
information.
THE "COGNITIVE REVOLUTION"
Developments in engineering, computer Science, and linguistics helped focus new
research on the process of information storage, representation, and transformation.
1) Rejection of the behaviorist tradition
2) Emergence of HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING as a discipline during WWII
e.g., brake lever / landing gear
Redesign = different arm movements
3) Man-machine interaction
4) Borrowed terminology and concepts from communications engineering (signal
detection theory)
5) Humans as limited capacity information processors. e.g., magical number 7 ± 2
(George Miller)
Sperling (iconic memory)
Gestalt Psychology: The Whole Is More than the Sum of Its Parts. Out of the
many critics of behaviourism, Gestalt psychologists may have been among
the most enthusiastic. Gestalt psychology states that we best understand
psychological phenomena when we view them as organized, structured
Cognitive psychology 1
, wholes. According to this view, we cannot fully understand behaviour when
we only break phenomena down into smaller parts. For example,
behaviourists tended to study problem solving by looking for subvocal
processing they were looking for the observable behaviour through which
problem solving can be understood. In contrast, Gestaltists, pursues to
understand the unobservable mental event by which someone goes from
having no idea about how to solve a problem to understanding it fully in
what seems a mere moment of time.
Approaches to Research
1. laboratory (or other controlled environments)
2. psychobiological research (including laboratory work)
3. self-report
4. case studies
5. naturalistic observation (field observation)
6. computer simulation (and artificial intelligence)
Techniques for studying brain activity
• Positron emission tomography (PET): This technique involves the detection
of positrons, which are the atomic particles emitted from some radioactive
substances. PET has reasonable spatial resolution but poor temporal
resolution, and it only provides an indirect measure of neural activity.
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): This technique involves
imaging blood oxygenation using an MRI machine (described later). fMRI has
superior spatial and temporal resolution to PET, but also only provides an indirect
measure of neural activity.
• Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (efMRI): This is a type of
fMRI that compares brain activation associated with different “events”. For example,
we could see whether brain activation on a memory test differs depending on
whether participants respond correctly or incorrectly.
• Magneto-encephalography (MEG): This technique involves measuring the
magnetic fields produced by electrical brain activity. It provides fairly detailed
information at the millisecond level about the time course of cognitive processes,
and its spatial resolution is reasonably good.
Cognitive psychology 2
, • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): This is a technique in which a coil is
placed close to the participant’s head and a very brief pulse of current is run through
it. This produces a short-lived magnetic field that generally inhibits processing in the
brain area affected. It can be regarded as causing a very brief “lesion”, a lesion being
a structural alteration caused by brain damage. This technique has (jokingly!) been
compared to hitting someone’s brain with a hammer. As we will see, the effects of
TMS are sometimes more complex than our description of it would suggest
Major Structures and Functions of the Brain
Major
Structures
Region of Functions of the Structures
within the
the Brain
Regions
Cerebral
cortex (outer Involved in receiving and processing sensory information,
Forebrain layer of the thinking, other cognitive processing, and planning and sending
cerebral motor information
hemispheres)
Basal ganglia
(collections of
Untitled Crucial to the function of the motor system
nuclei and
neural fibers)
Limbic
Involved in learning, emotions, and motivation (in particular, the
systems
hippocampus influences learning and memory, the amygdala
Untitled (hippocampus,
influences anger and aggression, and the septum influences
amygdala, and
anger and fear)
septum)
Cognitive psychology 3
, Major
Structures
Region of Functions of the Structures
the Brain within the
Regions
Primary relay station for sensory information coming into the
brain; transmits information to the correct regions of the cerebral
cortex through projection fibers that extend from the thalamus to
specific regions of the cortex; comprises several nuclei (groups
of neurons) that receive specific kinds of sensory information
and project that information to specific regions of the cerebral
cortex, including four key nuclei for sensory information: (1) from
Untitled Thalamus the visual receptors, via optic nerves, to the visual cortex,
permitting us to see; (2) from the auditory receptors, via auditory
nerves, to the auditory cortex, permitting us to hear; (3) from
sensory receptors in the somatic nervous system, to the primary
somatosensory cortex, permitting us to sense pressure and pain;
and (4) from the cerebellum (in the hindbrain) to the primary
motor cortex, permitting us to sense physical balance and
equilibrium
Controls the endocrine system; controls the autonomic nervous
system, such as internal temperature regulation, appetite and
thirst regulation, and other key functions; involved in regulation
Untitled Hypothalamus of behavior related to species survival (in particular, fighting,
feeding, fleeing, and mating); plays a role in controlling
consciousness (see reticular activating system); involved in
emotions, pleasure, pain, and stress reactions
Superior
Midbrain colliculi (on Involved in vision (especially visual reflexes)
top)
Inferior
Untitled colliculi Involved in hearing
(below)
Untitled
Untitled
Reticular
activating
important in controlling consciousness (sleep arousal), attention,
Hindbrain system (also
cardiorespiratory function, and movement
extends into
the hindbrain)
Cognitive psychology 4
Cognitive psychology
Cognition: (People Think)
• cognito = "to know"
• co = "together"
The collection of mental processes and activities used in
perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking, understanding, and the act of
using those processes.
• The study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about
information.
THE "COGNITIVE REVOLUTION"
Developments in engineering, computer Science, and linguistics helped focus new
research on the process of information storage, representation, and transformation.
1) Rejection of the behaviorist tradition
2) Emergence of HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING as a discipline during WWII
e.g., brake lever / landing gear
Redesign = different arm movements
3) Man-machine interaction
4) Borrowed terminology and concepts from communications engineering (signal
detection theory)
5) Humans as limited capacity information processors. e.g., magical number 7 ± 2
(George Miller)
Sperling (iconic memory)
Gestalt Psychology: The Whole Is More than the Sum of Its Parts. Out of the
many critics of behaviourism, Gestalt psychologists may have been among
the most enthusiastic. Gestalt psychology states that we best understand
psychological phenomena when we view them as organized, structured
Cognitive psychology 1
, wholes. According to this view, we cannot fully understand behaviour when
we only break phenomena down into smaller parts. For example,
behaviourists tended to study problem solving by looking for subvocal
processing they were looking for the observable behaviour through which
problem solving can be understood. In contrast, Gestaltists, pursues to
understand the unobservable mental event by which someone goes from
having no idea about how to solve a problem to understanding it fully in
what seems a mere moment of time.
Approaches to Research
1. laboratory (or other controlled environments)
2. psychobiological research (including laboratory work)
3. self-report
4. case studies
5. naturalistic observation (field observation)
6. computer simulation (and artificial intelligence)
Techniques for studying brain activity
• Positron emission tomography (PET): This technique involves the detection
of positrons, which are the atomic particles emitted from some radioactive
substances. PET has reasonable spatial resolution but poor temporal
resolution, and it only provides an indirect measure of neural activity.
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): This technique involves
imaging blood oxygenation using an MRI machine (described later). fMRI has
superior spatial and temporal resolution to PET, but also only provides an indirect
measure of neural activity.
• Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (efMRI): This is a type of
fMRI that compares brain activation associated with different “events”. For example,
we could see whether brain activation on a memory test differs depending on
whether participants respond correctly or incorrectly.
• Magneto-encephalography (MEG): This technique involves measuring the
magnetic fields produced by electrical brain activity. It provides fairly detailed
information at the millisecond level about the time course of cognitive processes,
and its spatial resolution is reasonably good.
Cognitive psychology 2
, • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): This is a technique in which a coil is
placed close to the participant’s head and a very brief pulse of current is run through
it. This produces a short-lived magnetic field that generally inhibits processing in the
brain area affected. It can be regarded as causing a very brief “lesion”, a lesion being
a structural alteration caused by brain damage. This technique has (jokingly!) been
compared to hitting someone’s brain with a hammer. As we will see, the effects of
TMS are sometimes more complex than our description of it would suggest
Major Structures and Functions of the Brain
Major
Structures
Region of Functions of the Structures
within the
the Brain
Regions
Cerebral
cortex (outer Involved in receiving and processing sensory information,
Forebrain layer of the thinking, other cognitive processing, and planning and sending
cerebral motor information
hemispheres)
Basal ganglia
(collections of
Untitled Crucial to the function of the motor system
nuclei and
neural fibers)
Limbic
Involved in learning, emotions, and motivation (in particular, the
systems
hippocampus influences learning and memory, the amygdala
Untitled (hippocampus,
influences anger and aggression, and the septum influences
amygdala, and
anger and fear)
septum)
Cognitive psychology 3
, Major
Structures
Region of Functions of the Structures
the Brain within the
Regions
Primary relay station for sensory information coming into the
brain; transmits information to the correct regions of the cerebral
cortex through projection fibers that extend from the thalamus to
specific regions of the cortex; comprises several nuclei (groups
of neurons) that receive specific kinds of sensory information
and project that information to specific regions of the cerebral
cortex, including four key nuclei for sensory information: (1) from
Untitled Thalamus the visual receptors, via optic nerves, to the visual cortex,
permitting us to see; (2) from the auditory receptors, via auditory
nerves, to the auditory cortex, permitting us to hear; (3) from
sensory receptors in the somatic nervous system, to the primary
somatosensory cortex, permitting us to sense pressure and pain;
and (4) from the cerebellum (in the hindbrain) to the primary
motor cortex, permitting us to sense physical balance and
equilibrium
Controls the endocrine system; controls the autonomic nervous
system, such as internal temperature regulation, appetite and
thirst regulation, and other key functions; involved in regulation
Untitled Hypothalamus of behavior related to species survival (in particular, fighting,
feeding, fleeing, and mating); plays a role in controlling
consciousness (see reticular activating system); involved in
emotions, pleasure, pain, and stress reactions
Superior
Midbrain colliculi (on Involved in vision (especially visual reflexes)
top)
Inferior
Untitled colliculi Involved in hearing
(below)
Untitled
Untitled
Reticular
activating
important in controlling consciousness (sleep arousal), attention,
Hindbrain system (also
cardiorespiratory function, and movement
extends into
the hindbrain)
Cognitive psychology 4
