PYC3703 – Cognitive Psychology Summary

PYC3703 – Cognitive Psychology Summary PYC3703 – Cognitive Psychology - Dialectic – a developmental process whereby an idea evolves over time: Thesis – a statement of believe Antithesis – a statement that counters a previous statement  Debate between thesis and antithesis leads to a synthesis of both views (nature + nurture debate) Philosophy – Seeks to understand general nature, in part through introspection Physiology – Scientific study of life-sustaining functions, primarily through empirical methods (observation based) Rationalist – the route to knowledge is through logical analysis and reason contemplation / introspection Empiricist – We acquire knowledge via empirical evidence, through experience and observation 1. Rene Descartes – Rationalist 2. John Locke – Empiricist – “Tabula Rosa” – blank slate – life and experiences write knowledge on us, we have no innate ideas 3. Immanuel Kant – dialectically synthesised the views of Descartes and Locke STRUCTURALISM Understand the structure of the mind and it’s perceptions by analysing the perceptions into their constituent components Perception of a flower: colour, geometric forms, size The method of structuralism = introspection The focus of structuralism = elementary structures of sensation FUNCTIONALISM Focus is on the process of thought, not the contents The how and why PRAGMATISM Knowledge is validated by its usefulness, what you can do with it ASSOCIATIONISM  Examines how events / ideas become associated with one another in the mind to result in learning  Contiguity = associating things that tend to occur together at the same time  Herman Ebbinghaus – Associationist – studied own mental processes  Counted his errors and recorded response times  Studied how people learnt through rehearsal  Edward Lee Thorndike – role of satisfaction key to forming associations  “LAW OF EFFECT” – Stimulus will produce certain response over time, if organism is rewarded for that response. Satisfaction serves as stimulus for further actions BEHAVIOURISM – extreme form of associationism  Relation between observable behaviour and environmental stimuli. Focus on overt observable behaviour  Pavlov – Classic conditioning learning – dog + bell + saliva – dog had no control  Effective conditioning requires contingency – presentation of food contingent on presentation of conditioned stimulus  Radical behaviourist - John Watson & BF Skinner  Skinner – believed in OPERANT CONDITIONING – behaviour contingent on absence / reinforcement of reward or punishment – this explains all behavio