Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology: An Introduction

Corey McMillan
University of Edinburgh, PPLS

23 September 2006

Introduction
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Corey McMillan [Corey.McMillan@ed.ac.uk] http://homepages.ed.ac.uk/s0340151/teaching.html Course Outline Assessment

Outline
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Introduction What is Psychology? What is Cognitive Psychology? Approaches to Cognitive Psychology Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Dening Psychology
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Psychology is the study of behaviour. But what kind of study and behaviour?

Dening Psychology
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

The origin is philosophical (psyche = soul in Greek). Late 19th - Early 20th century:
Laboratories founded (Wundt, James, & Pavlov) Introspection approach (Freud)

In this course we will focus on the scientic study of behaviour

The Origins of (Scientic) Psychology Behaviourism

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Classical conditioning (Pavlov, B.F. Skinner): An initially neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus) elicits a learned response (conditioned response). Operant conditioning (Thorndike):
Positive reinforcement: A behaviour (response) is followed by a favourable stimulus; > frequency. Negative reinforcement: A behaviour (response) is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus; > frequency. Positive punishment: A behaviour (response) is followed by an aversive stimulus; < behaviour. Negative punishment: A behaviour (response) is followed by the removal of a favourable stimulus; < behaviour.

The Birth of Cognition

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

The trouble with the behaviourist approach: Behaviour is completely determined by the environment Apart from genetic endowment behaviour is determined from reinforcement Struggles to account for language Scientic hypothesis can not be tested because it is so dogmatic Cant account for choice or a non-reinforced behaviour see http://www.chomsky.info/articles/19711230.htm

Outline
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Introduction What is Psychology? What is Cognitive Psychology? Approaches to Cognitive Psychology Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

The Birth of Cognition

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Cognitive Psychology is the scientic study of human thought and the mental processes that underly behaviour. This includes: Memory Problem-Solving Perception Language

Approaches to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Information Processing Investigated in several ways:

Experimental cognitive psychology Cognitive neuropsychology Computational cognitive science Cognitive neuroscience Also incorporated in other disciplines (developmental, psycholinguistics, . . . )

Information Processing Approach

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Assumptions: Info in the environment is processed by a series of processing systems (e.g. attention, memory, perception) The systems alter the information in various ways (3 connected lines equal a triangle). The goal is to specify the processes and structures of cognition. Information processing of people resembles computers (?).

Information Processing Approach

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

How is information processed? Serial

Bottom-up Top-down

Parallel
Cascading Feedback

Approaches to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Information Processing Investigated in several ways:

Experimental cognitive psychology Cognitive neuropsychology Computational cognitive science Cognitive neuroscience Also incorporated in other disciplines (developmental, psycholinguistics,. . . )

Experimental Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

The heart of all cognitive psychology Use carefully controlled experiments Experimental approach is inuential on all of psychology (clinical, social, developmental) Sound methods

Experimental Methods
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Based on the Scientic Method Dene the question Gather information and resources Form hypothesis Perform experiment and collect data Analyse data Interpret data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypotheses Publish results

Limitations of Experimental . . .
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Ecological Validity is the applicability of laboratory ndings to the real world. People do not behave the same in lab as outside of the lab. Experiments are designed in advance and often ignore responses.

Limitations of Experimental . . .
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Speed & Accuracy are indirect measures - assume that they represent internal processes. Individual dierences (e.g. IQ, socio-economic status) are often ignored. Research is very focused to a small topic and little work integrates it into a larger model.

Cognitive Neuropsychology
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Cognitive Neuropsychology is the investigation of cognitive performance in braindamaged or braindiseased patients.

Brain Lesion Normal Brain

Cognitive Neuropsychology Assumptions

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Modularity Functional modularity: cognitive systems each have a module Anatomic modularity: brain areas each have a cognitive function

Cognitive Neuropsychology Assumptions

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Dissociation: X is normal, Y is impaired. Double dissociation: X is normal, Y is impaired; Y is normal, X is impaired. Groups vs. Individuals: Not all patients perform the same.

Cognitive Neuropsychology Limitations

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Compensatory strategies can obscure results. Damage often impairs more than one module or a partial module. Modularity often exaggerated. Just because same damage in patients, often not matched for other factors.

Computational Cognitive Science

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Computational CS involves computer programming to model or mimic some kind of cognitive function. Denition Articial Intelligence involves computer programming to construct intelligent outcomes, not necessarily resembling human processes. Computational CS is beyond the scope of this course.

Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Denition Cognitive Neuroscience is the study of mental processes in the functioning brain to understand how the brain works (or functions cognitively). The majority of this work uses neuroimaging.

Cognitive Neuroscience Methods

Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Technique EEG/ERP PET fMRI MEG TMS

Spatial X

Temporal X X

Next Week
Cognitive Psychology: Introduction

Introduction General Psychology Cognitive Psychology Approaches

Information Processing Approach Subelds of Cognitive Psychology

Read: Eysenck Chapters 1 (Approaches) and 2 (Basic processes). Decide: Do you want credit for this course? Optional: http://www.chomsky.info/articles/19711230.htm Discuss: Visual Perception