Cognitive Psychology
Scientific study of the mind. Mental responses can’t be measured directly, they are inferred from observable behaviour like reaction time or accuray. Can be understood in two different ways
The Mind as a Creator of Mental Functions (1)
Creates mental functions such as perception, attention, memory, emotions, language, decision making, and thinking & reasoning. Functions are core areas of study
Them Mind as an Operational System (2)
System that creates representations of the world, enabling individuals to act within it to achieve goals. Crucial role in functioning and survival
Fransiscus Donders (1868)
Objective: determine time it takes to make a decision
Method: used reaction time, the interval between stimulus presentation and a persons response
Simple Reaction Time Task
Choice Reaction Time Task
Simple Reaction Time Task
Participants pushed one button as quickly as possible upon seeing a light. Measured the time for stimulus perception and motor response
Choice Reaction Time
Participants pushed one of two buttons corresponding to one of two lights (ex, left button for left light). Task required perception, motor response, and a decision
Donders Rationale & Findings
Difference in reaction time between the choice an dsimple tasks would represent the time taken for the decision - making process. Found that choice reaction time was one - tenth of a second longer, concluding this was the duration of the decision making process
Donders Contribution
One of cog psych first experiments. Demonstrated that mental processes could be inferred from behaviour and quantified
Wilhelm Wundt (1879)
Founded first psych lab; founded structuralism; proposed that overall experience is defined by combining basic elements of experience called sensations.
Method: used analytic introspection (a technique where trained participants described their experiences and thought processes in response to stimuli) goal was to break down experience into its elementary mental elements
Wundt Contribution
Although structuralism and analytic introspection were later abandoned for being to subjective and variable, his commitment to studying the mind under controlled experiments was a huge contribution
Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885)
Objective: To determine the time course of forgetting
Method: used himself as the participant using quantitative methods. Learned lists of 13 nonsense syllables to avoid the influence of word meaning. Measured the initial time to learn a list and then the time to relearn it after a dela
Ebbinghaus Findings
Calculated savings defined as (original learning time) - (relearning time). Found smaller savings score indicated more forgetting. Plotted this data to create the savings curve, which showed that memory drops for the first 2 days after learning and then levels off
Ebbinghaus Contributions
Demonstrated that a complex model process live memory could be measured and quantified
William James (1890)
Early American psychologist at Harvard. Created first major psychology textbook and many of his observations are still considered valid. Based on observations of his own mind rather than experiments.
Observations: textbook covered a vast range of cognitive topics including attention, memory, perception, and reasoning. Observation on attention involves withdrawing from some things to deal effectively with others remains a central concept today
Rise of Behaviour and Abandonment of Mind Study
In early 20th century, a backlash against the subjective nature of analytic introspection led to a shift away from studying the mind
John Watson (early 1900s)
Founded behaviourism, rejecting introspection and the study of consciousness. Argued that psychology should be purely objective focused on observable behaviour. Goal was prediction and control of behaviour.
Classical Conditioning (Watson)
Work influenced by Pavlov. Paired a natural stimulus with a stimulus that elicits a response, causing the neutral stimulus to eventually elicit that response on its own
Little Albert Experiment
Demonstrated fear could be classically conditioned by pairing a loud noise with a rat for a 9 month old boy, causing him to fear the rat
B.F Skinner (1930s - 1940s)
Operant conditioning. Focused on how behaviour is strengthened by positive reinforcers (ex., food, social approval) or the withdrawal of negative reinforcers. Stimulus response approach dominated American psych through the 1960s, eliminating the mind as a topic of study
The Cognitive Revolution
Rebirth of the mind. Dominance of behaviourism began to wane in the 1950s due to several key developments, leading to the cognitive revolution
Edward Tolman (1938)
Identified as a beahviourist but used behaviour to infer mental processes. Rats navigating a maze used a cognitive map (mental construction of the mazes layout). Demonstrated that learning occurs beyond simple stimulus - response reinforcement
Noam Chomsky (1959)
In a review of Skinners book, Chomsky argued that language development is not explained by operant conditioning. Children produce sentences they have never heard or been rewarded for and use incorrect grammar in a predictable way. Proposed that language is determined by an inborn biological program
A Paradigm Shift
Defined by philosopher Thomas Kuhn. A change in the fundamental system of ideas that dominates a science
The Digital Computer
Developed in 1940s/1950s and provided a new metaphor for the mind. Led to information - processing approach, which traces the sequence of mental operations involved in cognition, viewing the mind as processing information in stages, much like a computer
