Define ‘cognition’
all mental abilities and processes that allow us to acquire knowledge and understanding.
What does the information-processing approach suggest?
- Information comes in through the senses
- is processed by a series of modules that change the information systematically.
- output of the modules causes an observable response.
What is the order of processes in the information processing approach?
- Stimulus
- Atttention
- Perception
- Thought processing
- decision
- response
What is a limitation of the information-processing approach?
It ignores top down, knowledge based processing.
What are the different approaches in cognitive psychology?
- Experimental cognitive psychology
- Cognitive neuropsychology
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Computational modelling
- Artificial intelligence
What is experimental cognitive psychology?
The study of behaviour in controlled laboratory settings. Is not concerned with the underlying brain processes, only overt behaviours. Usually uses reaction time, etc. to measure behaviour.
What are 2 strengths of experimental cognitive psychology?
+ Generates theories about cognition that can be tested.
+ Has made a huge contribution to making psychology more empirical.
What are 2 weaknesses of experimental cognitive psychology?
- Low ecological validity as most research is lab-based.
- Indirect evidence/measures of internal cognitive processes. (low validity)
What is cognitive neuropsychology?
Involves the study of brain damaged patients and compared them to neuro typical patients.
What are two strengths of cognitive neuropsychology?
+ double dissociations have provided strong evidence for major processing modules.
+ causal links found between brain damage and cognitive performance.
What are two weaknesses of cognitive neuropsychology?
- difficult to compare performance of patients before and after damage.
- damage can often occur in several different regions, making it more difficult to pinpoint area of cognitive deficit.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
Aims to understand human cognition by studying behaviour and the brain, normally by recording brain activity as participants perform cognitive tasks.
Name three ways that brain activity can be recorded.
- Single cell recordings
- Brain imaging
- Brain stimulation
What are single cell recordings?
Measurements of single neurons at a time, using electrodes.
Describe what brain imaging techniques measure.
Structure and function of brain regions. Normally measures blood flow or oxygen consumption (BOLD).
What are brain stimulation techniques?
Electrical currents are created and utilised to initiate or prevent the activation of certain brain areas in order to find out which areas are used for certain processes.
What is bottom-up processing?
Actions and thoughts are in response to stimuli. (Stimulus driven)
What is top down processing?
Actions and thoughts are initiated by prior knowledge and expectations.
What is serial processing?
Processing of each stimulus/object one by one.
What is parallel processing?
All objects/stimuli are processed at the same time.
What is a module?
A functionally specialised cognitive system that is domain specific.
What is domain-specificity?
The way that a cognitive system only responds to a certain type of stimulus (just faces, etc)
What is modularity?
The assumption that each module functions independently.
How many neurons does the human brain have?
100 billion.
