Introspection

Question 1

HISTORY OF INTROSPECTION IN PSYCH

Answer 1

DONDERS (1868)
- how long does it take to make a decision (simple RT VS choice RT; 1st cog exp)
WUNDT (1879)
- 1st scientific psych lab; analytic introspection; trained pps described sensations/feelings/thought processes responding to stimuli (sweetness/redness etc)
JAMES (1890)
- reported own experience obs (some attention valid)
BEHAVIOURISM (1913-40s)
- classical/operant conditioning (+/- reinforcement
COGNITIVE REVOLUTION (1950s)
- digital computers; AIs

Question 2

IS INTROSPECTION USEFUL/ACCEPTABLE?

Answer 2

• allows possible reporting of:
• intentional states (I believe/know/desire X)
• emotional states
• processes (matching/choosing/decision making)
• causes (why influence X = beh effect)

Question 3

VERIFICATION PROBLEM

Answer 3

• cannot check individual report BUT if lots of individuals report same = v sceptical doubting truth
• cog psych introspection egs:
• decision making studies use sub-goal reports/hypotheses/partial solutions/intermediate products inferring problem solving strategies
• visual illusions (ie. perception)

Question 4

ACCESS PROBLEM LACK

Answer 4

• lack of access to processes/causes (in some contents) for basic cog skills: (object/face/word recognition; language comprehension/production)
• some actions have access to accurate representation despite conscious awareness not (ie. blindsight = access to stimuli locus/properties info)
• blindsight patients = blind area via cortical V1 damage; no conscious awareness of blind region stimuli
• BUT if forced to guess voluntarily point at moving object in blind region w/discriminations (form/colour) better than chance

Question 5

SUMMARY

Answer 5

• introspections bear somewhat principled relation to goings on in the mind BUT to which we have no access
• many mental process/representation kinds which, though assumed awareness requirement turn out not to (hence awareness NOT causal) ie:
• meanings/emotions activations
• stimuli-triggered/spontaneous action
• some choice/decision making