I NTRODUCTION TO C OGNITIVE P SYCHOLOGY 1 Ravi K. Vatrapu Director, Computatioanl Social Science Laboratory (CSSL) Associate Professor, Center for Applied ICT (CAICT) Copenhagen Business School Howitzvej 60, 2.10; Frederiksberg, DK-2000, Denmark Phone: Monday, 31-Jan-2011 T14: Human Information Processing: Lecture 02 2A20, ITU, Copenhagen, Denmark

Cognitive Psychology Is… The study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about information. Problem Solving Attention Memory Decision Making Reading Language

Dialectic Thesis Antithesis flaws/alt idea Synthesis: best of both New Thesis flaws/alt idea

Rationalist Logic & reasoning is key Empiricist Experience & observation is key Philosophical Roots

Rationalism (Descartes) Empiricism (Locke) Synthesis: Both have a role (Kant)

Structuralism (Titchener) “Elements” Functionalism (James) “Process” Synthesis: Associationism (Ebbinghaus & Thorndike)

Associationism (Thorndike) “Satisfaction” Behaviorism (Pavlov) “Contingency” Synthesis: Radical Behaviorism Should study only environment and behavior—not thoughts. (Watson & Skinner)

Behaviorism Dominated until…. Synthesis: Cognitions should play an active role in psychology (Gestalt, Bandura) Less radical Behaviorist Cognitive Map –a thought! (Tolman)

Important to Cognitive Psychology Lashley emphasized that the brain actively processes information Hebb targeted cells as center of learning Chompsky’s review of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior: “reductio ad absurdum”

Important to Cognitive Psychology 1950’s Development of Computers Turing Test and Artificial Intelligence A "cognitive revolution” occurred and increased interest in the study of mental processes (cognitions)

Goals of Research Data Gathering Data Analysis Theory Development Hypothesis formation Hypothesis testing Application to real world

Research Methods Experiments Psychobiological studies Self report Case studies Naturalistic Observation Computer Simulations

In an Experiment… Random sample of participants Manipulate the Independent Variable –Create experimental group –Create control group –Randomly assign participants Measure the Dependent Variable –Same for all groups Control all other variables –Prevent confounds

Typical Independent Variables Manipulate stimulus materials –Compare words to non-words –Compare color diagrams to black and white –Compare Yes questions to No questions Control how participants process materials –Use imagery to study versus repetition –Vary speed of presentation of materials

Typical Dependent Variables Reaction Time (milliseconds) –Mental events take time Accuracy/Error analysis –How well the participant does on a task

Correlational Studies Cannot infer causation Simply measure variables of interest Nature of relationship –Positive Correlation –Negative Correlation Strength of relationship –Determined by size of “r”

Example of Correlational Cognitive Study An examination of the relationship between confidence and accuracy of eyewitnesses What do you think the relationship is? Positive?Negative? Strong?Weak? It is not a strong positive correlation! Many studies indicate that high confidence does not mean high accuracy.

Psychobiological Studies Postmortem studies –Examine the cortex of dyslexics after death Brain damaged individuals and their deficits –Study amnesiacs with hippocampus damage Monitor a participant doing a cognitive task –Measure brain activity while a participant is reciting a poem

Self Report Studies Verbal Protocol –Participants describe their conscious thoughts while solving a story problem Diary Study –Participants keep track of memory failures Naturalistic Observation –Monitor decision making of pilots during flights

Case Studies Intensive studies of individuals –May examine archival records, interviews, direct observation, or participant-observations Creativity of successful individuals The deficits of a neglected child

Computers in Research Analogy for human Cognition –The sequence of symbol manipulation that underlies thinking –The goal: discovery of the programs in humans’ memory Computer simulations of Artificial Intelligence –Recreate human processes using computers

Underlying Themes Nature vs. Nurture Rationalism vs. Empiricism Structures vs. Processes Domain Generality vs. Domain Specificity Causal Inferences vs. Ecological validity Applied vs. Basic Research Biological vs. Behavioral Methods

Key Ideas in Cognitive… Theory Data Data can only be fully explained with theories, and theories are insufficient without data – thus creating the cycle of science.

Key Ideas in Cognitive… Cognition is typically adaptive, but errors made can be informative. –Example- Spoonerisms: A lack of pies (A pack of lies) It's roaring with pain (It's pouring with rain) –Errors can be used to infer how speech production occurs.

Key Ideas in Cognitive… Cognitive processes interact with each other and with non-cognitive processes –Emotions may affect decisions –Working memory capacity contributes to reading speed –Perception contributes to memory decisions

Key Ideas in Cognitive… Many different methods are used to study cognition –Experiments –Correlational studies –Individual differences –Case studies –Clinical studies

Key Ideas in Cognitive… Basic research often leads to important applications and applied research often contributes to a more basic understanding of cognition –Priming is explained by spreading activation in memory, and can also explain why skilled readers may read faster –Studying the common errors that 1 st graders make in math class can help us to better understand how humans process mathematical information