1. Cognition
Study of how the mind works. Study of basic mental functions of the mind.
Includes a variety of mental process: perception, pattern recognition, language, etc.

2. Cognition Equals

3. Cognitive Psychology
Theoretical orientation emphasizing mental structures and processes and breaks them down into component structures and processes
How sensory information is acquired, stored, transformed and used.
Mental activity or acquisition, storage, transformation, and use of knowledge

4. Neisser’s Defintion of Cognitive Psychology
“Cognitive Psychology refers to all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced elaborated, stored, recovered, and used.”

5. Levels of Cognition Perception Attention Pattern Recognition Memory
Organization of Knowledge
Language
Reasoning
Problem Solving
Decision Making

6. Codes
System of signals used to represent something -- e.g. code for the alphabet
Neural Code: e.g. the word ‘hat’ encoded as a pattern of light on the retina
Cognitive Code: the word ‘hat’ --> phonemes (language sounds), letters, meaning

7. Level of Description
Mental Level
Cognitive Level
Neural Level

8. Question Answer this question as quickly as you can:
How many hands did Aristotle have?

9. Cognitive Process Analysis

10. Cognitive Psycholgy Development Timeline

11. Thinking as a Sequence of States

12. Wilhelm Wundt “ Conscious processes and immediate experience”
Introspection or “self observation”
Rigorous Methods

13. Titchener Structuralism Training of observers
Imageless thought controversy

14. Herman Ebbinghaus
Study higher mental processes using scientific method
Process of association formation
Non-sense syllables
Savings Method

15. Nonsense Syllables
DAX
GIK
TEB
KOV
SUV
HET

16. Ebbinghaus’ Method - Learn list to 2 perfect recitations (# trials)
Set aside (varied delay)
Relearn (# trials)
Measurement of Savings
Ebbinhaus constructed more than 2000 of these syllables and studied his own learning.
Used this method to exam forgetting as a function of:
Time between two sessions
Degree of learning or overlearning
Type of material (e.g. nonsense syllables vs. poetry)
Acclaimed. Had invented a reasonably scientific, enduring method to study memory and mental processes.
Started the Verbal Learning Tradition--became an important part of Cognitive psychology.
# Trials to Learn -
# Trials to Relearn

17. Measurement of Savings
# Trials to Learn -
# Trials to Relearn

18. Forgetting Curve

19. William James

20. William James - Functionalism
Interested in the functions of consciousness
Infer mental mechanisms or processes from the way organisms behave in different situations.
Functions of Memory
Primary Memory
Secondary Memory

21. 20th Century

22. Behaviorism John B. Watson (1924) Reaction to Introspection
Emphasis on observable, quantifiable behavior
No unobservables, no internal mental states, no images, ideas, or thoughts

23. Behaviorism Psychology = Scientific study of behavior
Humans as passive reactors to external stimuli
“Tabular Rasa” - Environmental determinants of behavior
Rats in mazes, puzzle boxes, etc.

24. Behaviorism - Positive Contributions
Insistence of precise & careful definition of concepts
Operational Construct
e.g. performance = # trials necessary to complete a maze with no errors
Experimental Control

25. Gestalt Psychology Laws of organization Law of proximity
Law of similarity
Insight problem solving

26. Law of Similarity
O O O O
X X X X

27. Law of Proximity
O O O O
X X X X

28. Frederick C. Bartlett
Remembering: An Experimental and Social Study (1932)
Meaningful materials -- e.g. stories
Human memory constructive process
Original material interpreted and transformed

29. The Cognitive Revolution
Return to mentalistic ideas (1940’s and 50’s)
MIT – Sept. 11, 1956
Neisser’s book Cognitive Psychology (1967)
Information processing perspective
Diverse Influences/ Causes

30. Stimulus-Response

31. Dissatisfaction with Behaviorism
Challenges to “tabular rasa”
Innate structure or knowledge
Complex human behavior not explainable in terms of stimulus-response relations alone

32. World War II

33. World War II Practical Problems
Problems of perception, judgement, thinking, and decision-making
Operating technical equipment
Performance over Learning
Human Factors

34. Information Processing

35. Verbal Learning Flourishing of Ebbinghaus tradition
Different types of memory, memory organization, models
Active nature of learner--what is brought to learning
Formation of new associations --> Use of pre-existing associations.
Emphasis on Memory over learning

36. Bousfield (1953) apple desk bicycle couch
shirt
chair
banana
car
socks
desk
peach
truck
couch
orange
train
hat
desk
couch
chair
peach
apple
hat
shirt
dress …
Etc.
Words presented in this order:
But recalled
In this order

37. Verbal Learning …
Existing memory associations lead to reorganization of words during recall
Mental Processes: rehearsal, storage, organization, retrieval
Acceptance of objective methods & procedures
But increased commitment to inferred processes -- e.g. encoding, storage, retrieval

38. Noam Chomsky

39. Linguistics Rejection of behaviorist notions of language
Emphasis on mental processes underlying language learning
Novelty of utterances
2 Major Claims
Language knowledge innate
Grammatical rules/system

40. Evidence Same age of acquisition
Similar stages and length of time to acquire
Limited # of Grammars
Novel utterances
Evidence for rule use: Irregular past tense verbs

41. Evidence for Rule Use: Irregular past tense formation
Initially
‘go’ --> ‘went’
‘eat’ --> ‘ate’
Later (after acquiring regular past tense rule)
‘go’ --> ‘goed’
‘eat’ --> ‘eated’

42. Telephone example
“UD has improved the appearance of the university over the last few years.”

43. Communications Theory
Information processing idea
Similarity between communication devices and people
1st approximation analogy for psychology to describe mental processes
Channel, information processing filters, limited capacity, serial vs. parallel processing.

44. Information Theory Information Source Transmitter Channel Receiver
Destination

45. Computers & Computer Science
Numerous contributions
Analogy of computers & humans
Both process information: Take in information, transform, manipulate, store, & output information (or some type of product--e.g. behavior)
Humans & computers as symbol manipulators

46. Schematic Diagram of Computer System

47. Atkinson & Shiffrin Memory Model

48. Many Contributions
Borrowing of concepts & characteristics of computers to describe human system: sensory store, short-term store, long-term store
Limited capacity--immediate memory & attention

49. Additional Contributions
Computer programs/processes analagous to mental processes
Simulation modeling AI
Computer as tool
Modeling
Stimulus Presentation

50. Current Issues Related to Cognitive Psychology
Ecological Validity
Cognitive Science
Cognitive Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence
Parallel Distributed Processing Approach

51. Cognitive Neuroscience
Examines how the structure & function of the brain explain cognitive processes
Kossylyn’s Message
Complexity
Necessity of cognitive/functional analyses
New Tools/Techniques

52. Cognitive Neuroscience Techniques
Brain Lessions
Brain Imaging Techniques
PET
MRI
fMRI
Event-related Potential
Single-cell Recording Technique

53. PET Scan

54. Pet Scan 2 PET Scan while listening to a language task (unpracticed)
PET Scan after practice with the task (spelling)

55. Event-related Potentials

56. An ERP Recording

57. Artificial Intelligence
Machine Metaphor
Artificial Intelligence (Pure AI)
Computer Simulation

58. PDP - Parallel Distributed Processing
Cognitive processes can be understood in terms of networks of ‘neuron-like’ units
Connectionism vs. neural networks
Parallel vs. Serial Distinction

59. Matlin’s 5 Themes Cognitive processes are active
Cognitive processes remarkably efficient & accurate
Cognitive processes handle positive information better than negative
Cognitive processes are Interrelated
Many cognitive processes rely on both bottom-up and top-down processing

60. What do you see?

61. Context Effects