Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J.

Sternberg
Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Introduction
to Cognitive Psychology
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Cognitive Psychology Is…

• The study of how people perceive, learn,
remember, and think about information.
Problem
Solving Decision
Memory
Making
Attention
Reading
Language
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Dialectic Progression of Ideas: Hegel

Thesis flaws/alt idea Antithesis

Synthesis:
best of both

New Thesis flaws/alt idea

 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Philosophical Roots
Rationalist
Logic & reasoning
is key

Empiricist
Experience & observation is
key
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Rationalism Empiricism
(Descartes) (Locke)

Synthesis:

Both have a role (Kant)

 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Functionalism
Structuralism
(James) led to
(Titchener)
Pragmatists

Synthesis:
Associationism
(Ebbinghaus &
Thorndike)
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Associationism Behaviorism
(Thorndike) (Pavlov)

Synthesis:
Extreme form of
Behaviorism took hold.
Psychology should study
only observable behavior
(Watson & Skinner).
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Less radical
Behaviorism Behaviorist
Dominated Cognitive Map
until…. (Tolman)

Synthesis:
Cognitions should play
an active role in
psychology (Gestalt,
Bandura)
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Contributions to Cognitive Psychology

• Hebb & Lashley emphasize how cognition
could be explained by neuroscience.
• Chompsky’s review of Skinner’s Verbal
Behavior: “reductio ad absurdum”
• Development of Computers and Artificial
Intelligence
• These developments led to the “cognitive
revolution” and increased interest in the
study of mental processes (cognitions)
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Cognitive Methods
• Experiments
• Psychobiological studies
• Self report
• Case studies
• Naturalistic Observation
• Computer Simulations
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Typical Dependent Variables

• Reaction Time (milliseconds)
– Mental events take time

• Accuracy/Error analysis
– How well the participant does on a task
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Key Ideas in Cognitive…

Data can only be fully explained with
theories, and theories are insufficient without
data – thus creating the cycle of science.

Theory

Data
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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.
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Key Ideas in Cognitive…

• Many different methods are used to study

cognition
– Experiments
– Individual differences
– Case studies
– Clinical studies
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

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 1st graders
make in math class can help us to better
understand how humans process
mathematical information