Lecture Outline

Issues:
(a) What is cognitive psychology?
(b) How does experimentation lead to theory?

1. Introduction to the Study of Cognition

Definition, Dilemma

2. Solutions to the dilemma

Introspectionism, Behaviorism, Cognitivism

3. Cognitivism
3.1 Computational view of mind
3.2 Information Processing perspective
3.3 Information (different kinds)

What is Cognitive Psychology?

The scientific study of the
human mind.
What is thinking?
How do we think?

or, in other words:

The study of the

structures and processes
of the mind and brain that
take in, transform, and
use information.
Rodin’s “The Thinker”

The biggest challenge for

Cognitive Psychology:

The mind is unobservable

Stimulus Response

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 • All we can observe are the manifestations
(products, output) of the mind:

behavior

physiology

Some solutions:

• Introspectionism

• Behaviorism

• Cognitivism

Introspectionism

Just look inside and see what is going on...

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 Wilhelm Wundt Edward Titchener
(1832-1920) (1867-1927)

Introspectionism

Titchener (1896)

Problems with introspection

• Difficult to verify

• Private events, not public

• End product, not the process itself

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 The Behaviorist Solution:
The mind? Nevermind!

Stimulus Response

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

John Watson (1878-1958)

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 B. F. “Fred” Skinner (1905-1990)

Behaviorism
• Psychology is the
“science of behavior.”

• Emphasis on what can

be directly observed.
– Stimuli
– Responses
– Reinforcements / Rewards
– Rats in mazes

• Ignore the mind (unobservable).

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