Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

• Cognitive psychology focuses on how the brain acquires, processes, and outputs information.
• It investigates how cognitive processes are affected by various factors.
• Cognitive psychology research involves understanding how we learn, remember, think, and perceive the world around us.

History of Cognitive Psychology

• Donder's Reaction Time Experiment (1868): Measured the time it takes to make decisions by comparing simple reaction time with choice reaction time.
• Wundt (1879): Introduced structuralism, suggesting that overall experiences are built from basic elements called sensations. Used analytic introspection, where participants described their experiences and thought processes in response to stimuli.
• Ebbinghaus (1885): Used quantitative methods instead of introspection to study memory. Conducted a memory experiment on himself, measuring the rapid decline of learned information over time using nonsense syllables.
• William James (1890): Wrote the first psychology textbook, "Principles of Psychology," emphasizing observations of his own experience. He described how attention works by focusing on certain sensory inputs while ignoring others.
• Behaviorism (1913-1931): Focused on observable behavior, neglecting internal mental processes.
  • Classical Conditioning: Association of stimulus and involuntary response (Watson's Little Albert experiment, Pavlov's Dog experiment).
  • Operant Conditioning: Association of voluntary behavior and consequence (Skinner's Shaping Experiments).
• Tolman's Rat Maze (1938): Demonstrated that rats developed a cognitive map, suggesting the existence of internal mental representations beyond simple stimulus-response associations.
• Information Processing Approach: Influenced by the rise of computers and artificial intelligence, it traces mental operations involved in cognition, viewing them as a series of steps.

The Human Brain

• Neurons: Basic units of the brain, consisting of dendrites, soma, and axon. Signals travel along these pathways.
• Synapse: The gap between neurons, where signals are transmitted.
• Brain Parts:
  • Hindbrain: Controls basic life functions such as breathing and heart rate.
  • Midbrain: Involved in movement, auditory and visual processing, and arousal.
  • Forebrain: Higher cognitive functions and complex processes.
• Lobes of the Forebrain:
  • Frontal Lobe: Planning, decision-making, language, and higher executive functions.
  • Parietal Lobe: Perception of touch, pressure, and pain.
  • Occipital Lobe: Visual processing.
  • Temporal Lobe: Auditory processing, memory, and language.
• Neural Representation of Senses:
  • Specificity Coding: Specialized neurons for different stimuli, unlikely to be the brain's primary mechanism.
  • Population Coding: Pattern created by the firing of many neurons simultaneously.
  • Sparse Coding: Pattern created by a small group of neurons firing together.

Studying Brain Activity

• Brain Imaging Technologies:
  • Electroencephalography (EEG): Measures electrical activity in the brain.
  • Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Detects brain activity based on blood flow.
  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET): Uses radioactive tracers to measure brain activity.

Localization of Function

• Specific brain regions are responsible for particular functions.
  • Broca's Area: Language production.
  • Wernicke's Area: Language comprehension.

Distributed Representation

• Experience is multi-dimensional.
• Different brain regions work together for diverse cognitive processes.

Neural Pathways

• Information travels along specific neural pathways, allowing for coordinated brain activity.

Neural Networks

• Complex structural pathways forming "highways" for information transmission.
• Default Mode Network: Always active, even during rest, potentially explaining mind wandering and subconscious processing.

Cognitive Psychology as a Field

• Cognitive psychology allows us to understand the brain's complex workings and explore cognitive processes.
• Its applications include:
  • Improving learning strategies, marketing campaigns, and cognitive function.
  • Treating disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, speech issues, memory loss, etc.