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.
Solvin
Problem Decisio
Memor
g n
y
Attention Making
Reading
Language
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 1

Dialectic Progression of Ideas: Hegel

Thesis flaws/alt Antithesis

idea

Synthesis:
best of both

New Thesis flaws/alt

 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 &
 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
 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
 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
The sequence of symbol
–human Cognition
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.

Theor

y 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