INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

1

Ravi K. VatrapuDirector, Computatioanl Social Science Laboratory (CSSL)

Associate Professor, Center for Applied ICT (CAICT)Copenhagen Business School

Howitzvej 60, 2.10; Frederiksberg, DK-2000, DenmarkPhone: +45-2479-4315

vatrapu@cbs.dk http://www.itu.dk/people/rkva/

Monday, 31-Jan-2011T14: Human Information Processing: Lecture 02

2A20, ITU, Copenhagen, Denmark

Cognitive Psychology Is…• The study of how people perceive, learn,

remember, and think about information.

Problem Solving

Attention

Memory Decision Making

ReadingLanguage

Dialectic

Thesis Antithesisflaws/alt idea

Synthesis: best of both

New Thesis flaws/alt idea

RationalistLogic & reasoning is key

Empiricist Experience & observation is key

Philosophical Roots

Rationalism(Descartes)

Empiricism(Locke)

Synthesis:

Both have a role (Kant)

Structuralism(Titchener)“Elements”

Functionalism(James)“Process”

Synthesis:

Associationism(Ebbinghaus & Thorndike)

Associationism (Thorndike)“Satisfaction”

Behaviorism(Pavlov) “Contingency”

Synthesis:

Radical Behaviorism Should study only environment and behavior—not thoughts.(Watson & Skinner)

BehaviorismDominated until….

Synthesis:

Cognitions should play an active role in psychology (Gestalt, Bandura)

Less radicalBehavioristCognitive Map –a thought! (Tolman)

Important to Cognitive Psychology• Lashley emphasized that the brain actively

processes information

• Hebb targeted cells as center of learning

• Chompsky’s review of Skinner’s Verbal Behavior: “reductio ad absurdum”

Important to Cognitive Psychology• 1950’s Development of Computers

• Turing Test and Artificial Intelligence

• A "cognitive revolution” occurred and increased interest in the study of mental processes (cognitions)

Goals of Research

• Data Gathering• Data Analysis• Theory Development• Hypothesis formation• Hypothesis testing• Application to real world

Research Methods

• Experiments• Psychobiological studies• Self report• Case studies• Naturalistic Observation• Computer Simulations

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

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

Typical Dependent Variables

• Reaction Time (milliseconds)– Mental events take time

• Accuracy/Error analysis – How well the participant does on a task

Correlational Studies

• Cannot infer causation• Simply measure variables of interest• Nature of relationship

– Positive Correlation– Negative Correlation

• Strength of relationship– Determined by size of “r”

Example of Correlational Cognitive Study

• An examination of the relationship between confidence and accuracy of eyewitnesses

• What do you think the relationship is?

Positive? Negative? Strong? Weak?

It is not a strong positive correlation!Many studies indicate that high confidence does not mean high accuracy.

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

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

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

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

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

Key Ideas in Cognitive…

Theory

Data

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

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.

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

Key Ideas in Cognitive…

• Many different methods are used to study cognition– Experiments– Correlational studies– Individual differences– Case studies– Clinical studies

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