BRAIN AND COGNITION WEEK 1- Cognition and cognitive neuroscience
(note the book)!!!
The central notion of theory- system of concepts and principles that organise data so as to explain
human behaviour, though psych can’t usually predict human behaviour=a problem
Scientific psych- explaining human behaviour Data---Theory---Prediction
(theory must be scientifically controlled)
KEY QUESTION- am I connected to reality or not?
Cog. Psych Prehistory- became a science in 19 th century
INTROSPECTION- (Wundt 1874) used structuralism… But it has issues; most mental processes occur
unconsciously
(William James) interested in function of consciousness… Non-experimental and
speculative approach
(Behaviourism) wants objective data and quantify stimulus-reaction, same laws for
animals and humans
COGNITIVE REVOLUTION- WW2 influenced (study attention and fatigue) –
Broadbent 1958 – The computer mind analogy
Miller 1956- magical number 7 capacity limited to 7 in STM
Bruner, Goddnow and Austin 1956
The info processing approach- Newell and Simon- both humans and computers manipulate symbols
and carry out the same processing
Sensors---- perceptual processing---- conscious representation
Input---- Mechanisms----- Output (cognitive)
If you can change the way you think you can change how to behave eg advertisement
What is it to know someone? Create a theory about someone and hypothesise how they will behave-
if they behave different to how we react we assume data is inaccurate or change our minds about
them
Levels of explanation; Behavioural indicators (observation), Functional explanation and Biological
level (genetic, neural, networks etc) – a good explanation must have all 3
Cognitive psych is the scientific study of mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience is the link between psychological functions and their biological
underpinnings
APPLICATIONS- perception, aesthetics, memory distortions, language, eye witness testimony,
profiling, intelligence tests etc ---- we know how the brain works so we can fix it 😊
The future: extended cognition, brain computer interfaces and virtual realities
(note the book)!!!
The central notion of theory- system of concepts and principles that organise data so as to explain
human behaviour, though psych can’t usually predict human behaviour=a problem
Scientific psych- explaining human behaviour Data---Theory---Prediction
(theory must be scientifically controlled)
KEY QUESTION- am I connected to reality or not?
Cog. Psych Prehistory- became a science in 19 th century
INTROSPECTION- (Wundt 1874) used structuralism… But it has issues; most mental processes occur
unconsciously
(William James) interested in function of consciousness… Non-experimental and
speculative approach
(Behaviourism) wants objective data and quantify stimulus-reaction, same laws for
animals and humans
COGNITIVE REVOLUTION- WW2 influenced (study attention and fatigue) –
Broadbent 1958 – The computer mind analogy
Miller 1956- magical number 7 capacity limited to 7 in STM
Bruner, Goddnow and Austin 1956
The info processing approach- Newell and Simon- both humans and computers manipulate symbols
and carry out the same processing
Sensors---- perceptual processing---- conscious representation
Input---- Mechanisms----- Output (cognitive)
If you can change the way you think you can change how to behave eg advertisement
What is it to know someone? Create a theory about someone and hypothesise how they will behave-
if they behave different to how we react we assume data is inaccurate or change our minds about
them
Levels of explanation; Behavioural indicators (observation), Functional explanation and Biological
level (genetic, neural, networks etc) – a good explanation must have all 3
Cognitive psych is the scientific study of mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience is the link between psychological functions and their biological
underpinnings
APPLICATIONS- perception, aesthetics, memory distortions, language, eye witness testimony,
profiling, intelligence tests etc ---- we know how the brain works so we can fix it 😊
The future: extended cognition, brain computer interfaces and virtual realities
