cognitive psychology
- Created by: Melody
- Created on: 02-05-13 11:36
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- Cognitive Psychology
- How we interpret the world
- About how we think
- explain behaviour by looking at perception, language, attention and memory.
- Humans treated as information processors.
- Developed as computer age developed
- Brain descibed as a processors.
- Cognitive psychologists use computers to create computional models of the human mind.
- Four main Research Methods
- Labatory Experiments
- A lot of research in cognitive psychology happens in labs. Very scientific and reliable as it is possible to have great control over variables in a lab. Doesnt tell us much about the real world - Low in ecological validity
- Field Experiments
- Take place in a natural situation, so they have more ecological validity, but theres less control over other variables.
- Natural Experiments
- Involves making observations of a naturally occuring situation. The experimenter has little control of the variables, and participants cant be randomly assigned to conditions. Natural exoeriments have high ecological validity but theyre not massively reliable as uncontrolled variables can effect results.
- Brain Imaging
- Can be carried out during a cognitive task. MRI Scans for example.
- Labatory Experiments
- Case Studies Support
- Milner et al - case study of Hm
- Diagnosis: HM was a patient with severe and frequent epilspsy.
- Siezures based in a brain structure called the hypothalamus.
- in 1953, doctors decided to surgically remove part of the brain around this area.
- Results: The opperation reduced his epilepsy, but led to him suffering memory loss.
- He could still form short term memories, but was unable to form new long term memories. However he could still talk and show previous skills(procedural memory).
- They found that HM's episodic memory (for past events) and semantic memory (for knowledge, eg word meanings) was affected more than his procedural memory/
- Milner et al - case study of Hm
- Animal Research
- Gardner and Gardner (1969) - Teaching ASL to a chimp
- Method: Washoe, a chimpanzee, was raised like a human child and taught American Sign Language.
- Results: By the end of the 22nd month of the project, Washoe had learnt atleast 34 signs.
- Conclusion: Language development same pattern as language development in children. She didnt learn grammer.
- Gardner and Gardner (1969) - Teaching ASL to a chimp
- Limitations
- Research often carried out in articial environments.
- Emotion and influence from others often ignore.
- Fails to consider individual differences.
- How we interpret the world
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