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Chapter 1 – Cognitive psychology in a changing world

As a species, we are capable of acts of the most extraordinary kindness and wonder, and those of the most destructive savagery. We are self-conscious and intelligent, able to shape our planet, for good or ill, in ways that no other species can, and capable of sharing a common history and culture through language and writing. How does the human mind enable us to do these things? This chapter provides a brief history of cognitive psychology, before outlining each of the chapters in the book and providing examples of how the discipline helps reveal the human condition.

  • Chapter 1 – Flashcards

    A variety of higher mental processes such as thinking, perceiving, imagining, speaking, acting, and planning

    Cognition

    Aims to explain cognitive processes in terms of brain-based mechanisms

    Cognitive neuroscience

    The problem of how a physical substance (the brain) can give rise to our sensations, thoughts, and emotions (our mind)

    Mind–body problem

    The belief that mind and brain are made up of different kinds of substance

    Dualism

    The belief that mind and brain are two levels of description of the same thing

    Dual-aspect theory

    The belief that mind-based concepts will eventually be replaced by neuroscientific concepts

    Reductionism

    The failed idea that individual differences in cognition can be mapped on to differences in skull shape

    Phrenology

    Different regions of the brain are specialized for different functions

    Functional specialization

    The study of brain-damaged patients to inform theories of normal cognition

    Cognitive neuropsychology

    An approach in which behavior is described in terms of a sequence of cognitive stages

    Information processing

    Later stages of processing can begin before earlier stages are complete

    Interactivity

    The influence of later stages on the processing of earlier ones (e.g. memory influences on perception)

    Top-down processing

    The passage of information from simpler (e.g. edges) to more complex (e.g. objects)

    Bottom-up processing

    Different information is processed at the same time (i.e. in parallel)

    Parallel processing

    The notion that certain cognitive processes (or regions of the brain) are restricted in the type of information they process

    Modularity

    The idea that a cognitive process (or brain region) is dedicated solely to one particular type of information (e.g. colors, faces, words)

    Domain specificity

    Computational models in which information processing occurs using many interconnected nodes

    Neural network models

    The basic units of neural network models that are activated in response to activity in other parts of the network

    Nodes

    The accuracy with which one can measure when an event (e.g. a physiological change) occurs

    Temporal resolution

    The accuracy with which one can measure where an event (e.g. a physiological change) is occurring

    Spatial resolution

    A comprehensive map of neural connections in the brain that may be thought of as its "wiring diagram"

    Connectome

    A mathematical technique for computing the pattern of connectivity (or " wiring diagram" ) from a set of correlations

    Graph theory

    A neural network model containing multiple layers, typically producing a simple-to-complex hierarchy of information processing.

    Deep neural network

    Systemic difficulties in being able to independently reproduce published results that have been documented in many scientific fields

    replication crisis

    Performing multiple analyses of the same dataset across all reasonable options for excluding, transforming, and coding data.

    Multiverse analysis

    Hypothesizing after the results are known.

    HARKing

    An open set of hypotheses and analysis plan, that is posted prior to conducting the analysis.

    Pre-registration

    Peer-reviewed scientific paper in which hypotheses, methods and analysis are reviewed prior to data collection.

    Registered report

    Analysing the data in multiple ways and chosen to publish a single favorable analysis.

    P-hacking

    The tendency for non-significant results to be unpublished.

    File-drawer problem

    A statistical method for determining a required sample size given a likely effect size (whether a variable is strong or weak) and the probability of detecting it (due to sample variability).

    Power analysis

    A statistical method for pooling across equivalent datasets (based on a weighted average of effect sizes).

    Meta-analysis

    Ability to examine and validate an existing set of analyses

    Reproducibility

Chapter 1 – Quiz