1. Cognitive Psychology -
Introduction
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

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3. Cognitive Psychology Is…
 The study of how people perceive, learn,
remember, and think about information.
Memory Decision
Making
Attention
Problem Intelligence
Language Solving
Perception
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

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10. Philosophical Roots
Rationalist
Logic & reasoning
is key
Empiricist
Experience &
observation is key
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

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21. Cognitive Methods
 Experiments
 Psychobiological studies
 Self report
 Case studies
 Naturalistic Observation
 Computer Simulations
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

22. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

23. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

24. Typical Dependent Variables
 Reaction Time (milliseconds)
 Mental events take time
 Accuracy/Error analysis
 How well the participant does on a task
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

25. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

26. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

27. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

28. 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
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

29. Artificial intelligence
 Artificial intelligence (AI) is the science of
making machines do the sort of things that are
done by human minds (Boden 1987).
 One major assumption of AI is that both
humans and some machines are information
processors.
 The computer metaphor involves
viewing the brain as being like a computer.
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

30. I/O PROCESS
 If the inputs and outputs of the human and the
machines are identical, then given that we
understand the functioning of the artificial
system, this should throw some light on how a
human mind functions.
 AI models assume the human mind functions
in an analogous way to the computer and so in
AI, computers are tools that are used to try and
understand how information is processed by the
human mind.
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

31. • Donders found that simple reaction time is shorter
than recognition reaction time (RT), and that choice
reaction time is longer than both.
• devised a subtraction method to analyze the time it
took for mental operations to take place.
• This method provides a way to investigate the
cognitive processes underlying simple perceptual-
motor tasks, and formed the basis of subsequent
developments Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

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39. Information processing
model
 One of the difficulties facing cognitive
psychologists is that they are trying to study
processes that are not directly observable.
 Consequently they suggest that we can
imagine what is going on in between input and
output and make a model of this which can
then be tested by experimental or other means.
Dr.V.Veera Balaji Kumar

40. Information processing
model
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41. ADVANCED
INFORMATION
PROCESSING MODEL
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