,CH1: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology 6
Cognitive psychology: Studying the mind 6
Studying the mind: Early work in cognitive psychology 7
1868: Donders’ pioneering experiment: How long does it take to make a decision? 7
1879: Wundt’s psychology laboratory: Structuralism and analytic introspection 8
1885: Ebbinghaus’ memory experiment: What is the time course of forgetting? 8
Abandoning the study of the mind 9
1913: Watson founds behaviourism 9
1938: Skinner’s operant conditioning 10
Setting the stage for the re-emergence of the mind in psychology 11
1948: Tolman’s cognitive map 11
The rebirth of the study of the mind 12
Introduction of the digital computer 12
Flow diagrams for computers 12
Flow diagrams for the mind: Information processing stages 12
Artificial intelligence and information theory 12
The cognitive “revolution” took a while 13
Modern research in cognitive psychology 13
The role of models in cognitive psychology 13
Structural Models 13
Process Models 14
Process Models 14
Cognitive strategies in enhancing learning 15
CH 3: Perception 17
The nature of Perception 17
Some basic characteristics of perception 17
Going beyond light-dark patterns 18
Why is it so difficult to design a perceiving machine? 18
Information for human perception 19
Experiencing pain 20
Conceptions of object perception 21
Helmholtz’s theory of unconscious inference 21
The Gestalt principles of organization 21
Taking regularities of the environment into account 23
Bayesian inference 23
Comparing the Four Approaches 23
The interaction between perceiving and taking action 24
Introduction to Perception and Action: 24
Physiological Basis of Perception and Action: 25
Behavioral Studies and Visual Illusions: 25
Dynamic Nature of Perception: 26
Culture influences perception 27
CH 4: Attention 28
Pioneering studies: attention as selection 28
Broadbent’s filter model of attention 28
Modifying Broadbent’s model: the attenuation model 29
A late selection model 30
2
, Modern studies: Process capacity and perceptual load 30
Distraction and cognitive control 31
Spacial attention: Overt and Covert Attention 32
Measuring overt attention 33
Measuring Covert attention 33
Divided attention: Can we attend to more than one thing at a time? 34
Automatic Processing 34
What happens when we don’t attend? 35
Attention and experiencing a coherent world 36
CH 5: Short-term memory and working memory 39
The modal model of memory 39
Sensory memory 40
The Sparkler’s trail and the projector’s shutter 41
Sperling’s experiment: Measuring the capacity and duration of the sensory memory store 41
Short-term memory 42
What is the duration of short-term memory? 42
How many items can be held in short-term memory? 43
Digit Span 43
Chunking 43
Change detection 44
How much information can be held in STM? 45
Working memory 45
The phonological loop 47
The visuospatial sketch pad 48
The central executive 49
The episodic buffer 49
Other models of working memory 50
Stress and working memory 50
CH 6: Long-term memory → Structure 51
Comparing STM and LTM processes 51
Serial position curve 52
Coding in short-term and long-term memory 53
Locating memory in the brain 54
Neuropsychology 54
Brain imaging 55
Episodic and semantic memory 55
Distinctions between episodic and semantic memory 55
Differences in experience 55
Neuropsychology 56
Memory and ageing 56
Brain imaging 57
Interactions between episodic and semantic memory 57
Knowledge affects experience 57
Autobiographical memory contains both semantic and episodic components 57
What happens to episodic and semantic memories as time passes? 58
Procedural memory, priming and conditioning 58
Procedural memory 59
Priming 59
Classical conditioning 59
Imagining the future 60
3
, CH 7: Long-term memory → Encoding, Retrieval and Consolidation 61
Encoding: Getting information into long-term memory 61
Levels of processing theory 61
Forming visual images 61
Linking words to yourself 62
Generating information 62
Organising information 62
Retrieval practice 63
Retrieval: Getting information out of memory 63
Retrieval cues 63
Matching conditions of encoding and retrieval 64
Encoding specificity 64
State-dependent learning 65
Matching the cognitive task: Transfer-appropriate processing 65
Consolidation: The life history of memories 65
Synaptic consolidation: Experience causes changes at the synapse 67
Systems consolidation: The hippocampus and the cortex 68
Consolidation and sleep: Enhancing memory 70
Updating memories: Retrieval and reconsolidation 70
Effective studying 71
Elaborate 71
Generate and test 72
Organise 72
Take breaks 72
Avoid “Illusions of learning” 72
CH 8: Everyday memory and memory errors 73
Autobiographical memory: What has happened in my life 73
The multidimensional nature of autobiographical memory 73
Memory over the life span 74
Memory for “exceptional” events 76
Memory and emotion 76
Flashbulb memories 76
Flashbulb memories are not like photographs 76
Are flashbulb memories different from other memories? 77
Emotions and flashbulb memories 77
Rehearsal, media coverage and flashbulb memories 77
The constructive nature of memory 78
Bartlett’s “War of the Ghosts” experiment 78
Source monitoring and source monitoring errors 78
The “Becoming Famous Overnight” experiment: Source monitoring and familiarity 79
How real-world knowledge affects memory 79
Schemas and scripts 79
False recall and recognition 80
Memory can be modified or created by suggestion 80
The misinformation effect 80
MPI as causing interference 81
MPI as causing source monitoring errors 81
Creating false memories for early events in people’s lives 81
Why do people make errors in eyewitness testimony? 82
Errors of eyewitness identification 82
4
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