Cognitive Science Exam 1 Questions
and Answers
What is cognitive science? - Answers -The interdisciplinary study of mind and
intelligence, embracing psychology, biology (neuroscience, evolution, and animal
behavior), philosophy, computer science (AI), language, linguistics, and social sciences
of anthropology and economics. Cognitive science's focus is on cognition itself in
humans, animals, and machines
Important concepts in cognitive science: - Answers -Representation: driver's license
Computation: from abacus to supercomputers
Coding: "What should you do on oh and two?"
Subfields of Cognitive Science: - Answers -Psychology, Biology, Language and
Linguistics, Philosophy, Computer Science, Social Sciences, Cognitive Science's Big
Tent
Psychology: - Answers -Briefly reviews the history of psychology and its on again/off
again interest in cognition, its turn to behaviorism in the 20th century, and the more
recent connections between cognition and neuroscience. It also discusses animal
cognition in an evolutionary context.
Biology - Answers -Briefly reviews the history of biology and emphasizes the
tremendous growth in biological knowledge since Watson, Crick, and Franklin
elucidated the structure of DNA. It also shows the search for connections between
neuroscience and cognitive science. It also details the principles of evolution and the
continuity of cognition in the animal (including humans) kingdom.
Language and Linguistics - Answers -Briefly reviews the study of language and
linguistics and concentrates on topics such as the nature of language learning,
comparative linguistics, and intimate links between language and thought.
Philosophy - Answers -This section gives philosophy its due as the original discipline
interested in human cognition. It also shows how philosophical questions gave rise the
other disciplines interested in cognitive science as well as modern philosophy's current
interest and approaches to the field.
Computer Science - Answers -Briefly reviews human attempts on mechanizing thought
including mechanical devices such as Babbage's through the latest experimental
,computer designs. This section emphasizes definitions of AI (e.g., the Turing Test and
others), research in AI, and illustrates its successes and challenges. It also provides
arguments as to why AI is a necessary branch of cognitive science.
Social Sciences - Answers -The history of the two specific social sciences covered:
anthropology and economics are briefly covered. After, their contributions to cognitive
science are recognized including cognitive anthropology, economic decision-making,
and how culture affects cognition.
Cognitive Science's Big Tent - Answers -The chapter concludes by arguing that
cognitive science is young and multidisciplinary. It points out the advantages and
disadvantages of cognitive science's multidisciplinary nature. Having multiple
approaches to cognitive science is an advantage, as each discipline's peculiar focus
might elucidate data that others might miss. At the same time, the approach is
disadvantaged because the language and jargon each discipline uses might not be
understood by the others. The youth of cognitive science often makes its subfields
uneasy about their partnership.
Origins of Psychology
Late starter 1879
Wundt - Answers -Voluntarism
Introspection
Origins of Psychology
Others - Answers -Titchener: Structuralism
James
Origins of Psychology
Functionalism - Answers -Uses of psychology: Applied psychology
Origins of Psychology
Crisis of introspection - Answers -Wurzburg School
Origins of Psychology
Behaviorism - Answers -Watson
Skinner
"CS IS THE CREATIONISM OF PSYCHOLOGY"
Origins of Psychology
Cognitive "revolution" - Answers -Slow turn to modern cognitive psychology
WWII computers and code breaking
Piaget and childlike thinking
Animal behavior and cognitive explanations
Ethology
Animal cognition: e.g., SEYFARTH, MARLAR, AND CHENEY (VERVET MONKEY
SIGNALS)
, Artificial Intelligence
Modern General Psychology
History/Methods - Answers -Short history: psychology finds mind, psychology loses
mind, psychology find mind again
Introspective psychology gave way to behavioral psychology and, after WWII, a new
kind of cognitive psychology arose, one based on computers (hardware) and learning
(software).
Modern General Psychology
Neuroscience - Answers -"ENGINE" OF BEHAVIOR. Analogy -- brain:body::motor:car
Evolved system of survival and reproduction
Oldest parts of the brain are for survival: breathing, heart rate (in the back of brain, the
oldest part)
Newer parts toward the front of brain -- cortex, lobes
Endocrine system
Slower, simpler integrative system
Hormones and target organs
Pituitary gland is "master gland" and connected to hypothalamus
"Wetware" metaphor (a biological computer) but the metaphor is incomplete
Modern General Psychology
Sensation and Perception - Answers -Equivalent to I/O (INPUT/OUTPUT) not
industrial/organizational psychology
Sensations = physical forces (light, sound, dissolved chemicals, chemicals in air,
gravity, magnetism)
Perceptions = psychological interpretations (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, falling, ?)
Modern General Psychology
Consciousness - Answers -Early emphasis of psychology (Wundt, James, Titchener
wanted to study it scientifically)
Phenomenology: mental phenomena (What are you thinking right now? What am I
thinking?
Altered consciousness: drugs, meditation, hypnosis
Modern General Psychology
Learning (despite Behaviorism) - Answers -Major issue in CS, Behaviorism tried to
ignore cognition
We still don't know how learning takes place
We are trying to make machines learn by themselves
Note we need not "program" TWO-YEAR OLDS (THEY ARE BETTER THAN
CURRENT MACHINES)
Modern General Psychology
Memory - Answers -Big difference between computer memory and human memory
Magic Number 7 plus or minus two (George Miller) STM