PSYC 213CognitionJan 11 - Cognition: Early theories and ways of thinkingWhat we covered last class●Defined cognition: The study of the mind and mental function●A brief history of cognitive psychology: Philosophical roots. Plato and Aristotle●Schools of experimental psychology: Structuralism, Functionalism, BehaviorismWe started from the bottom …The ideas of Aristotle and Plato have contributed to different aspects of cognitivePsychology: ●Plato. Rationalism: Influence on theory development●Aristotle. Empiricism: Influence on experimental method developmentOther influential philosophersSome other examples of important philosophers:●Augustine (354-430 CE):The mind is the interface between the world and the divine. Memory is the root of psychological function●Aquinas (1225-1274): Distinguished between the soul and reason. Senses help us acquire knowledge that governs reasonTo summarize: Psychology and philosophy are very intertwined.We started from the bottom …●Structuralism (late 1800s): Sought to understand the configuration of the basic elements of the mind by studying the components of percepts/sensations → “Looking for the lego pieces of the mind!”. Introspection – this is NOT armchair speculation but an experimental method of self observation●Functionalism:Psychologists should focus on why the mind works rather than studying the structure of the mind. Methodological approach was eclectic. The ‘usefulness of knowledge’ was a driving force.●Behaviorism (1900s): →Focused on the stimulus and the response: Only what can be observed. Mental processes were treated as a mysterious black box that shouldbe avoided! → Shift from human to animal research: Why not? If only overtactions are of interest, then animal research offers more control → E.g., Skinner and operant conditioning… now we’re here●The cognitive revolution●Why?One reason was because of problems with behaviorism: It could not deal with the complexity of human activity. E.g., how we learn language●When?1950/60s.●What?Acceptance of internal mental states and the use of rigorous scientific methods to study these states.●How?Classic models focused on information processingThree main stages of cognitive psychology1
PSYC 213CognitionSomething to think about: what could be the next stage of cognitive psychology?Cognition: Keep in mind●Is an actively developing area of inquiry●Has evolved and will continue to evolve: New findings, New questions, New techniques and toolsThis class1.Learn about classic cognitive psychology views: Information processing and theory
