Unit 5: Cognitive Psychology
Psychologists are concerned with how people create memories. During the second half of the 20th century, psychologists established the field of cognitive psychology, which explored topics such as decision-making and problem-solving; language acquisition and use; intelligence and creative thinking; memory formation, storage, and retrieval; In this unit, we draw from cognitive psychology and neuropsychology to learn the basic principles of cognitive psychology.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 7 hours.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- explain the components of language, the development of language, and the relationship between language and thinking;
- explain problem-solving strategies, including algorithms and heuristics, and factors that interfere with problem-solving and decision-making;
- define intelligence and its theories, emotional intelligence and creativity, the development of intelligence tests, the history and use of IQ tests, the purposes and benefits of intelligence testing, and factors that affect intelligence;
- discuss basic memory functions, the three stages of memory storage, and the types of memory; and
- explain the brain functions involved in memory, the specific roles of the most important structures, times when memory is faulty, and ways to improve memory.
5.1: What Is Cognition?
Read this text, which defines cognition, explains how to distinguish between concepts and prototypes, differentiates natural and artificial concepts, and will help you recognize schemata. Can you describe an event schema that you would notice at a sporting event? Why do event schemata have so much power over human behavior?
5.2: Language
Regardless of whether it is spoken or signed, language is so ubiquitous among humans that we often take it for granted.
Read this text, which explains how complex language is. You will learn about the components of language, how language skill develops, and the relationship between language and thinking.
How do words represent our thoughts and values? Could grammatical errors actually indicate language acquisition in children? How might a learning disability like dysgraphia or dyslexia affect a child's educational and school experience?
Watch this video, which reviews the components of language and language acquisition in more detail.
5.3: Problem-Solving
Whether we are trying to solve a math problem or a personal conflict, the strategies we use to solve problems are consistent. In this section, we explore problem-solving strategies, including algorithms and heuristics, and some thinking errors that can prevent effective problem-solving.
As you read this text, pay attention to the concept of functional fixedness. How can you overcome it to help solve problems? How does an algorithm save you time and energy when solving a problem?
Watch this video, which reviews problem-solving, biases, and judgment errors in more detail.
5.4: What Are Intelligence and Creativity?
The concepts of intelligence and creativity are difficult to define accurately. Many people have strong feelings about standardized testing and comparing individuals to norms. Nevertheless, intelligence and creativity are the focus of many psychological theories and studies.
Read this text, which defines intelligence, explores the theories of intelligence, and distinguishes between intelligence, emotional intelligence, and creativity. Can you describe a situation in which you might need to use practical intelligence? What is a situation where cultural intelligence would help you communicate better?
5.5: Measures of Intelligence
Although we struggle to define intelligence, psychologists have tried to actively measure it for more than a century. In this section, we explore the history and use of intelligence (IQ) tests and the purposes and benefits of intelligence testing.
Read this text. Why do you think theorists define intelligence in different ways? Compare and contrast the benefits of the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler's IQ tests.
Watch this video, which reviews intelligence and general intelligence theory in more detail.
Watch this video, which reviews what psychologists mean when they talk about creativity, creative thinkers, and the components of creativity.
5.6: The Source of Intelligence
Let's explore the roles of genes and environment in determining intelligence, the relationship between intelligence and socioeconomic status, and the difference between a learning disability and a developmental disorder.
As you read this text, consider what evidence exists for a genetic component to an individual's IQ. Describe the relationship between learning and intellectual disabilities to intelligence.
Watch this short video on how our thoughts about IQ and intelligence affect our lives.
5.7: How Memory Functions
What function does memory play as we navigate the world? In this section, we explore the stages and main categories of memory.
As you read this text, pay attention to the similarities and differences between implicit and explicit memory. Can you name and describe the three stages of memory according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model? Compare and contrast two ways we encode information.
Watch this video to learn about implicit and explicit memories.
Watch this lecture on the Atkinson-Shiffrin model (or modal) of memory.
Watch this lecture on the divisions of long-term memory: procedural, declarative, semantic, and episodic.
5.8: Parts of the Brain Involved with Memory
The biological basis of memory is a relatively complex topic. Let's explore the basic brain functions that are critical for the formation of memories and the retrieval of memories and the main structures involved in memory formation and retrieval.
As you read, think about what might happen to your memory system if you sustained damage to your hippocampus.
Watch this video, which explains how neurons become activated to store a memory.
5.9: Problems with Memory
Our memories are not like video recordings that conjure up perfectly-accurate details. Instead, our brain stores memories as individual bits of information that we must reconstruct whenever we retrieve a memory. Errors and distortions are common.
In this section, we learn how organic damage to the brain interferes with memory and the two ways amnesia can occur. We also examine the problems with eyewitness memory, often due to encoding failure and other common memory errors. Finally, we examine the two types of interference that can make our ability to retrieve information less accurate.
As you read this text, make sure you can compare two types of interference and two types of amnesia.
Watch this video, which describes a man who developed retrograde amnesia after a bout of heat stroke.
5.10: Ways to Enhance Memory
Let's take a moment to discuss some memory-enhancing strategies and study techniques that will help make information more memorable.
As you read this text, make sure you can describe the self-reference effect and explain how it can help you study more effectively. Imagine you and your roommate spend the entire night studying for your psychology exam. You think you know the material, but the next morning you suggest you study for another hour before the test. How do you respond when your roommate asks why you think this is a good idea?
Unit 5 Assessment
- Receive a grade
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.
- This assessment does not count towards your grade. It is just for practice!
- You will see the correct answers when you submit your answers. Use this to help you study for the final exam!
- You can take this assessment as many times as you want, whenever you want.