1. Cog Psy

• Cognition


  The activities and processes concerned with the acquisition, storage, retrieval and processing of knowledge
• Cognitive psychology


  • A branch of psychology that focuses on studying mental processes such as attention, language use, perception, problem-solving, memory, and thinking
  • Concerned with understanding how people acquire, process, store, and use information
• Cognitive processes


  • Memory
  • Perception
  • Attention
  • Mental Imagination
  • Language processing
  • Problem Solving
  • Reasoning, Decision Making & Judgements
  • Consciousness
  • Knowledge
• Cognition in day-to-day life


  • Perceiving the environment
  • Paying attention
  • Visualizing
  • Comprehending and producing language
  • Problem-solving
  • Decision-making
• Information processing


  Human cognition takes place at both conscious and unconscious levels. It can be concrete or abstract.

  
• Psychology should be studied scientifically
• Information received from our senses is processed by the brain, and this processing directs how we behave
• The mind/brain processes information like a computer. We take information in, and then it is subjected to mental processes. There is input, processing, and then output

  
• Mediational processes (e.g., thinking, memory) occur between stimulus and response
• Cognitive psychology


  The scientific study of how the mind works
• Definitions of cognitive psychology

  • It is the scientific study of how the mind works
  • "...cognitive psychology deals with how people perceive, learn, remember, and think about information " – (Sternberg, 1999)
  • "All the processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used (Ulric Neisser,1967)
  • "Cognitive psychology [is] the study of processes underlying mental events" - (Solso, 2005)
  • The mental actions or processes involved in acquiring, maintaining and understanding knowledge through thought, experience and the senses (Oxford Dictionary, 2018)
  • The mental activity associated with obtaining, converting and using knowledge (Licht, Hull & Ballantyne, 2014)

  
• Cognitive psychologists study internal processes that include perception, attention, language, memory, and thinking
• Questions cognitive psychologists ask


  • How do we receive information about the outside world?
  • How do we store and process information?
  • How do we solve problems?
  • How does a breakdown in our perceptions cause errors in our thinking?
  • How do errors in our thinking lead to emotional distress and negative behaviors?

  
• Scientists who study cognition are searching for ways to understand how we integrate, organize, and utilize our conscious cognitive experiences without being aware of all of the unconscious work that our brains are doing
• Cognitive psychologists strive to determine and measure different types of intelligence, why some people are better at problem solving than others, and how emotional intelligence affects success in the workplace
• What do cognitive psychologists study?


  • Memory
  • Decision Making
  • Attention
  • Perception
  • Learning
  • Neurobiology
  • Cognitive Development
  • Concept Formation
  • Emotion
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Language
  • Problem Solving
  • Mental Imagery
  • Animal Cognition
• The human nervous system is capable of handling endless streams of information
• When thoughts are formed, the brain pulls information from emotions and memories

  
• Emotion and memory are powerful influences on both our thoughts and behaviors

  
• Concepts


  Categories or groupings of linguistic information, images, ideas, or memories, such as life experiences
• Types of concepts


  • Natural concepts
  • Artificial concepts
• Prototypes


  The best example or representation of a concept
• Schemata


  • A mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932)
  • A plan, diagram, or outline, especially a mental representation of some aspect of the experience, based on prior experience, and memory, structured in such a way as to facilitate (and sometimes to distort) perception, cognition, the drawing of inferences, or the interpretation of new information in terms of existing knowledge (Colman, 2008)
  • A role schema makes assumptions about how individuals in certain roles will behave (Callero, 1994)
  • An event schema, also known as a cognitive script, is a set of behaviors that can feel like a routine

  
• Domains of cognitive psychology


  • Human and Artificial Intelligence
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Perception
  • Attention
  • Representation of knowledge
  • Consciousness
  • Memory
  • Pattern Recognition
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Language
  • Imagery-cognitive map
• Cognitive psychology


  The attempt to "understand human cognition by using behavioral evidence" (Eysenck & Keane, 2015)
• Cognitive neuropsychology


  Understanding 'normal' cognition through the study of patients living with a brain injury
• Cognitive neuroscience


  Combining evidence from the brain with behavior to form a more complete picture of cognition
• Computational cognitive science


  Using computational models to understand and test our understanding of human cognition
• Cognitive neuropsychology


  • Localization of Function
  • Lesion Studies
  • Cognitive Models
  • Rehabilitation
  • Neuroimaging Techniques
• Cognitive neuroscience


  • Brain Mapping
  • Cognitive Functions and Brain Regions
  • Neuroplasticity- brains' ability to reorganize and adapt in response to experience, learning, and injury
  • Integration of Information- (cellular processes, neural circuits)
  • Clinical Applications- (Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, depression, neurodevelopmental disorders)
  • Computational Models
• Computational cognitive science


  • Modeling Cognitive Processes- (problem-solving, decision-making, language processing, and memory retrieval)
  • Algorithmic Approaches- (artificial intelligence)
  • Testing Hypotheses
  • Neural Network Models
  • Integration with Empirical Data
  • Cognitive Architecture-comprehensive frameworks that organize and integrate various cognitive processes
  • Application to Artificial Intelligence
• Applications of computational cognitive science

  • Modeling Human Cognition-decision-making models
  • Learning and Memory in AI-supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning
  • Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Language Understanding
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)- humans perceive information, process visual and audit
• Computational Cognitive Science


  Models that mimic the way humans think, learn, perceive, and make decisions. By using computer simulations, researchers seek to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of cognition and to replicate human-like behavior.
• Computational Cognitive Science focuses on


  • Modeling Cognitive Processes (problem-solving, decision-making, language processing, and memory retrieval)
  • Algorithmic Approaches (artificial intelligence)
  • Testing Hypotheses
  • Neural Network Models
  • Integration with Empirical Data
  • Cognitive Architecture (comprehensive frameworks that organize and integrate various cognitive processes)
  • Application to Artificial Intelligence
• Applications of Computational Cognitive Science

  • Modeling Human Cognition (decision-making models)
  • Learning and Memory in AI (supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and reinforcement learning)
  • Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Language Understanding
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) (humans perceive information, process visual and auditory cues, and make decisions)
  • Embodied Cognition and Robotics
  • Cognitive Load and Attention in AI Design
• Information Processing Theory


  Views the mind as a computer-like system that processes information through a series of stages, including input, processing, storage, and output. Key concepts include the role of mental representations, attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving in cognitive functioning.
• Connectionism (Neural Networks)


  Connectionist models, also known as neural networks, are based on the idea that cognitive processes arise from interconnected networks of simple processing units (artificial neurons). Learning occurs through the adjustment of connection strengths between nodes, and the network's structure can be shaped by experience.
• Information Integration Theory (Dual Process Theory)


  Dual process theories propose that there are two types of cognitive processes: System 1 (fast, intuitive, automatic) and System 2 (slow, deliberate, controlled). Developed to explain decision-making and problem-solving, these theories suggest that different cognitive systems operate in parallel.
• Schema Theory


  Schema theory posits that individuals organize knowledge into mental structures (schemas) that represent general knowledge about the world and specific events. Schemas influence perception, memory, and problem-solving by providing frameworks for interpreting and organizing information.
• Ecological Systems Theory


  Proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory emphasizes the interaction between individuals and their environment at multiple levels (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem). Cognitive development is influenced by the broader social and ecological context in which individuals live.