cognitive science
(noun)
An interdisciplinary field that analyses mental functions and processes.
Examples of cognitive science in the following topics:
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History of Cognition
- The word "cognition" is the closest scientific synonym for thinking.
- Some of the most important figures in the study of cognition are:
- The study of human cognition began over two thousand years ago.
- These processes can be analyzed through the lenses of many different fields: linguistics, anesthesia, neuroscience, education, philosophy, biology, computer science, and of course, psychology, to name a few.
- These numerous approaches to the analysis of cognition are synthesized in the relatively new field of cognitive science, the interdisciplinary study of mental processes and functions.
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Network Models of Memory
- Connectionism is an approach in cognitive science that models mental or behavioral phenomena as the emergent processes of interconnected networks that consist of simple units.
- Taking its metaphors from the field of computer science, this model stresses the parallel nature of neural processing.
- This model emphasizes learning and other cognitive phenomena in the creation and storage of memory.
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Social Cognition
- Social cognition, like general cognition, uses schemas to help people form judgments and conclusions about the world.
- Social cognition is a specific approach of social psychology (the area of psychology that studies how people's thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others) that uses the methods of cognitive science.
- Similarly, a notable theory of social cognition is social-schema theory.
- Two cognitive processes that increase the accessibility of schemas are salience and priming.
- Studies have found that culture influences social cognition in other ways too.
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Cognitive Psychology
- "Cognition" refers to thinking and memory processes, and "cognitive development" refers to long-term changes in these processes.
- Major areas of research in cognitive psychology include perception, memory, categorization, knowledge representation, numerical cognition, language, and thinking.
- Though there are examples of cognitive approaches from earlier researchers, cognitive psychology really developed as a subfield within psychology in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
- The development of the field was heavily influenced by contemporary advancements in technology and computer science.
- Piaget is best known for his stage theory of cognitive development.
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Defining Psychology
- Most psychologists can be classified as social, behavioral, or cognitive scientists.
- Psychologists attempt to understand not only the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, but also the physiological and biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors.
- Psychology explores concepts such as perception, cognition, attention, emotion, phenomenology, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior, resilience, the unconscious mind, and interpersonal relationships.
- Psychology has been described as a "hub science" because psychological research has links to the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities (such as philosophy).
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Heuristics and Cognitive Biases
- These mental shortcuts, which are often influenced by cognitive biases, save time and energy but cause errors in reasoning.
- Based on the schemas you hold about men most often being in science—what is most representative in your mind when you think of a typical scientist—you predict that most scientists will be male.
- Cognitive biases are another factor that can lead researchers to make incorrect inferences when analyzing data.
- A cognitive bias is the mind's tendency to come to incorrect conclusions based on a variety of factors.
- Explain the heuristics and cognitive biases that can impact a researcher's interpretation of data
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Evolutionary Psychology
- Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective.
- Proponents of evolutionary psychology suggest that it seeks to bridge the division between the human social sciences (such as psychology and sociology) and the natural sciences (such as biology, chemistry, and physics).
- Just as evolutionary physiology has worked to identify physical adaptations of the body that represent "human physiological nature," evolutionary psychology works to identify evolved emotional and cognitive adaptations that represent "human psychological nature."
- The field also draws on cognitive psychology, behavioral ecology, artificial intelligence, genetics, anthropology, archaeology, biology, and zoology.
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Criticisms of the Social-Cognitive Pespective on Personality
- Critics of the social-cognitive theory of personality argue that it is not a unified theory and does not explain development over time.
- The social-cognitive theory of personality emphasizes both learning and cognition as sources of individual differences in personality.
- One of the main criticisms of the social-cognitive theory is that it is not a unified theory.
- Because of this, it can be difficult to quantify the effect that social cognition has on development.
- Critics of social-cognitive theory argue that the theory does not provide a full explanation of how social cognition, behavior, environment, and personality are related (known as "reciprocal determinism").
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Cognitive Development in Adulthood
- Cognition changes over a person's lifespan, peaking at around age 35 and slowly declining in later adulthood.
- Because we spend so many years in adulthood (more than any other stage), cognitive changes are numerous during this period.
- In fact, research suggests that adult cognitive development is a complex, ever-changing process that may be even more active than cognitive development in infancy and early childhood (Fischer, Yan, & Stewart, 2003).
- During early adulthood, cognition begins to stabilize, reaching a peak around the age of 35.
- Review the milestones of cognitive development in early and middle adulthood
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Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies
- Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies address the interplay between dysfunctional emotions, maladaptive behaviors, and biased cognitions.
- Cognitive therapy (CT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are closely related; however CBT is an umbrella category of therapies that includes cognitive therapy.
- At the core of cognitive therapy is the idea of cognitive biases, or irrational beliefs that cause distress in a person's life.
- During the 1980s and 1990s, cognitive and behavioral techniques were merged into cognitive-behavioral therapy.
- Discuss the goals, techniques, and efficacy of cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies