PSYC 2650 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Memory Span, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Revolution
Document Summary
Cognitive psyschology is the scientific study of the acquisition, retention, & use of knowledge. Therefore, cognitive psychology can help us understand capacities relevant to virtually every moment of our lives. Our activities, our social lives, our emotions, etc. would all collapse without the support of out cognitive functioning. Cognitive revolution : 1950s-60s, a change in the style of research used by most psychologists. In the late 1800s wundt & titchener launched the new enterprise of research psychology, defining their field & separating it from philosophy or biology. They believed the only way to study thoughts was for each individual to introspect to observe & record the content of our own mental lives & the sequance of our own experience. Later discovered that there are also unconscious processes that introspection cannot retrieve. There must also be some way to test a science"s claims in order for it to evolve. Introspection made it impossible for the claims to be tested.
