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How would you rate your memory? Does this
number vary from day to day? Morning to
evening?
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The human mind is quite sophisticated. It can
manipulate abstract symbols like words and
images. These mental representations can refer
to objects, ideas, and people in the real world;
people use them when they think, make plans,
imagine, or daydream.
You have an idea of how you look somewhere
in your mind – a self-representation. You also
have ideas about how other people are.
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Mental representations are organized in
categories, and the mind contains all sorts of
mental representations stored in memory.
Cognitive schemas – pre-stored mental
representations.
Mental representations – how we store images
and ideas in memory.
Researchers believe that what we already
know (cognitive schemas) affects the way we
interpret events and store knowledge in out
memory.
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Study of mental processes
Study of the way in which the brain processes
information
It concerns the way we take in information
from the outside world, how we make sense
of that information and what use we make of
it.
Definition: "the process of thinking"; "the
cognitive operation of remembering" (Stanford,
2010)
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Ex. Functions or processes such as perception,
introspection, memory, creativity, imagination,
conception, belief, reasoning, volition, and
emotion—in other words, all the different
things that we can do with our minds.
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Mental representations and processes guide
behavior
Models of mental processes can be proposed
and investigated scientifically
Cognitive processes are influenced by social
and cultural factors
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Human behavior is determined by a set of
mental tasks/processes
Mental tasks/processes include; perception,
thinking, problem solving, memory, language
and attention -They are also known as
cognitions
Cognitive psychologist see these
cognitions/mental tasks as active systems;
In between taking in and responding to
information a number of processes are at
work.
 Information can be transformed, reduced,
elaborated, filtered, manipulated, selected,
organized, stored and retrieved
 Therefore the human mind is seen as an
active system processing information, and
cognitive psychologists aims to study these
processes.
◦ People, like computers, acquire information from the
environment ( input ).
◦ Both people and computers store information and
retrieve it when applicable to current tasks;
◦ Both are limited in the amount of information they can
process at a given time;
◦ Both transform information to produce new information;
both return information to the environment ( output).
◦ This information processing approach can
demonstrated in research with;
◦ Models of memory
◦ Schema theory (This can be used to assist you with
objective 1.2).
◦ Cognitive processes are difficult to study. They often
occur rapidly, and inside the mind so they cannot be
observed directly.
◦ It is only the responses that participants make when
given some cognitive task to perform that can tell us
about cognitive processes.
◦ These tasks usually take place under tightly controlled lab
experiments where the main aim is to isolate a particular
component of the cognitive process for the study. (This
can be used to assist you with objective 1.2)
Example: The stroop effect
◦ One of the earliest and most famous
experiments into cognitive processes is the
Stroop Effect.
◦ The stroop effect is a phenomena involved in
attentional processes.
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It demonstrates the effects of interference,
processing speed (reaction time) and
automaticity in divided attention.
The effect is named after John Ridley Stroop
who first published the effect in English in
1935.
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This is a classic laboratory experiment that
involves the manipulation of an
independent variable (color or name of
word ) to see what effect it has on the
dependent variable ( reaction time).
It attempts to control the influence of all
other extraneous variables – such as other
cognitive processes or skills.
It also allows us to establish a cause and
effect relationship between task and mental
process.
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A further example of the
laboratory experiment was
conducted by Ebbinghaus
(1885).
His experiment intended to
isolate the process of pure
memory and show that it could
be studied scientifically under
carefully controlled conditions.
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The aim of the study was to assess short term memory,
i.e. how quickly a person forgets what has been
learned 100%.
He used himself in most of the studies , i.e. the design
was N=1 and he tested his memory using nonsense
syllables.
Learned lists of nonsense syllables (e.g., DAX, QEH)
Why nonsense syllables?
 He did not want actual words to influence his ability to
memorize or recall certain words
 He manipulated the independent variable of ‘time delay
before recall’ to find the effect on the dependent variable
of ‘the amount of information retained’ thus being able
eventually to draw the famous ‘forgetting curve’.
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In other words Language, perception, schemas,
etc. can be influenced by our culture. How so?
This principle may b e demonstrated in research
that looks at social and cultural influences on
cognitive processes. Such as schemas
Examples:
 a. Frederic Bartlett, coined the term schema,
which is a mental representation of knowledge.
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Schema is defined as a mental representation
of knowledge, it’s an internal depiction of the
world. He was predominantly fascinated how
cultural schemas influence one’s recollection.
A+ info on Barlett’s study
http://myclass.peelschools.org/sec/11/20135/Lessons/Period%204/Cogniti
ve%20Level%20of%20Analysis/Bartlett,%20Schema%20Theory,%20Reco
nstructive%20Memory,%20Serial%20Reproduction,%20Native%20Americ
an%20Legend,%20War%20of%20the%20Ghosts.pdf
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In your response, you must
Show an objective way that the principle can
be studied
Provide a research example of a study that
demonstrates the principle
Show how the specific study demonstrates the
principle.