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Cognitive Psychology
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Cognitive Psychology
Theory, Process, and Methodology


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Cognitive Psychology

February 2015 | 384 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Cognitive Psychology covers core content such as perception, attention, memory, language, reasoning and problem solving, and cognitive neuroscience with an emphasis on current methods of study. The text features a student-friendly writing style that introduces students of cognitive psychology to the main topics of study in this field through a description of how cognitive processes have been and continue to be studied by researchers in this key area of psychology.

Key features:

  • Introduces cognitive psychology topics in a student-friendly manner
  • Helps students understand the methods that cognitive researchers use to better understand cognitive processes
  • Encourages students to think critically about current theories and research in cognitive psychology
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Chapter 1: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Introduction: Cognition and Shopping

 
What Is Cognitive Psychology?

 
Development of cognitive psychology

 
Current approaches to the study of cognition

 
Research in Cognitive Psychology

 
The scientific method

 
Research methodologies

 
Commonly used measures within cognitive psychology

 
 
Chapter 2: Cognitive Neuroscience
Introduction: Knowledge from Cognitive Deficits

 
Clinical Case Studies in Cognitive Neuroscience

 
Structure of the Nervous System

 
The neuron

 
The brain

 
Measures in Cognitive Neuroscience

 
Single-cell recording

 
Electroencephalography (EEG)

 
Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

 
Electrical stimulation/inhibition of neurons

 
Brain imaging techniques

 
Recording activity in the living brain

 
Can All Mental Processes Be Explained in Terms of Brain Activity?

 
 
Chapter 3: Perception
Introduction: Perception in Everyday Tasks

 
Sensory Systems: How Sensations Become Perceptions

 
Approaches to the Study of Perception

 
Computational approaches

 
Gestalt approaches

 
Perception/action approaches

 
Comparison of Approaches to Perception: Motion Perception

 
 
Chapter 4: Attention
Introduction: How We Pay Attention

 
Views of Attention

 
Attention as an information filter

 
Attention as a limited resource

 
Attention as a feature binder

 
How Attention Affects Our Perceptions

 
The gorilla in the room: Inattentional blindness

 
Incompatibilities tax attention: The Simon effect

 
Effects of automatic processes on attention: The Stroop task

 
Automatic and Controlled Processes: A Cognitive Dichotomy

 
 
Chapter 5: Memory Structures and Processes
Introduction: The Pervasiveness of Memory

 
Memory as Structure or Process

 
Encoding, storage, and retrieval

 
Modal model of memory

 
Sensory Memory

 
Short-Term Memory (STM)

 
Capacity of STM

 
Duration of STM

 
Long-Term Memory (LTM)

 
Types of LTM memories

 
The Working-Memory (WM) System

 
Baddeley’s model

 
Beyond Baddeley’s model

 
Retrieval From Long-Term Memory

 
Recall tasks

 
Recognition tasks

 
Comparing recall and recognition tasks

 
Implicit-memory tasks

 
Prospective-memory tasks

 
Memory Overview

 
 
Chapter 6: Long-Term Memory: Influences on Retrieval
Introduction: Superior Memory

 
Why We Forget

 
Encoding Effects

 
Levels of processing

 
Spacing effects

 
Serial position curve

 
Retrieval Effects

 
The testing effect

 
Using the testing effect

 
Encoding-Retrieval Interactions

 
Environmental context effects

 
Mood-dependent effects

 
Transfer-appropriate processing

 
Summary of encoding-retrieval interactions

 
Mnemonics

 
Superior Autobiographical Memory

 
 
Chapter 7: Memory Errors
Introduction: The Inaccuracy of Memory

 
The Seven “Sins” of Memory

 
Error #1 Transience

 
Error #2 Absentmindedness

 
Error #3 Blocking

 
Error #4 Source misattribution

 
Error #5 Suggestibility

 
Error #6 Bias

 
Error #7 Persistence

 
Summary

 
The Reconstructive Nature of Memory

 
Bartlett’s studies

 
Schemata and scripts

 
Memory Errors in the Laboratory

 
The DRM procedure

 
Eyewitness memory studies

 
Applications of eyewitness memory research

 
Summary and conclusions

 
Clinical Memory Failures - Amnesia

 
Types of amnesia

 
Amnesia and implicit memory

 
Amnesia in Alzheimer’s Disease

 
Amnesia in childhood

 
 
Chapter 8: Imagery
Introduction: Visual Imagery in Everyday Life

 
Mental Images and Cognition

 
The Debate on Propositional and Spatial Representations

 
Imagery and Memory

 
The picture superiority effect

 
The concreteness effect

 
The bizarreness effect

 
Imagery and mnemonics

 
The dark side of imagery

 
Imagery in Problem Solving and Wayfinding

 
Imagery in problem solving

 
Imagery in wayfinding

 
Nonvisual Imagery

 
Imagery and simulation

 
 
Chapter 9: Language
Introduction: A Simple Conversation

 
What Is Language?

 
The structure of language

 
How Do We Process Language?

 
Language comprehension

 
Language production

 
Dialogue: Production and comprehension together

 
Acquiring Language

 
Typical language development

 
Nature or nurture: Mechanisms for learning words and syntax

 
Human Language and Animal Communication

 
Comparing human language to animal communication

 
Attempts to teach animals human language

 
 
Chapter 10: Concepts and Knowledge
Introduction: Game Night

 
What Are Concepts?

 
The classical approach: Concepts as definitions

 
Alternative approaches to concepts

 
Other alternative approaches to concepts

 
Organizing Our Concepts

 
Conceptual hierarchies

 
Basic-level concepts

 
Organizational approaches

 
Summary of conceptual organization

 
Using Concepts: Beyond Categorization

 
Category induction

 
Stereotypes

 
Expertise

 
Conceptual combination

 
The Future of Research and Theory of Concepts

 
 
Chapter 11: Problem Solving
Introduction: Problem Solving in Daily Life

 
Recognizing and Identifying a Problem

 
Defining and Representing Problems

 
Functional fixedness

 
Developing Solutions to Problems: Approaches and Strategies

 
Associationist approach: Trial-and-error strategy

 
Gestalt approaches

 
Problem solving as problem space searches

 
Summary of approaches and strategies

 
Allocating Mental Resources for Solving the Problem

 
Expertise

 
Experts versus novices

 
Becoming a better problem solver

 
 
Chapter 12: Reasoning and Decision Making
Introduction: A Night at the Movies

 
Deductive Reasoning

 
Syllogistic reasoning

 
Conditional reasoning

 
Deductive-reasoning approaches

 
Combining these approaches: Dual-process framework approach

 
Inductive Reasoning

 
Types of induction reasoning

 
Everyday reasoning

 
Making Decisions

 
A general model of decision making

 
Ideal decision making: A normative model

 
Heuristics and biases

 
Descriptive decision-making approaches

 
Dual-process framework

 
Future Advances in Theories of Reasoning and Decision Making

 
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Author Index
 
Subject Index

Supplements

Instructor Teaching Site

The Instructor Resource Site includes:

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Sample course syllabi for semester and quarter courses provide suggested models for structuring your courses.
  • Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for your course.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter is included.
  • Multimedia content includes original SAGE videos that appeal to students with different learning styles.
  • Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to help you prepare for lectures and class discussions.
  • Course cartridge for easy LMS integration is included.
Student Study Site

The open-access Student Study Site includes:

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts.
  • Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material.
  • A customized online action plan includes tips and feedback on progress through the course and materials, which allows students to individualize their learning experience.
  • Chapter summaries with learning objectives reinforce the most important material.
  • Interactive exercises and meaningful Web links facilitate student use of Internet resources, further exploration of topics, and responses to critical thinking questions.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter is included. 

A very practical and well explained review of cognitive psychology that draws upon a number of relevant case studies

Mr Steve Robinson
Faculty Of Business Sport And Enterprise, Southampton Solent University
March 1, 2018

Excellent introductory book covering cognitive psychology main topics well.

Mrs Emma Richards
Department of Psychology, Swansea University
July 8, 2015

This is a good book as it addresses essential areas of cognitive psychology. It can also be used at numerous levels of study as an addition to prescribed texts.

Ms Cindy Melanie Swartbooi
Psychology , Cornerstone Institute
September 8, 2016

Fantastic text that is readable and appealing for instructor and student. Highly recommend.

Mr Alan Whitehead
Family Social Science Div, Southern Virginia University
January 24, 2018

A very good textbook, covering all the topics we cover on our module.

Mrs Musurrat Perveen
Psychology , Manchester College of Arts & Techn.
November 29, 2016

This text is outstanding, covering all the major areas of cognitive psychology, including cognitive nuroscience, memory structures, long term memory and problem solving.
The text has a logical layout, and easy to understand. provides an overview, as well as more detailed exploration of the key concepts. It is ideal for psychology students of all levels, ranging from level three through to level 6, including A-Level, undergraduate and postgraduate. It is an essential introductory text for any course exploring cognitive psychology.

Mr Gavin Hatton
Education, St. Davids RC Sixth Form College
April 29, 2016

I really did enjoy this book. Anyone who is seriously interested in Cognitive Psychology should read this book.

Dr Florian Röser
Psychology , University of Applied Science Darmstadt
December 18, 2015

I want to emphasize that this book is excellent, and serves as a great text for introductory cognitive psychology courses. The only reason I have not adopted it, is because the social-psychology module that I wanted to run has not yet been validated. As such, I will consider adopting this book for said module once it is up and running.

Dr Rodolfo Leyva
Sociology, Middlesex University
March 8, 2016

Nice easy to read book with relevant academic information for degree students

Ms Lorna Harris
Peaks Centre, Sheffield College
February 26, 2016

I found that this is a highly useful book for students struggling with the course. Uses apt examples with useful revision questions.

Mr Lloyd Carroll
Psychology, Dublin Business School
November 16, 2015

Dawn M. McBride

Dawn M. McBride is professor of psychology at Illinois State University, where she has taught research methods since 1998. Her research interests include automatic forms of memory, false memory, prospective memory, task order choices, and forgetting. In addition to research methods, she teaches courses in introductory psychology, cognition and learning, and human memory; she also teaches a graduate course in experimental design. She is a recipient of the Illinois State University Teaching Initiative Award and the Illinois State University SPA/Psi Chi Jim Johnson Award for commitment to undergraduate mentorship, involvement, and achievement... More About Author

John C. Cutting

J. Cooper Cutting (PhD, cognitive psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) is associate professor of psychology at Illinois State University. Dr. Cutting’s research interests are in psycholinguistics, primarily, with a focus on the production of language. A central theme of his research is how different types of information interact during language use. He has examined this issue in the context of lexical access, within-sentence agreement processes, figurative language production, and pragmatics. He has taught courses in research methods, statistics, cognitive psychology, computer applications in psychology, human memory,... More About Author

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ISBN: 9781452288796
$126.00