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Cognitive Science
An Introduction to the Study of Mind

Third Edition

Other Titles in:
Cognitive Psychology | Philosophy

576 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Cognitive Science provides a comprehensive introduction to the field from multiple perspectives to help readers better understand and answer questions about the mysteries of the mind. In each chapter, the authors focus on a particular area in cognitive science, exploring methodologies, theoretical perspectives, and findings, then offering the critical evaluations and conclusions drawn from them. Substantially updated with new and expanded content, the Third Edition reflects the latest research in this rapidly evolving field.
 
Chapter 1: Exploring Inner Space
A Brave New World

 
What Is Cognitive Science?

 
Representation

 
Computation

 
The Interdisciplinary Perspective

 
 
Chapter 2: The Philosophical Approach: Enduring Questions
What Is Philosophy?

 
The Mind-Body Problem-What is Mind?

 
Monism

 
Dualism

 
Functionalism– Are Minds Limited to Brains?

 
The Knowledge Acquisition Problem– How Do We Acquire Knowledge?

 
The Mystery of Consciousness– What is Consciousness and How Does it Operate?

 
 
Chapter 3: The Psychological Approach: A Profusion of Theories
What Is Psychology?

 
Psychology and the Scientific Method

 
Mental Atoms, Mental Molecules, and a Periodic Table of the Mind: The Voluntarist Movement

 
Structuralism: What the Mind Is

 
Functionalism: What the Mind Does

 
The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: Mental Physics and the Gestalt Movement

 
Mini-Minds: Mechanism and Psychoanalytic Psychology

 
Mind as a Black Box: The Behaviorist Approach

 
 
Chapter 4: The Cognitive Approach I: Vision, Pattern Recognition, and Attention
Some History First: The Rise of Cognitive Psychology

 
The Cognitive Approach: Mind as an Information Processor

 
Modularity of Mind

 
Theories of Vision and Pattern Recognition

 
Theories of Attention– How do We Pay Attention?

 
Evaluating the Model-Building Approach

 
 
Chapter 5: The Cognitive Approach II: Memory, Imagery, and Problem Solving
Types of Memory– How do we Remember?

 
Memory Models

 
Visual Imagery– How do we Imagine

 
Problem Solving– How do we Solve Problems?

 
 
Chapter 6: The Neuroscience Approach: Mind as Brain
The Neuroscience Perspective

 
Methodology in Neuroscience

 
The Small Picture: Neuron Anatomy and Physiology

 
The Big Picture: Brain Anatomy

 
The Neuroscience of Visual Object Recognition

 
The Neuroscience of Attention

 
The Neuroscience of Memory

 
Neural Substrates of Working Memory

 
The Neuroscience of Executive Function and Problem Solving

 
 
Chapter 7: The Network Approach: Mind as a Web
The Network Perspective

 
Artificial Neural Networks

 
Characteristics of Artificial Neural Networks

 
Early Conceptions of Neural Networks

 
Back Propagation and Convergent Dynamics

 
Evaluating the Connectionist Approach

 
Semantic Networks: Meaning in the Web

 
Network Science

 
 
Chapter 8: The Evolutionary Approach: Change Over Time
The Evolutionary View

 
A Little Background: Natural Selection and Genetics

 
Comparative Cognition

 
Evolutionary Psychology

 
Evaluating Evolutionary Psychology

 
 
Chapter 9: The Linguistic Approach: Language and Cognitive Science
The Linguistic Approach: The Importance of Language

 
The Nature of Language

 
Language Use in Primates

 
Language Acquisition

 
Language Deprivation

 
Cognition and Linguistics: The Role of Grammar

 
Neuroscience and Linguistics: The Wernicke-Geschwind Model

 
Artificial Intelligence and Linguistics: Natural Language Processing

 
 
Chapter 10: The Emotional Approach: Mind as Emotion
What Is Emotion?

 
Theories of Emotion

 
Basic Emotions

 
Emotions, Evolution, and Psychological Disorders

 
Emotions and Neuroscience

 
Hot and Cold: Emotion-Cognition Interactions

 
Emotions and Artificial Intelligence: Affective Computing

 
 
Chapter 11: The Social Approach: Mind as Society
Social Cognition

 
Social Cognitive Neuroscience

 
Topics in Social Cognitive Neuroscience

 
Is Social Cognitive Neuroscience Special?

 
Advantages of the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Approach

 
Theory of Mind

 
Other Social Cognitive Disorders

 
Attitudes

 
Impressions

 
Attribution

 
Stereotypes

 
Prejudice

 
 
Chapter 12: The Artificial Intelligence Approach I: Mind as Machine
Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence

 
Historical Precursors

 
Defining AI

 
Doctrinal Arguments

 
Turing’s Critical Legacy

 
Practical AI

 
Fuzzy Thinking – the legacy of Lotfi Zadeh

 
The Contentious Debate and AI Evolution

 
The Neural Net Model and its Capabilities

 
The New Millennium: Cognitive Computing

 
(Is it possible to “build” a brain?)

 
 
Chapter 13: The Artificial Intelligence Approach II: Embodiments and Robotics
The Intelligent Agent Paradigm

 
Emerging Developments

 
 
Chapter 14: Conclusion: Where We Go From Here
The Benefits of Cognitive Science

 
Issues in Cognitive Science

 
The Dynamical Systems Approach

 
Dynamical Representation

 
Dynamical Versus Classical Cognitive Science

 
Evaluating the Dynamical Perspective

 
Integrating Cognitive Science

 
The Future

 

Supplements

Instructor Teaching Site

Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:

  • Microsoft® Word® test bank is available containing multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The test bank provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Editable, chapter-specific Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides offer you complete flexibility in easily creating a multimedia presentation for your course. 
  • Lecture notes summarize key concepts on a chapter-by-chapter basis to help with preparation for lectures and class discussions.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide your interpretation.      
  • Carefully selected, video resources feature relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, inquiries, and other content for use in independent or classroom-based explorations of key topics.
  • Web resources are included for further research and insights. 


Student Study Site

The open-access Student Study Site includes the following:

  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide your interpretation.      
  • Carefully selected, video resources feature relevant interviews, lectures, personal stories, inquiries, and other content for use in independent or classroom-based explorations of key topics.

  • Web resources are included for further research and insights. 

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards reinforce understanding of key terms and concepts that have been outlined in the chapters.
  • Mobile-friendly web quizzes allow for independent assessment of progress made in learning course material.

I am undecided as I have received far too many Cognitive Psychology texts. I will review carefully after the current academic term has ended. Sending any related texts my way would be most helpful.

Dr Angela Birt
Psychology, Mount St Vincent University
September 23, 2015

Jay Daniels Friedenberg

Jay Friedenberg is Professor of the Psychology Department at Manhattan College, where he directs the Cognitive Science Program. He is interested in both vision and the philosophy of mind. He teaches courses in physiological psychology, cognition and learning, sensation and perception, and artificial intelligence and robotics. He has published several articles on visual estimation of center of mass. His current research projects focus on the aesthetics of geometrical shapes. He has published books on artificial intelligence, dynamical systems theory, and psychology. He is a member of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics,... More About Author

Gordon W. Silverman

Gordon Silverman is Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Manhattan College. His professional career spans more than 55 years of corporate, teaching, consulting, and research experience, during which he has developed a range of scientific instruments, particularly for use in physiological psychology research environments. He is the holder of eight patents, some related to behavior modification. The author of more than 20 journal articles and books, he has also served on the faculties of The Rockefeller University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. His current research interests include telemedicine, rehabilitation... More About Author

For instructors