PS260 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Palt, Cognitive Revolution, Working Memory
Document Summary
Many of our encounters with the world depend on supplementing your experience with knowledge. H. m. was in his mid-20"s when had surgery to control epilepsy. Was able to remember memories prior to the surgery, but could not remember events after the surgery. Had trouble remembering his uncle"s death, so every time he was informed about it, he would react to the news as if it was the first time. Had trouble knowing who he was as a person. Cognitive psychology is sometimes defined as the scientific study of the acquisition, retention, and use of knowledge. Our self concept depends on our knowledge. Cognitive revolution focused on multiple ideas: psychology cannot study the mental world directly, psychology must study the mental world to understand behavior. Wudnt and titchner believed that psychology needed to focus on the study of mental events (feelings, thoughts, perceptions, recollections) Stated that the only way to do so is to observe our own thoughts.
