6.1 : Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.

This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which focused on observable behavior and dismissing the study of mental processes. The shift began in the 1950s with the advent of computers and took off after psychologists recognized the limitations of behaviorism, particularly its inability to explain complex processes like language acquisition, offering a new way to conceptualize the human mind.

Early computers, like those developed by John von Neumann, demonstrated that machines could perform logical operations. Psychologists began to see computers as a model for human cognition. Herbert Simon at Carnegie-Mellon University was a pioneer in understanding cognitive and behavioral processes of rational decision-making. He used the computer as an analogy to explain mental processes, linking the brain to hardware and cognition to software. Sensory and perceptual systems provide input, which is processed by mental operations, stored in memory, and retrieved as responses, similarly to how computers handle data.

Despite the usefulness of this analogy, there are significant differences between computers and human brains. Computers process pre-coded, unambiguous information, while the brain handles ambiguous sensory input. Computers excel in speed, accuracy, and consistency in rule application, but they lack self-awareness and consciousness, which are intrinsic to human minds.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown out of this computer-cognition analogy, aiming to create machines capable of intelligent behavior. AI excels in tasks requiring speed, persistence, and extensive memory, aiding in fields like medical diagnosis, equipment evaluation, and educational advising. The developing field of cognitive robotics seeks to equip robots with human-like, intelligent behavior, enabling them to perceive, learn, reason, and make decisions.