Cognitive Psychology For Dummies

ISBN-13: 9781119953210 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 384 str.

Michael Pake

Opis

Demystify the core concepts of cognitive psychology Written specifically for psychology students - and not other academics - Cognitive Psychology For Dummies is an accessible and entertaining introduction to the field. Unlike the dense and jargon-laden content found in most psychology textbooks, this practical guide provides readers with easy-to-understand explanations of the fundamental elements of cognitive psychology so that they are able obtain a firm grasp of the material. Cognitive Psychology For Dummies follows the structure of a typical university course, which makes it the perfect supplement for students in need of a clear and enjoyable overview of the topic. The complexities of a field that explores internal mental processes - including the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems - can be overwhelming for first-year psychology students. This practical resource cuts through the academic-speak to provide a clear understanding of the most important elements of cognitive psychology.

• Obtain a practical understanding of the core concepts of cognitive psychology
• Supplement required course reading with clear and easy-to-understand overviews
• Gain confidence in your ability to apply your knowledge of cognitive psychology
• Prepare for upcoming exams or topic discussions

Cognitive Psychology For Dummies is the perfect resource for psychology students who need a clear and readable overview of the core concepts of cognitive psychology.

Spis treści

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Cognitive Psychology 5

Chapter 1: Understanding Cognition: How You Think, See, Speak and Are! 7

Chapter 2: Studying Cognitive Psychology Means Studying the Everyday 19

Chapter 3: Improving Academic Performance with Cognitive Psychology 27

Part II: Attending to the Subtleties of Perception 41

Chapter 4: Perceiving the World around You 43

Chapter 5: Seeing How People See Depth and Colour 63

Chapter 6: Recognising Objects and People 81

Chapter 7: Atten‐hut! Paying Attention to Attention 99

Par t III: Minding Your Memory 115

Chapter 8: Where Did I Put My Keys? Short‐Term Memory 117

Chapter 9: You Don’t Remember Our Wedding Day? Long‐Term Memory 135

Chapter 10: Knowing about Knowledge 153

Chapter 11: Discovering Why You Forget Things 167

Chapter 12: Memorising in the Real World 179

Par t IV: Communicating What Your Brain Thinks about Language 191

Chapter 13: Communicating the Extraordinary Nature of Language 193

Chapter 14: Studying the Structure of Language 211

Chapter 15: Talking about Language Perception and Production 225

Chapter 16: Discovering the Links between Language and Thought 239

Part V: Thinking Your Way around Thought 253

Chapter 17: Uncovering How People Solve Problems 255

Chapter 18: Thinking Logically about Reasoning 267

Chapter 19: Making Up Your Mind: Decision–Making 281

Chapter 20: Thinking Clearly about the Role of Emotions 293

Par t VI: The Part of Tens 311

Chapter 21: Studying Patients with Brain Damage 313

Chapter 22: Ten Tips for Writing Successful Research Reports 321

Chapter 23: Busting Ten Cognitive Psychology Myths 329

Index 335

O autorze

Dr Peter J. Hills, PhD, is a principal lecturer and Head of Education in psychology at Bournemouth University. Dr J Michael Pake is a senior lecturer in Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University.

Blurb

Learn to:

• Grasp the fundamentals of cognitive psychology
• Apply key concepts concerning perception, memory, language and thought
• Write better research reports

Demystify the core concepts of cognitive psychology

Written specifically for psychology students and professionals, this hands–on guide provides an accessible and entertaining introduction to the field of cognitive psychology. Unlike the dense and jargon–laden content found in most psychology textbooks, it offers easy–to–understand explanations of the fundamental elements of cognitive psychology, giving you a firm grasp of the material.

• Put the ′fun′ in fundamentals — get a fascinating introduction to the field of cognitive psychology, from its history and relationship to other areas of psychology to how it′s now studied
• Go cerebral — discover how cognitive psychology can be applied in the real world and find useful pointers for how you can use it to aid your learning
• It′s all about perception — grasp how sensation, visual perception, object processing and attention play a major role in psychology
• Forget about it — understand how short and long–term memory work, why we don′t remember everything we′ve learnt and how critical aspects of everyday memory function
• Something to talk about — find out the role that language and thought play in cognitive abilities

Open the book and find:

• Cognitive models that are used to explain rationality
• How humans solve simple and complex problems
• The cognitive processes involved in making decisions
• How emotion affects thought
• Ten eye–opening case studies
• Do′s and don′ts for writing research reports