Psych 140 Ch. 7: Cognitivism
Learning follows Pragnanz
- black box consideration and exploration
- cognitive processes (perception, interpretation, encoding,
retrieval, cognition, metacognition) from environmental
events
Development:
Structuralism (Wundt) Functionalism Gestalt
(Wertheimer, Kohler, Koffka) + Purposive
Behaviorism (Tolman) + Verbal Learning Research
Cognitivsim (Neisser)
Psychoanalytic Behaviorist Humanistic
Cognitivist
Basic Assumptions:
1. Some learning processes may be unique to
humans
*Vygotsky higher mental f(x)s
2. Learning = schema necessarily behavior
3. People are active learners
*Bandura personal agency
*Piaget children are active and motivated
learners
4. Knowledge is organized
- trans-temporal interconnection of ABCs
5. Mental processes (inferences) observable
behaviors (scientific inquiry)
- Brandsford & Frank, 1971: > similarity to schema
of information > recall or formation of false
memories
Purposive Behaviorism (Tolman):
1. Latent learning = int > ext
- reinforcement plays a greater role in performance
2. Behavior is purposive
3. Expectations affect behavior
- expectation = stimulus
- elation and depression effects
4. Learning = organized body of information
- cognitive maps and understanding of the
geodesic
Gestalt [structured whole] Psychology (Wertheimer,
Kohler, Koffka)
- organizational processes in perception, learning and
problem solving
1. Perception reality
- phi phenomenon
2. Whole > parts
- transposition (darker is better), Rebus puzzles
3. Imposed structure and organization on experience
4. Predisposition to structure and organize in certain
ways
a. Proximity proximal group
b. Similarity similar group
c. Closure missing complete
d. Pragnanz (terseness/preciseness) Keep it
simple, stupid! (KISS principle), hooves = horses
zebra
5.
- memory traces and distortions
6. Restructuring (of problem elements) and insight
(sudden arrival at solution) in problem solving
- TAE like Thorndike proposed
- Sultans banana
Verbal Learning Research:
- black box explanations had Pragnanz
- serial learning learning words in a sequence where
W1 CR0CS2 W2 CR1CS2...
- paired-associate learning learning words in pairs
eg. English equivalents to foreign language vocabulary
1. Serial learning curve (inverted bell curve)
- serial position effect: primacy and recency
(anchors)
2. Overlearning > recall
3. Distributed (>interval b/t distributions) > massed
practice
4. Proactive/retroactive inhibition/facilitation
- proactive old inhibits/facilitates retrieval of new
(PifORN)
5. Characteristics of material vlearning
a. meaningful
b. pronounceable
c. concrete >abstract because of visual imagery
6. Meaning imposition on new information
- SR RS
7. Organization
- creation of categories in free recall
8. Encoding strategies (systems of meaning
imposition) facilitate learning esp. if directed
9. General ideas > verbatim
Information Processing Theory:
- Emphasis on how something is learned vs. what is
learned
- Emphasis on dissection vs. synthesis
Constructivism:
- Emphasis on construction vs. acquisition
- Too much emphasis on personal agency
- Individual constructivism separate construction w/in
each learner, eg. predispositional organizational laws and
cognitive maps
- Social constructivism groups creation of new
knowledge
Contextual Theories:
- Focus on physio-sociocultural factors (general) for
thoughtful learning rather than conditions for relatively
thought free conditioning
- Concrete (objects like rulers, calculators and many more)
and abstract (cognitive tools like concept of cardinal
directions) environmental support systems
Educational Implications:
- Students control their learning via cognitive processes w/
significant impact on learning effectively from instructional
practices