Essay on Cognitive Psychology and Perception: Psychology Assignment

This essay addresses key concepts in cognitive psychology and perception. It begins by exploring Wundt's method of analytic introspection, its limitations in studying cognition, and the use of reaction times and errors to test information processing models. The essay then delves into the perception pathway, also known as the neural pathway, and its role in recognizing and perceiving objects. It describes the what and where pathways, and how they relate to visually guided actions. Furthermore, the role of mirror neurons in perception and action is discussed. The essay is supported by relevant references to journals and books, which provide further insights into the topics discussed.

Psychology

QUESTION 1 - COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
a)
Wundt’s assumption was that human mind comprise of two key components namely,
sensations and feelings. His focus was to make the introspection process precise and structured.
Hence, according to Wundt’s introspection was a highly practiced form of self- examination. He
provided training to the psychology students to make observations that were influenced by
personal bias or previous experiences (Weger, Wagemann and Meyer, 2018). These results were
then used to develop theory of conscious thought.
Cognition refers to the process which involves the ways in which people think and learn.
There are various problems with using introspection as a method of studying cognition. For
example, it is not suitable to study mental events that are unconscious using the method of
introspection. It is also not suitable for studying complex subjects which include personality,
mental disorders and learning. Also, introspection cannot be used with children as well as with
animals (Fischer, 2018). Introspection is dependent on conscious experience which makes is
unsuitable for reporting on those experiences which are unconscious. Hence, its applicability is
limited for studying cognition.
Information processing refers to behaviors of brain. Reaction time is the time which is
taken between the stages of perceiving something and responding to it. This can be used for
testing models of information processing model (Trnka and Smelik, 2020). For example, by
determining the reaction time, the effectiveness of the model to identify the time times by an
individual for processing information can be determined. Errors can also assist in identifying the
effectiveness of the models.
QUESTION 2- PERCEPTION
b)
Perception pathway is also known as the neural pathway. It extends from the occipital
lobe to temporal lobe. This pathway is associated with recognizing and perceiving things. The
brain comprises of two processing streams. One stream performs the work of perceiving objects.
The other stream is involved in locating the object and taking action towards it (Hutchison and
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Gallivan, 2018). These two streams are also known as the what and where pathways or
perception – action pathways.
These pathways play an important role in visually guided actions (Brosch, 2021). For
example, during driving, when a person sits in a car, he directs the key (what) into the ignition
slot (where) for turning the car on. When the road is clear, the individual is ready to drive the car
(perception). Hence the person puts his foot off the brake and drives the car (Action). Another
example could be when a person sees that someone is crossing the road and he is coming close to
it (perception), he will press the brake so that the car stops on time (time).
Mirror neuron is a brain cell which gives reaction to both the situations; in which a
particular action is performed and when it is only observed. According to researchers, these may
have a link with the perception and action (Cullen, 2019). Mirror neurons tend to respond to the
actions that a person observes in others. These neurons make humans learn through imitation.
They enable one to reflect body language, emotions as well as facial expressions.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Brosch, T., 2021. Affect and emotions as drivers of climate change perception and action: a
review. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 42. pp.15-21.
Cullen, K.E., 2019. Vestibular processing during natural self-motion: implications for perception
and action. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 20(6). pp.346-363.
Fischer, E., 2018. Two analogy strategies: The cases of mind metaphors and
introspection. Connection Science. 30(2). pp.211-243.
Hutchison, R.M. and Gallivan, J.P., 2018. Functional coupling between frontoparietal and
occipitotemporal pathways during action and perception. Cortex. 98. pp.8-27.
Trnka, R. and Smelik, V., 2020. Elimination of bias in introspection: methodological advances,
refinements, and recommendations. New Ideas in Psychology. 56. p.100753.
Weger, U., Wagemann, J. and Meyer, A., 2018. Introspection in psychology. European
Psychologist.
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