In the Module One overview and resources, you learned that the field of cognitive psychology examines human thought processes through a variety of research techniques. The field encompasses several ar
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Andrea DeCinto posted Mar 12, 2019 1:12 PM
Cognitive psychology as stated is the “Cognitive psychology involves the study of internal mental processes” (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2017). Listed in the textbook is the common main types of research including experimental, correlational and descriptive. Those are used in almost any field in psychology. Experimental, naturalistic, case studies, neuroscientific reports, laboratory studies and self reporting are various methods used by experimenters within this field (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2017).
In reviewing self reporting and neuroscientific research there were similarities within the areas of within the sample size both more than likely would small as well as both studies would show individual differences. Differences are as follows; self reporting has an increased chance in representative sampling over neuroscientific (Sternberg& Sternberg, 2017). Neuroscientific studies examine “the relationship between cognitive performance and cerebral events and structures” (Sternberg& Sternberg, 2017). Neuroscience allows for further understanding in the areas of cognitive deficiency i.e attention. The downside of neuroscience is that it is costly with the machines and staff that are involved as well as previously mentioned small sample size.
Self reporting examines specific aspects of cognitive processes through surveys. Self-reporting is used when an experimenter is reviewing a rare event or situation that cannot be replicated in experiments (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2017). An experimenter who uses self reporting as a research tool must keep in mind that their data can be skewed through the perceptions of individuals and their own self ratings. Also, participants cannot articulate or report what is going on outside of their own consciousness (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2017). On the other hand self reports have the advantage of allowing for researchers to get a first hand look on individual perspectives (Sternberg & Sternberg, 2017).
In December of 2013 there was an article reported on the differences between the brains of a male and of a female. Researchers reviewed over 949 young adult’s brains through a form of neuroscience “brain imaging–diffusion tensor imaging–which can reveal the microscopic structures of the living brain”. When reviewing the data collected from 428 males it was noted that the connections between males brains ran between the front and the back within the same side of the brain (Ingalhalikar et al, 2013). This gives males the advantage of motor and spatial skills. With females it was noted that there were more connections between both hemispheres. This allows for women to have advantages with memory and social skills. To conclude this study was able to find that the differences in structural of brains started at or before the age of 13 for females (Ingalhalikar et al, 2013). The advantage of neuroscientific research allows for an increase in explanation for reason behind cognitive processes. Within this study the info here could allow for problem solving to occur. For example women are not as strong in spatial ability per the brain images. Knowing that a researcher or researchers can conduct more testing going forward using possible solutions and seeing how the brain reacts in that way
Reference
Connectivity: The Difference Between Men's and Women's Brains. (2013, December 31). Retrieved from https://www.spring.org.uk/2013/12/connectivity-the-difference-between-mens-and-womens-brains.php
Sternberg, K., & Sternberg, R. J. (2017). Intro to Cognitive Psychology. In Cognitive Psychology Seventh Edition (pp. 1-35). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
