For questions focusing on the interaction of many internal mental processes. If your question involves only one of memory, attention, language, decision-making, or perception then use the associated specialized tag instead of cognitive-psychology.
6
votes
1answer
98 views
Why aren't sleep measures consistently measured as mediators/moderators of cognitive performance?
Knowing that sleep quantity and quality affects cognitive performance across many domains, why aren't pre-test sleep measures or intra-test measures of arousal a standard part of all cognitive test ...
9
votes
2answers
301 views
Does any evidence show that Smartphone users have poorer memory?
An ages old complaint is that new technology harms memory. Why remember something when you can look it up?
In a course on Human Memory I distinctly recall an interesting discussion on phones and ...
4
votes
1answer
110 views
Why is it common for people to default to a single causal source to explain new phenomena?
I am constantly bombarded by allegations that almost every relatively unusual event is the result/proof of some conspiracy/plan set by a specific powerful entity.
The typical reasoning behind such ...
5
votes
1answer
67 views
What is a more modern interpretation of the terms egosyntonic/egodystonic?
Egosyntonic thoughts/ideas are those that are consistent with self-image, and egodystonic thoughts are recognized as inconsistent.
For example, in obsessive compulsive disorder, the patient will ...
8
votes
2answers
205 views
How does the brain act on the information gained via eye saccades?
I've often heard that the process of saccading can be described as a statistical sampling technique. Specifically, the standard textbook definition of the function of saccades seems to be that the ...
9
votes
3answers
195 views
How can I find open access journals for cognitive science research?
What open access journals that publish research in cognitive science/psychology exist?
Apart from PLOS ONE, are there any other open access journals that publish research in cognitive ...
9
votes
1answer
108 views
When is higher confidence predictive of less accuracy?
Normally, when an individual is more confident in a particular response (e.g., memory decision, general knowledge answer), he or she is also more likely to be accurate. There are also studies in which ...
8
votes
3answers
231 views
Is it possible to create a false memory by trying to remember something that eludes you?
Sometimes I have difficulty remembering the specifics of an event, specifically if I'm tired or possibly have recently consumed alcohol. A close friend of mine has gotten me in the habit of ...
5
votes
2answers
202 views
What can cognitive psychology tell us about the results of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
One of the experiments that are always taught as prime examples of social psychology in action is the Stanford Prison Experiment
In 1971, Zimbardo accepted a tenured position as professor of ...
2
votes
2answers
154 views
Why do some people seem to disregard the choice of doing nothing (The Zero Choice)?
In many areas of life we have a choice between multiple options: if we are hungry and we want to go out to eat, we have a number of places to choose from (McDonalds, etc). However, we also still have ...
4
votes
0answers
147 views
Obey any command given suddenly, as in the Jumping Frenchmen of Maine
There is behaviour I'm looking for information about, below are two examples of this behaviour, although the 2nd example is from fiction.
The first example is featured on the TV show QI, "Jumping ...
4
votes
0answers
205 views
What are the “Must Know” papers of Cognitive Science? [closed]
What are the works/papers/results/theories any expert in cognitive science should know, even if they're outside his/her specific field of expertise?
One paper/theory per answer please, and state why ...
3
votes
1answer
159 views
Has the neuro-linguistic programming visual model been scientifically tested?
According to the NLP visual model, fast flickers of the eyes in left/right and the 4 diagonal directions map to simple cues related to how a person is thinking. Thease are "visual constructed", ...
5
votes
0answers
79 views
What processes underly confidence ratings in cognitive decision-making?
Many experiments in cognitive psychology and other domains ask for confidence ratings (e.g., on a 0-100 scale, 100 meaning "I'm sure I experienced this stimulus"). What accounts describe how these ...
17
votes
3answers
3k views
Does evidence support Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?
Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs (shown below) is a popular concept and is often taught in basic psychology courses, and often less objectively taught in Business and Marketing courses.
A common problem ...
10
votes
2answers
580 views
Motivation vs Goal Oriented Behavior
What's the difference between these two terms when used in the context of cognitive psychology? To the best of my knowledge, research on 'Goal Oriented Behavior' refers to the subset of motivation ...
7
votes
2answers
246 views
What term describes people that cannot feel pain?
I remember a case study about a girl who could not feel pain due to lacking certain somatosensory receptors; she went on to burn herself on a radiator because she could not feel her flesh burning and ...
8
votes
1answer
218 views
Do children show top-down processing as much as adults do?
There has been much research into how top-down processing works, such as the suggestibility of patients to mishear lyrics based on what the patients are told they are.
Is there any research to show ...
6
votes
2answers
270 views
What is the difference between solving a problem and acquiring a skill?
Within the confines of cognitive psychology, what is the difference between these two tasks? In the literature, playing chess is generally seen as the exemplar of problem solving. But recently (thanks ...
