Cognitive Processes PSY 334

1. Cognitive ProcessesPSY 334 Chapter 4 – Perception-Based Knowledge Representation July 17, 2003

2. Hierarchical Structure • Images have structure and are decomposed into chunks based on that structure. • Reed’s forms. • Grouping of items in room.

3. Cognitive Maps • Two kinds of maps: • Route map – indicates places and turns, but not all landmarks. • Survey map – shows all relevant portions of space, not just route. • Adults produce survey maps, kids produce route maps. • Survey maps more versatile.

4. Map Distortions • Which is farther east: San Diego or Reno? • People map wrong guesses because they reason from the positions of the states, not cities. • Relative positions of larger areas are compared, not details.

5. Translating Verbal Descriptions • Subjects were asked to read passages, rotate themselves and make judgments: • Fastest when making above-below judgments, slower with right-left. • Verbal directions (survey or route) are as good as using actual maps.

6. Remembering Serial Position • Serial position – what comes first and what comes later in a list. • Anchoring – first items are better remembered in sequences. • Hierarchical encoding helps serial recall: • Alphabet song