In the study of cognitive science, there are numerous areas of study that are cumulatively relevant to understanding the both the ways in which humans think about daily issues, and the reasons behind the decisions they make when confronted with various dilemmas presented to them. One of the most benign methods of illuminating the details of these processes (and thus the underlying morality behind them) is the hypothetical thought experiment. One of these is the trolley problem. It contains two scenarios that state:
1) A runaway trolley is barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people totally unaware of the impending danger, as the trolley is on a collision course with them. You are in the train yard control
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His model, called TASS (The Autonomous Set of Systems) has been “installed” (like software onto the hardware of the brain) by the replicators, or genes. He postulates that the genes only purpose is to replicate themselves and that the human body is simply a vehicle or “robot” that has only the service of this genetic goal as its reason for existence. As such, it follows that trolley problem participants’ reluctance/aversion to take the life of another is a direct result of the negative affect that it would cause: self-preservation could be affected by imprisonment (and therefore negate replication), as well as the weight calculation of losing five people versus losing one, in this grand genetic replication equation. Our genes will choose not only what is best for our genetic replication, but also what is good for human genetic replication as a …show more content…
As Davies states in his lecture on morality, we have not evolved these types of cognitive mechanisms that require “lever pulling”, rather our cognitive processes evolved around more survivalist goals (as opposed to considerations of good and evil) and allows that greater good sacrifices be rationalized more easily. Dual-process theories put forth the idea that although these kinds of situations can lead to the replicator genetics taking prominence in the decision-making process, humans also have the utilitarian, rational thought, and altruism of mind on the other side of this
This essay will begin by defining key terms such as science and is psychology a science. It will further look at the efforts academics make to establish the discipline of psychology as a science. Thereafter, a conclusive conclusion will be made based on the salient points drawn from the discussion. Science can be defined as a concept of observations and inquiries that the whole world applies depending on certain natural laws which are discovered and tested. Some academics come across ideas which
the first chapter of his book, Cognitive Science Religion and Theology. He explains that cognitive science recognizes the uniqueness of the human mind and focuses on explaining the thinking processes that take place(Barrett, 2011, p. 5). This may seem similar to what the field of neuroscience aims to do but, cognitive science is not as interested with the biological functions of the brain. Instead of looking at physical structures Barrett writes, that cognitive science focuses on broader processes
Psychology! Is it a social studies or a social science? Should the study of psychology have a different meaning as a high school subject compared to a college subject? I say no! Both subjects should be classified the same. According to the Division of Social Science at Harvard University, “The social sciences [engage] broadly with the study of human society and social relationships. At Harvard, the Division of Social Science embraces a number of diverse and highly interdisciplinary fields including:”
George A. Miller and the Cognitive Science Revolution The well-known scholar George A. Miller caused the downfall of the behaviorist school of psychology and the rise of cognitive science in the 1950s. This created a revolution that changed the study of the human mind with insights of mental processes that moved psychological research beyond behaviorist methods. His discoveries regarding short term memory and information processing provided a foundation for cognitive science to flourish. This led him
years, there have been multiple studies on the stimulation effects on the brain from brain exercises. Some of the more prominent studies are the IMPACT, ACTIVE, and IHAMS studies. First off, the IMPACT study which had 487 participants. It is the largest experiment ever to examine whether or not brain stimulants are able to improve cognitive abilities in adults. Led by distinguished scientists from Mayo Clinic and the University of Southern California, the IMPACT study proves that people can make statistically
One interesting area of social psychology is Cognitive Authority. The theory of cognitive authority is helpful in elucidating why the troubling aspect of World War II memory called Holocaust Revisionism is more prominent than it really should be. In this paper, I will take a look at the tactics employed by the infamous and discredited historian, David Irving, which gained him a significant, underground movement and how these tactics relate to cognitive authority and World War II memory in general
Cognitive psychology began around 19th century. Different approaches have been used to trace the roots of psychology. It is also known that cognitive psychology was out numbered by behaviorism but later revived, bringing into being cognitive revolution. The paper discusses cognitive revolution in the history of cognitive psychology as the most influential part in the practice of modern psychology. Introduction A scientific branch of psychology that is concerned with the study of cognition is
to invaluable motivation and insight. My chosen field of study, cognitive neuroscience, specifically memory systems, is the result of my past experience. Since childhood, a close family member has suffered from epilepsy, with seizures focalized in the hippocampus. When I was in middle school, he underwent a surgical procedure to remove his hippocampus. The surgery was successful in stopping seizures, though there were lasting cognitive effects: memory impairments still linger, a decade later
Creativity is a marvelous aspect of mind. My profound interest in Cognitive Science developed from questions about the source of my own creativity. I have always been submerged in creative endeavors, while science, too, inspires me, and the more I learn in the sciences and other interdisciplinary courses, the more I see the ways they correlate. I am good at getting to the root of things, so it is reasonable that my creative journey led to the study of the mind. Studying neuro-linguistic programming as my
The Evolution of Cognitive Psychology Definition of Cognition Cognition is the mental process or faculty of acquiring knowledge by the use of perception, reasoning or intuition. This is the mental process of knowing, which including aspects such as; perception, judgment, attention, reasoning, producing language, remembering, understanding, decision making and solving problems. Cognition is generally defined as the mental process and activity used in perception, remembering and thinking. Interdisciplinary
The cognitive revolution in psychology was a period during the 1950’s and 1960’s which involved radical changes to two major concepts in psychology which are consciousness and causality. It was also a period that saw to the abolishment of traditional science values of dichotomy and the worship of atomisation in science, replacing reductive micro deterministic views of personhood with holistic top-down view (Overskeid, 2008) The aim of this essay is to give an account of what constitutes the cognitive
Fields of study: Clinical, cognitive, and social psychology; neuroscience and behavior; visual perception. The program offers doctoral study for students who intend to become psychological scientists or scientist-practitioners. Students who plan to terminate their studies with the master's degree are not encouraged to apply. Admission is not limited to students with undergraduate backgrounds in psychology. Theory, method, and research experience in a number of areas of psychological science are emphasized
For the purposes of this study, I will be focusing on how socioeconomic status affects child cognitive development. Cognitive development is the development of memory, reasoning, problem-solving and thinking abilities in a child. A UK based study about Socioeconomic Status and Children’s Intelligence based on the environment was conducted. In previous studies, where they studies genes and intelligence, it was seen that the results varied from study to study. Some studies found that in low-SES families
Cognitive psychology is the study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, memory, decision-making, intelligence and thinking. Perception is concerned with the way we acquire knowledge. Attention is concerned with the acquisition and Memory is concerned with organizing and recalling knowledge that further helps us in learning, speaking and interaction, and the important aspect is as how we use the knowledge. Assumptions of Cognitive Psychology:
psychology, we have many different models used to explain abnormal behaviors and the treatments associated with these behaviors. One model used in psychology to explain abnormal behavior is the cognitive model. In my opinion, this is the best model available to explain abnormal behavior. Cognitive therapy is an effective treatment that helps a person to recognize a negative pattern of thoughts and replace them with healthier ways of