The psychology of human memory and cognition is fascinating, dealing with questions and ideas that are inherently interesting, such as how we think, reason, remember, and use language. This text is directed primarily toward undergraduate students at junior and senior level. Using a first person narrative, posing direct questions to the reader, and balancing classic research with cutting edge topics, the author draws in the reader and conveys the excitement of the field. The fourth edition thoroughly covers the foundation areas in cognition. Reflecting the increasing use of new technologies to study memory and cognition, Ashcraft continues to integrate sections on neurosciences withing individual chapter topics. A major section in the introductory chapters provides background and information on neurons and the brain, so even students without formal coursework on the biological bases of congnition will be prepared for the cognitive neuroscience coverage in the text. Other important new developments also examined in the new edition include: false memory research, new research on working memory and individual differences, new strides in online investigations of comprehension and reading, and new challenges to the classic research in heurstics in decision-making.

Table of Contents:
  1. Cognitive Psychology : An Introduction   Thinking About Thinking   Memory and Cognition Defined   An Introductory History of Cognitive Psychology       Anticipations of Psychology     Early Psychology     Behaviorism and Neobehaviorism     Dissatifaction with Behaviorism: The Winds of Change   Cognitive Psychology and Information Processing: The New Direction       The Assumptions of Cognitive Psychology   2. The Cognitive Science Approach       Guiding Principles     Themes   Measuring Information Processes       Getting Started     Time and Accuracy Measures     Guiding Analogies   The Information-Processing Approach       The Standard Theory     A Process Model     The Strict Information Processing Approach     Some Difficulties   The Modern Cognitive Approach: Cognitive Science       Updating the Standard Theory     Fixing the Narrowness   Neurocognition: The Brain and Cognition Together       Basic Neurology     Brain Anatomy     Principles of Functioning     Split Brain Research and Lateralization     Methods of Investigation   3. Perception and Pattern Recognition   Visual Perception          Gathering Visual Information     Visual Sensory Memory     The Argument About Iconic Memory     A Summary for Visual Sensory Memory   Pattern Recognition: Written Language       The Template Approach     Visual Feature Detection     Beyond Features: Conceptually Driven Pattern Recognition   Object Recognition and Agnosia       Recognition by Components     Agnosia     Implications for Cognitive Science   Auditory Perception       Auditory Sensory Memory     Auditory Pattern Recognition   4. Attention       Multiple Meaning of Attention     Basics of Attention   Basic Input Attentional Processes       Alertness and Arousal     Reflexive Attention and the Orienting Response     Spotlight Attention and Visual Search     Contrasting Input and Controlled Attention   Controlled, Voluntary Attention       Selective Attention and the Cocktail Party Effect     Selection Models   Attention as a Mental Resource       Automatic and Conscious Processing Theories     A Synthesis for Attention and Automaticity     Disadvantages of Automaticity   A Disorder of Attention: Hemineglect   5. Short-Term Working Memory   Short-Term Memory: A Limited-Capacity Bottleneck       The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two     The Brown-Peterson Task: Decay from Short-Term Memory     Interferences versus Decay in Short-Term Memory   Short-Term Memory and Recall       Free versus Serial Recall     Serial Position Effects     Rehearsal Buffer   Retrieval from Short-Term Memory          Recognition Tasks     Short-Term Memory Scanning: The Sternberg Task   Multiple Codes in Short-Term Memory       Verbal Codes     Semantic Codes     Visual Codes     Other Codes   Working Memory       Early Neuropsychological Evidence     The Components of Working Memory     The Dual Task Method Applied to Working Memory     Testing the Working Memory Model     Neuropsychological Evidence     Individual Differences Approach to Working Memory     Overview   6. Learning and Remembering   Preliminary Issues       Mnemonic Devices     The Ebbinghaus Tradition of Memory Research     Metamemory   Storing Information in Episodic Memory       Rehearsal     Frequency of Rehearsal     Two Kinds of Rehearsal     Depth of Processing     Challenges to Depth of Processing     Defining Levels     Organization in Storage     Imagery     Storage Summary: Encoding Specificity   Retrieving Episodic Information       Decay     Interference     Retrieval Failure     Retrieval Cues and Encoding Specificity   Amnesia and Implicit Memory       Dissociation of Episodic and Semantic Memory     Anterograde Amnesia     Implicit and Explicit Memory   7. Knowing   Semantic Memory       The Collins and Quillian ( and Loftus) Model     Smith's Feature Comparison Model     Empirical Tests of Semantic Memory Models     Clashing Models of Explainations     Semantic Relatedness   Categorization, Classification, and Prototypes       Concept Formation     Natural Language Concepts     Internal Structure and the Power of Categorization      Priming in Semantic Memory          Nuts and Bolts of Priming Tasks     Empirical Demonstrations of Priming     Priming in Other Tasks     Priming is Automatic     Priming is an Implicit Process   Context, Connectionism, and the Brain       Context     Connectionism     Connectionsim and the Brain   8. Using Knowledge in the Real World       The Seven Sins of Memory   Reconstructive Memory and Semantic Integration       Bartlett's Research     Schemata     Semantic Integration     Technical and Content Accuracy   Propositions       The Nature of Propositions     Strengths of Propositional Theories     Rules for Deriving Propositions     Are Propositions Real?   Propositions, Semantic Networks, and Scripts       Scripts     Evidence of Scripts   False Memories, Eyewitness Memory. and "Forgotten Memories"       False Memories     Leading Questions and Memory Distortion     The Misinformation Effect     Source Misattribution and Misinformation Acceptance     Stronger Memory Distortion Effects     Repressed and Recovered Memories   Autobiographical Memories       The Bahrick Work     The Relationship of Laboratory to Real-World Memory     The Irony of Memory   9. Language   Linguistic Universals and Functions       Defining Language     Universals of Language     Animal Communication Systems     Five Levels of Analysis, a Critical Distinction, and Whorf's Hypothesis   Phonology: The Sounds of Language       Sounds in Isolation     Combining Phonemes into Words     Speech Perception and Context     A Final Puzzle   Syntax: The Ordering of Words and Phrases       Chomsky's Transformational Grammar     Limitations of the Transformational Grammar Approach     The Cognitive Role of Syntax   Lexical and Semantic Factors: The Meaning in Language       Morphemes     The Lexical Representation     Case Grammar     Interaction of Syntax and Semantics     Evidence for the Semantic Grammar Approaches     Case Grammar, Propositions, and Comprehension   Brain and Language       Aphasia     Generalizing from Aphasia     Language in the Intact Brain   10. Comprehension: Written and Spoken Language   Getting Started: An Overview       Conceptual and Rule Knowledge     Traditional Comprehension Research     Online Comprehension Tasks     Comprehension as Mental Structure Building     A Situation Model Approach to Comprehension      Reference, Inference, and Memory       Reference     Implication and Inference     Simple Reference and Inference     Inferences During Comprehension     The Processes and Extent of Drawing Inferences   Reading       Gaze Duration Procedures     Basic Online Reading Effects     A Model of Reading     Summary   Spoken Language and Conversation       The Structure of Conversations     Cognitive Conversational Characteristics     Empirical Effects in Conversation   11. Decisions, Judgments, and Reasoning   Formal Logic and Reasoning       Syllogisms     Conditional Reasoning: If P Then Q     Hypothesis Testing   Decisions       Decisions About Physical Differences     Decisions About Symbolic Differences     Decisions About Geographic Distances   Decisions and Reasoning Under Uncertainty       Algorithms and Heuristics     Heuristics, Biases, and Fallacies     The Representativeness Heuristic     The Availability Heuristics     The Simulation Heuristics     The Undoing Heuristics: Counterfactual Reasoning     Adaptive Thinking and " Fast, Frugal" Heuristics     The Ongoing Debate   Limitations in Reasoning       Limited Domain Knowledge     Limitations in Processing Resources     Appendix: Algorithms for Coin Tosses and Hospital Births   12. Problem Solving       The Status of Problem-Solving Area   Gestalt Psychology and Problem Solving       Early Gestalt Research     Difficulties in Problem Solving      Insight and Analogy          Insight     Analogy     Neurocognition in Analogy and Insight   Basics of Problem Solving       Characteristics of Problem Solving     A Vocabulary of Problem Solving   Means-End Analysis: A Fundamental Heuristic       The Basics of Means-End Analysis     Means-End Analysis and the Tower of Hanoi     General Problem Solver     Adaptive Control of Thought   Improving Your Problem Solving       Increase Your Domain Knowledge     Automate Some Components of the Problem-Solving Solution     Follow a Systematic Plan     Draw Inferences     Develop Subgoals     Work Backward     Search for Contradictions     Search for Relations Among Problems     Find  a Different Problem Representation     If All Else Fails, Try Practice   Glossary References Photo Credits Name Index Subjet Index