scholarly journals The cognitive economy: The probabilistic turn in psychology and human cognition

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
Petko Kusev ◽  
Paul van Schaik

AbstractAccording to the foundations of economic theory, agents have stable and coherent “global” preferences that guide their choices among alternatives. However, people are constrained by information-processing and memory limitations and hence have a propensity to avoid cognitive load. We propose that this in turn will encourage them to respond to “local” preferences and goals influenced by context and memory representations.

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Buck ◽  
Merel Kindt ◽  
Marcel van den Hout

Dissociation often occurs after a traumatic experience and has detrimental effects on memory. If these supposed detrimental effects are the result of disturbances in information processing, not only subjectively assessed but also objectively assessed memory disturbances should be observed. Most studies assessing dissociation and memory in the context of trauma have studied trauma victims. However, this study takes a new approach in that the impact of experimentally induced state dissociation on memory is investigated in people with spider phobia. Note that the aim of the present study was not to test the effect of trauma on memory disturbances. We found indeed significant relations between state dissociation and subjectively assessed memory disturbances: intrusions and self-rated memory fragmentation. Moreover, although no relation was found between state dissociation and experimenter-rated memory fragmentation, we observed a relation between state dissociation and experimenter-rated perceptual memory representations. These results show that state dissociation indeed has detrimental effects on the processing of aversive events.


Sofia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Azevedo Leite

One of the central aims of the neo-mechanistic framework for the neural and cognitive sciences is to construct a pluralistic integration of scientific explanations, allowing for a weak explanatory autonomy of higher-level sciences, such as cognitive science. This integration involves understanding human cognition as information processing occurring in multi-level human neuro-cognitive mechanisms, explained by multi-level neuro-cognitive models. Strong explanatory neuro-cognitive reduction, however, poses a significant challenge to this pluralist ambition and the weak autonomy of cognitive science derived therefrom. Based on research in current molecular and cellular neuroscience, the framework holds that the best strategy for integrating human neuro-cognitive theories is through direct reductive explanations based on molecular and cellular neural processes. It is my aim to investigate whether the neo-mechanistic framework can meet the challenge. I argue that leading neo-mechanists offer some significant replies; however, they are not able yet to completely remove strong explanatory reductionism from their own framework.


Author(s):  
Boaventura DaCosta ◽  
Soonhwa Seok

This is the second of three chapters serving as the introduction to this handbook which addresses the relationship between human cognition and assistive technologies and its design for individuals with cognitive disabilities. In this chapter the authors present strategies to manage cognitive load in the design of instructional materials for those with learning disabilities. The authors introduce cognitive load theory, which proposes a set of instructional principles grounded in human information processing research that can be leveraged in the creation of efficient and effective learning environments. They attempt to separate conjecture and speculation from empirically-based study and consolidate more than twenty-five years of research to highlight the best ways in which to increase learning. Altogether, the authors affirm the approach discussed in the last chapter—that technology for learning should be created with an understanding of design principles empirically supported by how the human mind works, particularly when it comes to the design of assistive technologies for individuals with learning disabilities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 990-1002
Author(s):  
Nida Gizem Yılmaz ◽  
Julia C. M. Van Weert ◽  
Ellen Peters ◽  
Birgit I. Lissenberg-Witte ◽  
Annemarie Becker ◽  
...  

Background Risk information in patient decision aids (PDAs) is often difficult for older patients to process. Providing audiovisual and narrative information may enhance the understanding and use of health-related information. We studied the effects on patients’ information processing and use of audiovisual and narrative information of an early-stage non–small-cell lung cancer treatment decision aid explaining surgery and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy. We further investigated differences between older and younger patients. Methods We conducted a 2 (modality: textual v. audiovisual) × 2 (narration style: factual v. narrative) online experiment among cancer patients and survivors ( N = 305; Mage = 62.42, SD = 11.68 y). Age was included as a potential modifier: younger (<65 y) versus older (≥65 y) age. We assessed 1) perceived cognitive load, 2) satisfaction with information, 3) comprehension, 4) information recall, and 5) decisional conflict. Analysis of variance was used for data analysis. Results Irrespective of patient age, audiovisual information (compared with textual information) led to lower perceived cognitive load, higher satisfaction with information, and lower decisional conflict (subscale Effective Decision). Narrative information (compared with factual information) led to reduced decisional conflict (subscale Uncertainty) but only in younger patients. Combining audiovisual information with factual information also resulted in lower perceived cognitive load in younger patients as compared with older patients. Limitations Patients who actually face the decision, especially older patients, might be more motivated to process our decision-aid information than the present study participants who responded to a hypothetical situation online. Conclusions Providing participants with audiovisual information, irrespective of their age, improved their processing and use of information in a decision aid. Narratives did not clearly benefit information processing.


2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Paelecke ◽  
Yvonne Paelecke–Habermann ◽  
Peter Borkenau

Human information processing is influenced by the affective quality of pleasant and unpleasant stimuli. A widely known example is the emotional variant of the colour–naming Stroop task. Although participants are not instructed to attend to valence, it nevertheless influences response times. We studied how persons differ in ignoring the irrelevant valence of stimuli and how such differences are related to personality traits. In two emotional Stroop tasks using a vocal response mode, participants were instructed to name the colour of unpleasant and pleasant words presented in different physical colours. In Study 2, we introduced a second task to increase the cognitive load. Across both studies, extraversion and approach temperament were associated with higher interferences by pleasant words. Neuroticism and avoidance temperament, however, were associated with higher interferences by unpleasant words only when cognitive load increased because of a task switch. This finding suggests that highly neurotic individuals can mitigate influences of emotional stimuli on information processing under conditions of low cognitive load. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


1995 ◽  
Vol 81 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1219-1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hideki Ohdra

This study was designed to assess characteristics of self-referent information processing in mildly depressed persons using the eyeblink response measured in a discrete-trial paradigm. 7 mildly depressed and 9 nondepressed subjects (classified by scores on Beck's inventory) performed a self-reference task for positive and negative trait adjectives. The eyeblink was suppressed before and during presentation of stimuli and a burst pattern of the eyeblink was observed just after exposure. The pattern of the eyeblink burst after trait adjectives could be interpreted to reflect cognitive effort, cognitive load, or amount of attentional resource. Present results suggested that depressed individuals should have less cognitive load or allocate less attentional resource to negative stimuli than to positive ones during self-referent information processing.


Parasitology ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 107 (S1) ◽  
pp. S187-S200 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. J. Connolly ◽  
J. D. Kvalsvig

SUMMARYThe paper considers briefly the nature of cognition and its relationship to intelligence. The information processing model of human cognition is outlined and IQ and DQ are explained. The literature dealing with the effects of malnutrition and parasitic infection on cognitive performance and development in children is selectively reviewed. A speculative hypothesis concerning the psychological effects of parasitic infection is sketched and brief consideration is given to models and measures in research on development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 262-286
Author(s):  
Tamara Tkach ◽  
Anatoliy Tkach ◽  
Ivan Rekun

Introduction. The article is devoted to the issues of multidisciplinary interaction in new scientific fields, which involve a wide variety of convergences, no matter how strange at first glance they may seem. One of these phenomena is the interaction of psycholinguistics and neuroeconomics. The goal. The article examines the transition of modern science to multidisciplinary discourse, which makes it necessary to conceptualize and possibly operationalize methods of psycholinguistics. The conceptualization of new areas of neuroeconomics, in a psycholinguistic context, presupposes a certain mental experience that includes, in addition to the processes of creating new concepts and contextual economic knowledge, also defining the role of interests, intentions, emotions in human economic activity. Methods. Multivariate analysis, comparative analysis, extrapolation. Results. It is proved that in recent decades the development of new areas of economic science, namely those related to the development of neuroeconomics, has significantly expanded the field of psycholinguistics. The production of new paradigms of economic theory, the formation of the corresponding definitions, objects requires the design and definition of them both in form and in content. It considers the need for a theoretical and orderly definition of the functional meaning of the psycholinguistic context of new definitions, the result of which can be a conceptual system for communication between specialists in various fields of science at the level of their professional understanding. It seems that the central issues in the psycholinguistic discourse of neuroeconomics have become the relationship between economics, psychology, linguistics and psycholinguistics. Such connection is undoubtedly of a multidisciplinary nature, which contributes to the deepening of the relationship between scientific thought, culture and language and became the impetus for understanding the nature of human cognition at a higher, multidisciplinary level of development of science. This is a necessary component for understanding the meanings and structure of concepts, terms and definitions, as well as communications at a higher scientific level. Conclusions. It is concluded that new areas of neuroeconomics such as behavioral economics, behavioral finance, emotional economics, psychological economics, have become areas of economic theory that, explicitly or implicitly, take into account the psychological characteristics of human perception and behavior in the process of economic activity. These definitions catalyze the theoretical integration of various scientific fields, and, above all, psycholinguistic science.


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