Analysis of Articles about Cognition - Article Example

Cognition Bouvier, Seth and Anne Treisman. Visual Feature Binding Requires Reentry. Psychol Sci., 21.2 : 200–204. The aim of this study was to assess whether reentrant processing is a crucial mechanism in visual feature binding as claimed. In testing the claim, the researchers used a total of twenty-five participants who were exposed to different pairs (six pairs) of crossed, vertical and horizontal bars. One of the bars used in each pair was white while one was red, green or blue. In order to correctly identify the orientation rather than the color of the nonwhite bar demanded appropriate binding. The researchers asked the participants to identify the color and orientation of the target item. Participants in the study completed a behavioral task demanding feature detection as well as some trials feature binding. The researchers then tested if a trailing mask discriminately interrupted feature binding in relation to feature detection. According to the researchers, if binding is determined by reentry, then it is likely to be susceptible to object replacement. However, the stimulus features might get recorded pass through the visual system for the first time and hence remain undisturbed in the presence of a trailing mark. The researchers determined that there was high performance on both color and orientation tasks in no-mask trials. Similarly, there were high color judgments in two-bar no-mask trials. However, the authors noticed that in two-bar no-mask trials, the ability of the participants to judge the nonwhite bar was considerably reduced by the presence of the white bar. Further, it was noted that the adding trailing mask did not have any effect in one-bar trials. The authors concluded that reentry is not critical for the acquisition of both color and orientation features in the task. However, in two-bar trials, trailing mask impaired orientation judgment and the researchers concluded that reentry is critical for feature binding. Overall, the authors established that reentry processing is required for identification of correct binding features if binding is an important element of the task. Kosslyn, Stephen M., Giorgio Ganis and William L. Thompson. NEURAL FOUNDATIONS OF IMAGERY.NEUROSCIENCE, 2(2001):635-642. As the title suggests, the authors of this paper explore the neural foundations of imagery. According to the authors, mental imagery has for a long time been a concern of philosophy and cognitive psychology. The authors draw on outcomes of various methods, including researches on how behavior is impacted by selective brain damage, neuroimaging as well as Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). According to the authors, each approach has strengths and weaknesses, but they all remain complementary. The authors review three basic research evidences showing that imagery involves brain processes related to perception and action. The authors review numerous researches on imagery including visual mental imagery, auditory imagery, and motor imagery. According to the authors of the paper, many researchers on visual imagery neural bases mainly focused on establishing the possibility that during imagery, the early visual cortex gets activated. According to the researchers, unlike in the previous centuries, researchers now concur that most of the neural mechanisms such as like-modality perception also play a big role in imagery and can substitute perceptual stimulus. The brain is engaged by imagery, which also affect the body as does actual perceptual feeling. However, there are numerous questions that remained unanswered during the last two decades, but can now effectively be answered, which has been facilitated by improved technologies. Based on its close relation with neural processes, imagery has attracted much attention in recent times and is now one of the most clearly comprehended ‘higher’ cognitive functions. Pylyshyn: Mental Imagery (Entry in The Oxford Companion to the Mind, Second Edition) This paper focuses on mental imagery exploring the role it plays in reasoning. The author reviews previous studies, which hugely fell under behaviorism. According to the author, the concept of mental imagery gained fame after the fall out of behavioral ideology with psychology in late twentieth century. Numerous researches were conducted to establish the role of mental imagery in reasoning. The outcome of the studies indicated that it was possible to rotate, scan and examine images in the “mind’s eye when evaluating their shape, size or other visual characteristics. According to the author, researchers agreed that mental imagery is similar to real visual stimuli and the only striking difference is that mental imagery is mind-generated rather than generation by retina stimulation. According to the author, the concept of mental imagery has for a long time been studied peripherally and cognitive scientist seemed to be losing interest in studying the topic. However, in recent years, the emergence of neuroscience has made it possible to explore the concept of mental imagery. Based on new discoveries, many researchers concluded that spatial patterns exist in the brain and are responsible for underwriting a pictorial version of metal images, which according to the author is far from the truth. Despite the fact that neuroscience research finding shows that a section of the visual system in mental imagery is active, no attempt is made to reveal the nature and form in which the underlying mental images are presented. The author concludes by presenting six important differences that exist between retinal and mental images that the idea of activity in the visual cortex during metal imagery tends to ignore. According to the author, recent studies on mental imagery have not provided answers to the questions that remained answered three decades ago. Tversky, Amos and Daniel Kahneman. Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185.4157 (1974): 1124-1131. In this article, the authors explore three heuristics employed in analyzing probabilities and forecasting values. The authors also enumerate biases resulting from the three heuristics and also go further to discuss theoretical and applied implications of the observations made. The authors explore cognitive biases emanating from the dependence that is placed on judgmental heuristics. Serious judgmental errors occur even in situations where rewards are used to promote accuracy among people. This point at the fact that the biases are intrinsic and not limited to laymen and extend even to researchers with profound expertise, especially during intuitive thinking. According to the article, the first heuristics involved in making judgment in situations characterized by uncertainty is representativeness. Representativeness usually works when individuals are required to make judgment about the likelihood of an object or event A being a member of class or process B. The second heuristics is availability of scenarios. This is applicable when people are required to determine the frequency of a given class or the credibility of a given development. The third and final heuristic covered by the article is adjustment from an anchor. This is usually utilized when making arithmetical predictions in the event that a relevant value is available. According to the authors, these heuristics are highly effective and also reasonable. However, they usually result into methodical and predictable errors. As such, better judgment and decision-making under uncertainty can be achieved when a clear understanding of the three heuristics is developed. Works Cited Bouvier, Seth and Anne Treisman. Visual Feature Binding Requires Reentry. Psychol Sci., 21.2 (2010): 200–204. Kosslyn, Stephen M., Giorgio Ganis and William L. Thompson. NEURAL FOUNDATIONS OF IMAGERY.NEUROSCIENCE, 2(2001):635-642. Pylyshyn: Mental Imagery (Entry in The Oxford Companion to the Mind, Second Edition) Tversky, Amos and Daniel Kahneman. Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science, 185.4157 (1974): 1124-1131. Read More