Cognition: (BPS Textbooks in Psychology)

This undergraduate level textbook covers all of the core topics and materials for undergraduate courses in cognitive psychology. Written in an engaging and easy to read way, it will increase students' understanding of critical concepts and principles. The authors highlight the relevance of cognitive psychology to everyday life through discussion of studies that extend basic research findings into real-world situations, and through re-occurring applied scenarios at the end of each chapter. Building from an historical context, the book discusses the background behind current ideas within the field of cognitive psychology and conveys the dynamic nature of the field, focusing on the current state of the discipline, including current controversies and investigating fundamental questions. The authors introduce and illustrate the methods of research used within cognitive psychology, as well as those from neuroscience and computational modeling that now influence studies of cognition through the field of cognitive neuroscience. Classic studies are used to explain fundamental ideas, but each chapter will also feature current research and evidence in neuropsychology and neuroscience. These will be presented as a way to converge on an ideal account of the processes operating, rather than as explanations in their own right. This will be a constant reference source on the most important findings and ideas within Cognitive Psychology for students to dip into for information. Features include: * A common chapter structure across the book, including re-occurring applied scenarios * An introductory overview for each chapter laying out the main questions and issues * Illustrations, figures, and photographs * Key concepts highlighted in the text and explained in a glossary * Detailed presentation of critical empirical studies * Focus boxes on significant individuals in the field of cognitive psychology * Suggested further readings at the end of each chapter * Review questions at the end of each section to enhance long-term memory for information, and stimulate thinking

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction. 2. Perception. 3. Attention. 4. Transitory Memory. 5. Enduring Memory. 6. Knowledge Representation - Concepts and Categories. 7. Knowledge Representation - Imagery & Mental Maps. 8. Language Processing. 9. Action. 10. Learning, Experience and Expertise. 11. Thinking. 12. Broader Horizons of Cognitive Psychology

About the Author :
John Groeger is a Professor of Cognitive Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey. His research on both basic and applied cognitive psychology has appeared in journals such as British Journal of Psychology, International Journal of Psychology, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Applied Psychology: An International Review, and Applied Cognitive Psychology. In addition, he has authored two books on cognitive psychology, Memory and remembering: Everyday memory in context (Longman, 1997), and Understanding Driving: Applying cognitive psychology to a complex everyday task (Psychology Press, 2000), and is joint-Editor of Elsevier's Transportation Research: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour . John Groeger's professional service has included a number of committees of the British Psychological Society, including a period of service as Honorary General Secretary. He has also been Chair of the Cognitive Section of the British Psychological Society, and served as President of the Traffic and Transport Division of the International Association of Applied Psychology. His teaching includes lecture courses on memory and attention at introductory and final year levels. Benjamin Clegg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Colorado State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, working with Michael Posner and Steven Keele. Ben Clegg's research on basic and applied issues within cognitive psychology has been published in a number of major journals, including Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, Psychological Research, Applied Cognitive Psychology, and Human Factors. In addition, he has conducted applied cognitive research that has been funded by the U.S. Military and Boeing. His primary teaching responsibility for the past 6 years has been a large lecture class in cognitive psychology (comprising about 100 students per semester), and this course has consistently attracted highly positive peer- and student-evaluations.