Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Assignment Description:

For this Assignment you will write a 2-3 page paper explaining the basic cognitive processes of perception, attention, and memory. You will also discuss some widely held beliefs about memory. Finally, you will discuss how you will demonstrate professionalism as a psychologist by explaining how you would ensure you convey characteristics such as reliability, accountability and timeliness to your client. Your essay should be well organized, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful. You should incorporate information from your course textbook to support your essay.

For this paper you will read the case study provided below and imagine that you are a psychologist working with this client. This client has recently witnessed a crime. However, the testimony provided by this client was not consistent with other evidence in the case and therefore the defendant was not charged of the crime. The client is confused and frustrated that their eyewitness testimony was not enough to convict the defendant and remains highly confident that their account of the crime was accurate. The client comes to you with a series of questions. For this paper you are required to provide answers to the questions the client has. Your goal is to provide accurate information to your client about the cognitive processes of perception, attention and memory as well as to discuss some widely held beliefs about memory. Your answers should demonstrate the ability to identify faulty reasoning/assumptions and to formulate accurate conclusions. Your answers should be professional, accurate and should be supported by reliable academic information from your course textbook, or another academic source. You must ensure that you address all parts of your client's questions. Once you have provided your professional answers to each of the questions you should discuss how you would demonstrate professionalism as a psychologist. In particular, you should explain how you would convey characteristics such as reliability, accountability and timeliness to your client.

Case Study

Brian is a 30-year-old male who was recently shopping in a grocery store when a man with a gun approached the cashier and demanded the contents of the cash register. The man took the contents of the cash register and the police were alerted. The cashier was unable to provide a detailed description of the man. However, Brian was able to provide a detailed description. A man meeting the description Brian provided was arrested close to the grocery store and Brian positively identified this man as the defendant. However, the man had a very good alibi and was later released. No arrest was made in this case. Brian is confused and frustrated with this situation and comes to speak to you about his experience. He asks you the following questions.

1. "The police have told me that I identified the wrong man. They said that sometimes perception is not always accurate; sometimes people aren't always paying full attention in these sorts of situations. They say that perception and attention can influence the accuracy of memories.

I don't really understand what this means. Can you explain what perception, attention and memory mean and how perception and attention can influence the accuracy of memories? Can you give me an example of how perception and attention might influence memory?"

2. "I am so frustrated - I witnessed this crime with my own eyes. I think my eyewitness testimony should be enough to convict this man of the crime. The police have told me that it is a widely held belief that the testimony of one confident eyewitness should be enough to convict a defendant of a crime, but there are many factors that can influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies. I don't understand why my eyewitness testimony is not enough, can you provide me with some examples of factors that could influence the accuracy of my eyewitness testimony?"

3. "I am so confident that this is the man who committed this crime! The police have told me that it is a widely held belief that memory confidence and memory accuracy are related, but it is not the case. I don't understand this, what is the relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy?"

Your paper should provide your professional answers to each of these questions. Your goal is to provide accurate information to your client about the cognitive processes of perception, attention and memory as well as to discuss some widely held beliefs about memory. Your answers should demonstrate the ability to identify faulty reasoning/assumptions and to formulate accurate conclusions. Your response to each question should be professional, detailed and specific and should be supported by reliable information from your textbook or other academic source. In addition, your response to each question should address all parts of your client's questions.

Next, you should discuss how you would demonstrate professionalism as a psychologist in this situation. You should explain how you would convey characteristics such as reliability, accountability and timeliness to your client. In particular, you should think about the following issues:

1. How would you ensure you are providing your client with reliable information to the questions that you are being asked? What sorts of resources would you use?

2. How would you ensure you are accountable for the information you are giving your client? What would you do if you realized that you had provided the client with incorrect information?

3. How would you make sure you are providing your answers to the questions in a timely manner? How would you balance ensuring that you are providing the answers your client needs in a timely manner, with ensuring the accuracy of the answers?

Requirements for this Assignment:

The guidelines for your paper are as follows:

• A title page, introduction with thesis statement and conclusion. Below is a link to help you with your introduction and conclusion:https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/MyStudies/AcademicSupportCenter/WritingCenter/WritingReferenceLibrary/TheWritingProcess/IntroductionsAndConclusions.aspx

• Explain the basic cognitive processes of perception, attention, and memory to your client. You should also discuss how perception and attention might influence the accuracy of memory. Your response should be professional, accurate and should be supported by reliable information from the Reading.

• Examine the widely held belief that the testimony of one confident eyewitness should be enough to convict a defendant of a crime. Explain to your client some of the factors that may influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimonies. Your response should be professional, accurate and should be supported by reliable information from the Reading.

• Examine the widely held belief that memory confidence is strongly correlated with memory accuracy. Explain to your client the relationship between memory confidence and memory accuracy. Your response should be professional, accurate and should be supported by reliable information from the Reading.

• Discuss how you would demonstrate professionalism as a psychologist in this situation. You should explain how you would convey characteristics such as reliability, accountability and timeliness to your client.

• Your paper should be 2-3 pages, not including the title page or reference page.

• Your paper should include a reference to the textbook and at least one additional credible academic resource. Below is a link to help you with your citations:https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/MyStudies/AcademicSupportCenter/WritingCenter/WritingReferenceLibrary/ResearchCitationAndPlagiarism/BasicCitationGuidelines.aspx

• Your paper must be APA formatted, including references, title page, 1" margins on all sides, 12 point font size, and double spacing. Information regarding APA formatting and citation can be found in the Writing Center and should be reviewed thoroughly. Below is a link to the document:https://kucampus.kaplan.edu/MyStudies/AcademicSupportCenter/WritingCenter/WritingReferenceLibrary/ResearchCitationAndPlagiarism/CommonCitationsInAPAformat.aspx

• Your paper should use Standard American English including correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and complete sentences and paragraphs. Your paper should be free of typographical errors.

• Your paper should include a highly developed viewpoint and purpose.

• Your paper should demonstrate superior organization. Communication should be highly ordered, logical, and unified.