Cognition: Theory and Applications (with Study Guide and InfoTrac) (Available Titles CengageNOW) - Hardcover

Reed, Stephen K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0534608671 ISBN 13: 9780534608675

Publisher: Cengage Learning, 2003

Synopsis

Instead of focusing on empirical data, COGNITION focuses on the theories that underlie cognitive phenomena. The text features lucid authorship, accurate coverage, a minimum of jargon, a balance of classic and contemporary research, and a variety of concrete examples from real life and experiments. At the same time, a logical organization and thoughtful transitions help students see the interrelated nature of the topics and themes that comprise this evolving field. Where helpful, cognitive neuroscience coverage is included in discussion of debates about normal processes, interruptions of cognitive function, and other areas. Each chapter concludes with critical thinking questions and a reference to COGLAB (an interactive, online laboratory where students can run demonstrations, as well as collect and analyze data). The text is automatically packaged with a FREE Study Guide that helps students review and test their mastery.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Stephen K. Reed received his B.S. in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1966 and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1970. Immediately thereafter, he worked as an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratory of Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. Dr. Reed has enjoyed many years of teaching experience, first at Case Western University from 1971-1980 and then at Florida Atlantic University from 1980-1988. Currently Dr. Reed is a professor of psychology and also a member of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University. With grants offered in part from NIMH, the National Science Foundation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Dr. Reed's research on problem solving has been extensively published in such journals as Cognition and Instruction, Cognitive Psychology, The Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory and Cognition, and Memory and Cognition. He has also authored numerous articles and books, including PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN PATTERN RECOGNITION (Academic Press, 1973) and WORD PROBLEMS: RESEARCH AND CURRICULUM REFORM (Erlbaum, 1999).

Review

"I definitely think the greatest strength of the manuscript lies in the excellent use of concrete examples and experimental research to demonstrate cognitive psychology concepts. I think it is very important for students to have multiple examples of concepts to help understanding. Reed does an excellent job of this. The experiments are summarized succinctly, yet they are described in enough detail so that students can judge for themselves whether the research served its purpose (as presented in the text)." "I also feel that the style of writing is very readable and free of excess jargon, which can be a stumbling block for many students."

"The text is very well-written and draws on a variety of examples of cognition to help the reader relate to the material. The flow of chapters is very good; there is a clear delineation between topics, with careful attention being paid to transitions from one idea to the next. The added (underlined) material is often effective in providing smooth transitions. I am very pleased with the text, which is appropriate for the intended undergraduate audience in terms of its numerous examples, both from research and from the real world. I am especially impressed with the links between topics from different chapters." "The content of the text is a nice balance between presentation of theories and discussion of experimental results. The author generally does a good job of describing methodologies and results of the different experiments with sufficient detail. The overview of research is a nice combination of classic experiments and current research with ecological validity."

"There has been substantial improvement over the last couple of revisions, including this one, of linking themes across chapters. For example, the issues of capacity limitations and the role of working memory in reading and problem solving help to integrate information presented in the first few chapters."

"Reed does an excellent job of sorting through theories and research and presenting the most important theories and the research that is most relevant in the evaluations of these theories. There are more complex and less complex texts, I find that Reed has an excellent balance of depth and readability." "The chapter summaries and end of chapter study questions are extremely valuable assets of this text. These two tools have been used by many of my students in the past and they often commented on the helpfulness of these end-of-chapter inclusions. I have often required students to answer a number of the end of chapter questions and found that those who do so regularly score higher on tests than those who do not. Excellent questions!"

"Reed does a good job of integrating classic research with current research. My personal bias is that classic theories and research findings should not be sacrificed to make room for recently published research that may be faddish or unable to be replicated." "Reed has a very coherent writing style that is appropriate for students with no prior exposure to cogntive psychology. His introductory preview, summaries, and chapter questions are all strong points. College students often get frustrated with college textbooks. Reed's clear writing style and well organized chapters makes reading the text enjoyable."

Edition details

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0534608671
• ISBN 13: 9780534608675
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 410