The power of cognitive psychology lies in the promise of cognitive technology.
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The power of cognitive psychology lies in the promise of cognitive technology.
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Abstracts - Spring 2000
THEORETICAL AND RESEARCH ARTICLES 4 Memory Theory and the Cognitive Technology of Spatial Methods in Information Retrieval Systems 20 Perceptually-Driven Memory for Intentions: A Study with Children and Adults 26 Cognitive Technology and Criminal Justice: The Police Composite 35 Computer Technology for Office-Based Psychological Practice: Applications and Factors Affecting Adoption 42 Some Thoughts on the History of Cognitive Technology And a Little Known 19th Century Cognitive Device BOOK REVIEW 44 Book, Therapy Material and Test Review COMMENTARY 46 Comments on "Why there are Twelve Inches in a Foot?" 46 A Rejoinder to Richardson Memory Theory and the Cognitive Technology of Spatial Methods in Information Retrieval Systems Electronic archives of images are becoming common and the development of methods to store and retrieve these images is becoming increasingly important. This article explores some of the theoretical and applied issues in the recall of images in memory relevant to the design of database query methods using spatial depiction. We argue that a near-vacuum exists in our understanding of how continuous variables such as location are represented in memory and that theoretical developments are a necessary precursor to the design of new systems. We present our recent research in this area and also comment upon two ancillary issues relevant to this line of research: the question of how we model user strategy and the significance of process theories of memory. We argue that insufficient attention is paid in theoretical psychology to the modelling of strategy and its methodological consequences, and that this shortfall also has serious consequences for the discipline of cognitive technology. In the case of process models, with which our results are consistent, we observe that this model representation in memory and the end-product of encoding differs, and that this has implications for the relationship between encoding methods and query methods in databases.
Perceptually-Driven Memory for Intentions: A Study with Children and Adults Children and adults were asked to read aloud words and to name pictures while at the same time they had to remember to press a key whenever a particular target word or a target picture appeared on the computer screen (prospective memory task). At encoding, participants were shown the prospective memory target either as a picture or as a word. At retrieval, the target appeared - as a word or as a picture - among the test items. Results showed that prospective memory performance is better when the prospective cue presented at retrieval overlaps with the format of the target presented at encoding, irrespective of age, indicating that prospective remembering can be largely data-driven in both age groups. Prospective memory performance was significantly higher in adults than in children. Theoretical and practical implications for memory for intentions are discussed.
Cognitive Technology and Criminal Justice: The Police Composite The criminal justice system must be understood if cognitive technology is to have any impact on police work. The article uses research on the police composite to illustrate this point. Study 1 is a follow-up on 243 cases for which police constructed composites in 1992-93. Fifty-four cases led to conviction, with another 13 still awaiting trial. The composite aided only five cases. Study 2 compared six composites that had aided the case to 27 others that were solved by other means. Research participants attempted to identify each culprit from among eight photos, with the aid of the appropriate composite. Their choices were no better than chance. Study 3 surveyed 95 recent cases of composites. The article concludes that supporting investigative effort is the key to composite effectiveness, but witness memory for real world crimes is a limiting factor.
Computer Technology for Office-Based Psychological Practice: Applications and Factors Affecting Adoption Select literature on the use of computers in office-based psychology practice for the support of administration and practice management, assessment, and treatment is reviewed. Characteristics of successful applications and the factors that affect adoption are discussed. While computer applications have been used for business and administrative activities and psychological assessment, there is little adoption in office-practice of applications directed at treatment. The task demands associated with psychological services do not take advantage of the capabilities of computers and reveal their weakness. Furthermore, many applications do not fit the task demands of practice or the cognitive structures employed by clinicians. It is concluded that practical and economic factors determine adoption of technology-based applications and that developers of new products should insure that they accommodate to, rather than change, the current structure of practice or the cognitive processing of practitioners.
Some Thoughts on the History of Cognitive Technology And a Little Known 19th Century Cognitive Device Aides to cognition may have begun when the first protohumans used some sign or action. Perhaps the first signs were sounds - possibly grunts meaning such things as "Look at me" or "Get away from me!" or "Come here" or "Here is water." Those grunts and others, presumably became stylized over time and developed into language - probably the most important of all cognitive aides. Similarly, gestures representing such notions as "Look there!" or "Come here" were possibly among the earliest cognitive aides.
Book, Therapy Material and Test Review Brainwave-R is designed for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction after brain injury. It is a very practical therapy tool that primarily uses paper-and-pencil exercises. It can enhance the treatment repertoire, scope and comprehensiveness of facility-based, neurological rehabilitation programs. This research-based program can be used effectively by seasoned professionals and students alike, from any discipline that provides cognitive rehabilitation to adults with mild to moderate cognitive deficits. The program can be modified for use with adults with severe deficits and with children.
Comments on "Why are there Twelve Inches in a Foot?" Nickerson's article in the latest issue of Cognitive Technology is enjoyable but it should be noted that there is a flaw in Nickerson's initial argument about feet and thumbs. Nickerson presents (on page 20) normative data from Gordon et al. (1988) on foot length and thumb width in men and women. He then presents a table of ratios between these quantities. The text implies that he simply took the ratios between the relevant measures. My check of the numbers in the table confirms this. Nickerson's calculations ended up with ratios that are closer to 11:1 than to 12:1, and so he concluded that the origins of having 12 inches in a foot lie elsewhere.
A Rejoinder to Richardson The point Richardson (2000) makes is valid. The ratio of the means of two paired variables is not necessarily the same as the mean of the ratios of the members of the individual pairs. I suppose that one should expect thumb and foot sizes to be positively correlated in the population, although I know of no data on the question and have no guess as to how strong the correlation is. In any case, I am relieved that the results of Richardson's simulation do not show my numbers to be outside the ball park, and that they support the basic point that the actual ratio is likely to be closer to 11-to-1 than to 12-to-1.
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