Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:24:04.815Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mechanisms in Cognitive Psychology: What Are the Operations?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

William Bechtel
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Cognitive psychologists, like biologists, frequently describe mechanisms when explaining phenomena. Unlike biologists, who can often trace material transformations to identify operations, psychologists face a more daunting task in identifying operations that transform information. Behavior provides little guidance as to the nature of the operations involved. While not itself revealing the operations, identification of brain areas involved in psychological mechanisms can help constrain attempts to characterize the operations. In current memory research, evidence that the same brain areas are involved in what are often taken to be different memory phenomena or in other cognitive phenomena is playing such a heuristic function.

Type
Mechanisms: Beyond Biology to Psychology and Chemistry
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 75 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2006 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. Part II: Symposia Papers. Edited by Cristina Bicchieri and Jason Alexander , December 2008 , pp. 983 - 994
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

‡

I thank Lindley Darden for very helpful comments and suggestions.

References

Anderson, John R. (1990), The Adaptive Character of Thought. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Atkinson, Richard C., and Shiffrin, Richard M. (1968), “Human Memory: A Proposed System and Its Control Processes”, in Spence, Kenneth W. and Spence, Janet T. (eds.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation: Advances in Research and Theory. New York: Academic, 89–195.Google Scholar
Bechtel, William (2006), Discovering Cell Mechanisms: The Creation of Modern Cell Biology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bechtel, William (2008), Mental Mechanisms: Philosophical Perspectives on Cognitive Neuroscience. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Bechtel, William, and Abrahamsen, Adele (2002), Connectionism and the Mind: Parallel Processing, Dynamics, and Evolution in Networks. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Bechtel, William, and Mundale, Jennifer (1999), “Multiple Realizability Revisited: Linking Cognitive and Neural States”, Multiple Realizability Revisited: Linking Cognitive and Neural States 66:175–207.Google Scholar
Bechtel, William, and Richardson, Robert C. (1993), Discovering Complexity: Decomposition and Localization as Strategies in Scientific Research. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Brewer, James B., Zhao, Zuo, Desmond, John E., Glover, Gary H., and Gabrieli, John D. E. (1998), “Making Memories: Brain Activity That Predicts How Well Visual Experience Will Be Remembered”, Making Memories: Brain Activity That Predicts How Well Visual Experience Will Be Remembered 281:1185–1187.Google Scholar
Broadbent, Donald (1958), Perception and Communication. London: Pergamon.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruner, Jerome S., and Goodman, Cecile C. (1947), “Value and Need as Organizing Factors in Perception”, Value and Need as Organizing Factors in Perception 42:33–34.Google ScholarPubMed
Buckner, Randy L., and Schacter, Daniel L. (2004), “Neural Correlates of Memory's Successes and Sins”, in Gazzaniga, Michael S. (ed.), The Cognitive Neurosciences III. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 739–752.Google Scholar
Chomsky, Noam (1956), “Three Models for the Description of Language”, Three Models for the Description of Language 2:113–124.Google Scholar
Chomsky, Noam (1959), “Review of Verbal Behavior”, Review of Verbal Behavior 35:26–58.Google Scholar
Cohen, Neal J., and Squire, Larry R. (1980), “Preserved Learning and Retention of Pattern-Analyzing Skill in Amnesia: Dissociation of Knowing How and Knowing That”, Preserved Learning and Retention of Pattern-Analyzing Skill in Amnesia: Dissociation of Knowing How and Knowing That 210:207–210.Google ScholarPubMed
Corkin, Suzanne (1968), “Acquisition of Motor Skill after Bilateral Medial Temporal-Lobe Excision”, Acquisition of Motor Skill after Bilateral Medial Temporal-Lobe Excision 6:255–265.Google Scholar
Craver, Carl (2007), Explaining the Brain: What a Science of the Mind-Brain Could Be. New York: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cummins, Robert (2000), “‘How Does It Work?' versus ‘What Are the Laws?': Two Conceptions of Psychological Explanation”, in Keil, Frank and Wilson, Robert (eds.), Explanation and Cognition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 117–144.Google Scholar
Darden, Lindley (2005), “Relations among Fields: Mendelian, Cytological and Molecular Mechanisms”, Relations among Fields: Mendelian, Cytological and Molecular Mechanisms 36:357–371.Google ScholarPubMed
Düzel, Emrah, Cabeza, Roberto, Picton, Terence W., Yonelinas, Andrew P., Scheich, Henning, Heinze, Hans-Jochen, and Tulving, Endel (1999), “Task-Related and Item-Related Brain Processes of Memory Retrieval”, Task-Related and Item-Related Brain Processes of Memory Retrieval 96:1794–1799.Google ScholarPubMed
Ebbinghaus, Hermann (1885), Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot.Google Scholar
Gabrieli, John D. E., Poldrack, Russell A., and Desmond, John E. (1998), “The Role of Left Prefrontal Cortex in Language and Memory”, The Role of Left Prefrontal Cortex in Language and Memory 95:906–913.Google ScholarPubMed
Hebb, Donald O. (1949), The Organization of Behavior. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
James, William (1890), Principles of Psychology. New York: Holt.Google Scholar
Machamer, Peter, Darden, Lindley, and Craver, Carl (2000), “Thinking about Mechanisms”, Thinking about Mechanisms 67:1–25.Google Scholar
McCauley, Robert N., and Bechtel, William (2001), “Explanatory Pluralism and Heuristic Identity Theory”, Explanatory Pluralism and Heuristic Identity Theory 11:736–760.Google Scholar
Miller, George A. (1956), “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information”, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information 63:81–97.Google ScholarPubMed
Miller, George A., Galanter, Eugene, and Pribram, Karl (1960), Plans and the Structure of Behavior. New York: Holt.Google Scholar
Neisser, Ulric (1967), Cognitive Psychology. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.Google Scholar
Newell, Allen (1990), Unified Theories of Cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Newell, Allen, and Simon, Herbert A. (1956), “The Logic Theory Machine”, The Logic Theory Machine 3:61–79.Google Scholar
Peterson, L. R., and Peterson, M. J. (1959), “Short-Term Retention of Individual Verbal Items”, Short-Term Retention of Individual Verbal Items 58:193–198.Google ScholarPubMed
Rajah, M. Natasha, and McIntosh, Anthony R. (2005), “Overlap in the Functional Neural Systems Involved in Semantic and Episodic Memory Retrieval”, Overlap in the Functional Neural Systems Involved in Semantic and Episodic Memory Retrieval 17:470–482.Google ScholarPubMed
Ranganath, Charan, and Blumenfeld, Robert S. (2005), “Doubt about Double Dissociations between Short- and Long-term Memory”, Doubt about Double Dissociations between Short- and Long-term Memory 9:374–380.Google Scholar
Roediger, Henry L., Buckner, Randy L., and McDermott, Kathleen B. (1999), “Components of Processing”, in Foster, Jonathan K. and Jelicic, Marko (eds.), Memory: Systems, Process, or Function, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 32–65.Google Scholar
Scoville, W. B., and Milner, B. (1957), “Loss of Recent Memory after Bilateral Hippocampal Lesions”, Loss of Recent Memory after Bilateral Hippocampal Lesions 20:11–21.Google ScholarPubMed
Shallice, Timothy, and Warrington, Elizabeth K. (1970), “Independent Functioning of Verbal Memory Stores: A Neuropsychological Study”, Independent Functioning of Verbal Memory Stores: A Neuropsychological Study 22:261–273.Google ScholarPubMed
Shannon, Claude E. (1948), “A Mathematical Theory of Communication”, A Mathematical Theory of Communication 27:379–423, 623–656.Google Scholar
Shapiro, Lawrence (2004), The Mind Incarnate. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Sperling, George (1960), “The Information Available in Brief Visual Presentations”, The Information Available in Brief Visual Presentations 74:1–29.Google Scholar
Squire, Larry R., and Zola, Stuart M. (1998), “Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, and Amnesia”, Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, and Amnesia 8:205–211.Google ScholarPubMed
Sternberg, Saul (1966), “High-Speed Scanning in Human Memory”, High-Speed Scanning in Human Memory 153:652–654.Google ScholarPubMed
Teigen, K. H. (2002), “One Hundred Years of Laws in Psychology”, One Hundred Years of Laws in Psychology 115:103–118.Google Scholar
Tulving, Endel (1972), “Episodic and Semantic Memory”, in Tulving, Endel and Donaldson, Wayne (eds.), Organization of Memory. New York: Academic Press, 381–403.Google Scholar
Tulving, Endel (1985), “How Many Memory Systems Are There?” American Psychologist 40:385–398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tulving, Endel, Kapur, Shitu, Craik, Fergus I. M., Moscovitch, Morris, and Houle, Sylvain (1994), “Hemispheric Encoding/Retrieval Asymmetry in Episodic Memory: Positron Emission Tomography Findings”, Hemispheric Encoding/Retrieval Asymmetry in Episodic Memory: Positron Emission Tomography Findings 91:2016–2020.Google ScholarPubMed
Tulving, Endel, Schacter, Daniel L., and Stark, Heather A. (1982), “Priming Effects in Word-Fragment Completion Are Independent of Recognition Memory”, Priming Effects in Word-Fragment Completion Are Independent of Recognition Memory 8:336–342.Google Scholar
Turing, Alan (1936), “On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem”, Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society, 2nd ser., 42:230–265.Google Scholar
Vargha-Khadem, Faraneh, Gadian, David G., Watkins, Kate E., Connelly, Alan, Paesschen, Wim Van, and Mishkin, Mortimer (1997), “Differential Effects of Early Hippocampal Pathology on Episodic and Semantic Memory”, Differential Effects of Early Hippocampal Pathology on Episodic and Semantic Memory 277:376–380.Google ScholarPubMed
Waugh, Nancy C., and Norman, Donald A. (1965), “Primary Memory”, Primary Memory 72:89–104.Google ScholarPubMed