Showing posts with label cognitive psychology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cognitive psychology. Show all posts

Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience Review

Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience ReviewIf you are looking for a general overview of the concept of synesthesia, I would not recommend this book. This book is instead for the serious student or professional who is interested in the field of synesthesia and what research is being done to define and document it. The book primarily consists of highly detailed descriptions the various experiments done on synesthetes (people who experience synesthesia) and the outcomes of those experiments.
Further, the book almost entirely dicsusses grapheme-color synesthesia, or synesthesia experienced by associating numbers and letters with specific colors. Other forms of synesthesia are mentioned, but all of the experiments appear to be related to the above-mentioned version of the experience. Finally, the book is appropriately deadpan, offering only that this and that experiment suggests this and that. There is no emphasis whatsoever on spiritual issues or anything "New Age."
The book is well-organized and articulate, but highly technical while being only mildly conceptual. Most of the experiments mentioned define what synesthesia is *not* rather than what it is. Its most important contribution is the emphasis on describing the machines used to do experiments as well as the non-mechanical experiments (having synesthetes read combinations of numbers on black-and-white or color surfaces, for example) used to define the condition.
The fact that the book does not ultimately define the properties of synesthesia is perfectly understandable considering the limitations of how we can study it at this time. The explanations of how the human brain and mind are defined by scientists are concise and certainly useful for both scientists and philosophers as well as more technically-minded artists. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the study of human perception.Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience OverviewOwing to its bizarre nature and its implications for understanding how brains work, synesthesia has recently received a lot of attention in the popular press and motivated a great deal of research and discussion among scientists. The questions generated by these two communities are intriguing: Does the synesthetic phenomenon require awareness and attention? How does a feature that is not present become bound to one that is? Does synesthesia develop or is it hard wired? Should it change our way of thinking about perceptual experience in general? What is its value in understanding perceptual systems as a whole? This volume brings together a distinguished group of investigators from diverse backgrounds--among them neuroscientists, novelists, and synesthetes themselves--who provide fascinating answers to these questions. Although each approaches synesthesia from a very different perspective, and each was curious about and investigated synesthesia for very different reasons, the similarities between their work cannot be ignored. The research presented in this volume demonstrates that it is no longer reasonable to ask whether or not synesthesia is real--we must now ask how we can account for it from cognitive, neurobiological, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives. This book will be important reading for any scientist interested in brain and mind, not to mention synesthetes themselves, and others who might be wondering what all the fuss is about.

Want to learn more information about Synesthesia: Perspectives from Cognitive Neuroscience?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action Review

The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action ReviewA neuroscientist and a philosopher get together and attempt to integrate phenomenological descriptions of action with physiological descriptions of the same.
A few points in its favor:
* Good formulation of the dilemma that has led to the effort to integrate phenomenological and scientific descriptions of experience.
* A sensitivity to both philosophical and scientific audiences.
* A thorough outlining of a borderline novel approach to the issue.
A few criticisms:
* Fire the editor and the translator. This book could have been half as long and the sentences half as labored and awkward.
* Better phenomenology and much better physiology (not to mention with much more clarity) in Berthoz's solo effort The Brain's Sense of Movement.
* Consistent equivocation. For example, the concept of anticipation -- central to the thesis of the book -- is referred to as a mode of being and as a necessary precursor to all modes of being and/or perception.
* They display the irritating tendency to attribute the phenomenological insights developed by others to Husserl. For one, Merleau-Ponty (who graciously gave much credit to Husserl for inspiring insights that were probably better attributed to Heidegger) is absolutely abused.
In spite of the weaknesses, I still recommend it for those who are interested in these kinds of questions. It is a step in the right direction.
For slightly better results from the philosopher/neuroscientist formula, see Ways of Seeing (Jacob/Jeannerod) and What Makes Us Think (Changeux/Ricoeur).The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action OverviewThough many philosophers of mind have taken an interest in the great developments in the brain sciences, the interest is seldom reciprocated by scientists, who frequently ignore the contributions philosophers have made to our understanding of the mind and brain. In a rare collaboration, a world famous brain scientist and an eminent philosopher have joined forces in an effort to understand how our brain interacts with the world. Does the brain behave as a calculator, combining sensory data before deciding how to act? Or does it behave as an emulator endowed with innate models of the world, which it corrects according to the results of experiences obtained by the senses? The two authors come from very different backgrounds - the philosopher Jean-Luc Petit belongs to the philosophical tradition of Husserlian phenomenology. Alain Berthoz has long been interested in the physiology of action (movement, posture, decision-making, perception, etc.). Drawing on cutting-edge research from the cognitive sciences, the authors have produced a highly original volume showing how phenomenology and physiology can interact to further our understanding of the brain and the mind.

Want to learn more information about The Physiology and Phenomenology of Action?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice Review

Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice ReviewAll right - I admit it, I am doing my PhD dissertation using Vygotsky as a foundation. This means I have read ALOT of Vygotksy.
This is, by far, my favorite discussion on Vygotsky. Grendler does an excellent job of untangling the very thick and vibrant threads of Vygotsky's theories.
This is not a "light reading" book, by any means. However, if you are looking for a very thorough explanation of Vygotsky's main theories than this is an excellent resource. In addition, Grendler resists the tendency among some scholars to oversimplify Vygotsky for the sake of explanation and translation.
This many seem a small point to consider but when working with a deceased
Russian theorist, it becomes a major hindrance in many other works.Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice OverviewMost educators are familiar with Lev Vygotsky's concept of the "zone of proximal development," yet the bulk of Vygotsky's pioneering theory of cognitive development largely remains unknown. This unique volume provides a systematic, authoritative overview of Vygotsky's work and its implications for educational research and practice. Major topics include how children develop higher-order thinking; the influences on cognitive development of teacher-student interactions, the family, and culture; and critical and stable periods in development from infancy through adolescence. Key concepts and research methods are explained in detail, and classroom examples and instructional suggestions are provided.


Want to learn more information about Vygotsky's Legacy: A Foundation for Research and Practice?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional) Review

WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional) ReviewThis text is a great resource for graduate students as well as practicing Learning Consultants.WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional) OverviewWJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation presents a wide variety of clinical applications of the WJ III from leading experts. Each chapter will provide the reader with insights into patterns of cluster and test scores from both the WJ III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and WJ III Tests of Achievement that can assist with interpretation and formulation of diagnostic hypotheses for clinical practice. WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation provides expert guidance for using the WJ III with individuals with a broad array of learning and neuropsychological problems, including learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. New research included in this volume emphasizes the value of the WJ III for identification of gifted children and adolescents and young children with developmental delays.* Written by the leading experts on the WJ III* Coverage of both the Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Achievement* Provides expert guidance on using the WJ III with a variety of clinical populations* Includes new research and illustrative case studies* Goes beyond interpretive material published in the Examiner's Manuals and other resource books

Want to learn more information about WJ III Clinical Use and Interpretation: Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives (Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence Review

Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence ReviewChampioning the ascent of reptiles as much as the descent of man, this thoughtful volume on the evolution of intelligence by Skoyles and Sagan is a welcome addition to the nature/nurture neurophilosophy shelf. The authors take us well beyond the 'usual suspects' listing of gross anatomical brain structure and function of the familiar phyla, traveling a welcome breadth of comparative data to include a wide variety of species (including our earlier selves). Rather than merely outline the familiar shopping list(s) of evolving structures culminating in the development of the modern human cerebral cortex, Skoyles & Sagan do not end with the discussion of its distinctive "associative" or "silent" areas of the brain of old (as so many other authors are still content to do). Instead, and throughout the book's eighteen chapters, we are treated to a series of detailed proposals concerned with the continuously adaptive neural architecture of both the intra- and inter-cerebral structures underlying the evolution human intelligent behavior.
Reminiscent of learning the names of Tolstoy's characters in the early pages of 'War & Peace', one meets here parts of the brain rarely mentioned (let alone claimed to be of any significance in explaining who we are and why we behave as we do). Following the publication of this volume, the long overdue and normally restricted cast of human brain features will now include the structure and functional connectivities of the anterior cingulate, the amygdala, the insula, the orbital and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the brain (and these are just a few of the characters amongst many others that might have been introduced here). We may still not be able to agree upon how best to measure intelligence (IQ, in my view, still tautologically measuring 'what IQ tests measure'), but the physiological substrates of the brain supporting intelligent behavior are slowly coming to be located and characterized. Many of the examples and theoretical components put forward may perhaps appear predictable to those familiar with modern paradigms in comparative psychology and the study of intelligent systems (both biological and man-made), but the real strength of this book is to be seen in its successfully discussing adaptive neural systems for the technical non-specialist. The story as told here is a great achievement for a book aimed at the popular science reader.
The basic thesis of the book follows the development of the nervous system in the aftermath of the 'KT event' (coincident with the demise of the reptilian dinosaurs), which favored flexible, mobile species with nocturnal, cold-adaptable behaviors, capable of finding shelter and forage. In contrast, species with relatively reflexive nervous systems, whilst satisfactory when situated in a stable, predictable environment, can often fail to adapt to changes within the time course of sudden catastrophic events. En route to the architecture of the modern human brain, we meet the aetiology of social and emotional life and their associated neural substrata in the prefrontal cerebral and limbic cortex (amongst other structures). The level of neuroanatomical detail is sufficient to provide a coherent and consistent story of successive adaptations leading to the development of 'higher intelligence', but the pathway taken argues not for this result deriving solely from phylogenetic mutation (per se), but, and more importantly, from ontogenetic neural plasticity and enculturation despite the SAME genetic makeup.
If this idea is new, and at first glance appears to be an uncomfortable one, don't panic! If the authors are right, your prefrontal brain cortex will soon get to work in generating some reflex inhibition, allowing one to assess (and reassess) the situation, temporarily delay one's actions, and then to organize and activate novel planned behaviors towards worked goals. Whether the modern human can prove him/herself to be intelligent enough to plan the survival of any future catastrophe (whether it be of our own making or another KT-like event) we will have to wait and see. In the meantime we have in this book, an accessible version of a still-emerging story telling how, and as the solution to what challenges, the intelligence of a variety of species (including modern humans) currently evolved to demonstrate.
Excellently referenced throughout, with bibliography aplenty for those wishing to read more of the detailed research literature, my only gripe with this book would be with its lack of visualization aids for those unfamiliar with the brain areas mentioned. Although the text is sufficiently detailed to allow the reader to construct crude schematics for him/herself (as one may have done in the case of Tolstoy's family trees?), both anatomical and flowchart illustrations might be of help in hastening the orientation of those perhaps new to the anatomy and neurophysiology of the brain.
Whether this would indeed have been the book that Carl Sagan would have written in 1977 had he possessed the vast corpus of knowledge concerning the brain now available, one may only guess? It is my own view that Skoyles & Sagan's title serves more than to merely pay homage to 'The Dragons of Eden', in whose memory this book is in part written.Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence Overview
A breathtaking account of the "unnatural" history of consciousness and human intelligence

Taking its cue from The Dragons of Eden, Carl Sagan's 1977 classic and New York Times bestseller, Up from Dragons traces the development of human intelligence back to its animal roots in an attempt to account for the vast differences between our species and all those that came before us. In a book that will spark a storm of debate, neuroscientist John Skoyles and awardwinning author Dorion Sagan introduce a controversial theory of the origins of human intelligence that may hold the answers to questions that have haunted scientists about mind, consciousness, and the evolutionary odyssey of humankind. It also introduces the revolutionary concept of "mindware"­­the human, evolutionary equivalent of computer software­­and describes how the evolution-accelerating symbol-using programs that make it up have empowered us with the unprecedented ability to take charge of our own evolutionary destiny.


Want to learn more information about Up From Dragons: The Evolution of Human Intelligence?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Cognitive Psychology Review

Cognitive Psychology
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Cognitive Psychology? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Cognitive Psychology. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Cognitive Psychology ReviewI find this book to be terribly frustrating. I have only read a few chapters in this book (a great deal of that material several times) and concepts that this book introduces are just not clear. the abnormal psychology book that Sue Sue and Sue wrote is phenomenal, every key concept is clearly defined, and it is immediately discussed and then supplemented with examples and extra information. With this Cognitive Psychology book I feel like every important concept is shrouded in fog. There are far too many examples and few terms are defined immediately and with accuracy. With this said, I would suggest this book for people that would like to supplement their reading, due to the massive amounts of examples in this book. For some, this book may be perfect, I just prefer a more direct approach that other psychology books offer.Cognitive Psychology OverviewThis coherent overview of cognitive psychology is organized in terms of themes that cut across topic areas. Written by well-known researchers, the book is completely current in describing ongoing controversies in research; it provides summaries of key experiments that distinguish between them; and it encourages the reader to think critically about current research and theories. The focus on the importance of physical and computational constraints on cognition is preserved throughout the book.

Want to learn more information about Cognitive Psychology?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

The Psychology of Language Review

The Psychology of Language
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy The Psychology of Language? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Psychology of Language. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Psychology of Language ReviewI have used this text consistently for the past 4 years. Whitney does a good job at situating rather technical information in the context of general themes. Whitney tends to focus on psycholinguistics proper and presents little on how language is used (see Timothy Jay's Psychology of Language text in contrast). Unfortunately the text is getting somewhat out of date, as it has not been revised since the initial 1998 edition (whereas most texts in the field see a 3 to 4 year revision cycle). Still one of the best advanced undergraduate psycholinguistics text out there (see also David Carroll Psychology of Language).The Psychology of Language OverviewWritten in a lively, accessible style, The Psychology of Language presents a compelling focus on the relationship between language and human cognition. Each chapter offers a strong central theme, presented as a hypothesis for the student to consider. The text's three-part organization (Linguistics, Cognition, and Neuroscience), reflecting Marr's three levels of analysis (computational, representational, and implementational), helps the reader relate the material to larger issues.

Want to learn more information about The Psychology of Language?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...