Gordon H. Bower was a cognitive psychologist, he has theorized many contributions to the world of psychology
Student 1- Celina’s post:
Good evening class,
Gordon H. Bower was a cognitive psychologist, he has theorized many contributions to the world of psychology, he was most known for his theory that memories are associated with feelings. I have read an article of his on something called mental models. In this article bower talks about how readers can “facilitate comprehension”, he basically talks about how readers are able to create an entire stage in their mind on what they read and use that information to generate new information when needed later in the story. Cognitive psychologists are trying to better understand human intelligence through reading comprehension, and that is what Bower was better trying to understand in this article.
The basis of this article starts with identifying how a reader can get from a goal to an action to develop judgment on the book. The less likely an action the more confused the reader will be because it’s not what they expected based on the character’s goals. Bower states that the more goals a character has the harder it is for readers to understand the actions the character takes. Now I’m just summarizing but it’s fascinating to think that when I’m reading a book so much more is happening in my brain than I even realize.
This theory helps explain many different psychological functions not just in reading, but I can even relate it to real life. Bower talks about how readers will rewrite the story in their brains to justify a character’s actions. I believe people do this all the time in everyday life, it’s all about perspective. For example, one woman might see her son act out in school and think he is a bad kid, but she might not know all the facts, or maybe she is just ignoring them, but someone else looking in with no biased opinion could just see a kid acting out because he wants attention from his mother. You have two different perspectives here; one is a delinquent kid with no hope of redemption, and another is an innocent child crying out for help. Now I do read a lot of books and I do find myself falling for this as well, there are times when I completely redefine a character’s morals to justify their actions and justify how I feel about them, all of this just further explains how the human mind can rewrite an experience to better help us cope with the narrative.
Reference
Bower, G. H., & Morrow, D. G. (1990). Mental Models in Narrative Comprehension. Science, 247(4938), 44–48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2873581
Student 2- Jonathan’s post:
Elizabeth F. Loftus was an American psychologist and one of the most acclaimed and qualified professionals in the nation regarding memory. Her research illustrates how the information we are told can alter our recollections, the study of this can be altered by facts, notions, recommendations, and other post-event information. Her studies on memory have had important applications in the legal profession, which is heavily dependent on memories.
She was involved in many stories including the McMartin preschool molestation case, the trial of Oliver North, the trial of the police officers charged with beating Rodney King, and legal disputes related to Scooter Libby, Martha Stewart, and Michael Jackson. In countless cases like the Duke University Lacrosse players, Loftus has testified as an expert witness and served as a consultant. She was selected as one of the top 100 psychologists of the twentieth century by the APA’s Review of General Psychology, and she was awarded the 2016 John Maddox Prize, which honors those who advance solid research and evidence on issues of public concern in spite of obstacles or hostility. With “Resolving legal questions with psychological data”, she explains the harmony between law and psychology.
Psychologists are constantly looking for new legal contexts in which to apply their notions and facts. In court cases involving sex discrimination in the United States, conclusions about the origins and impact of stereotypes have been made. In South African death penalty cases, research on conformity, adherence to authority, and the apathy of witnesses have been applied. These specific and practical uses of psychological science show how important psychology is becoming in the realm of law.
This benchmark serves as a reminder of the two-way street when used to assess psychological engagement in the legal system. In addition to providing the gift of psychology, psychologists also receive something in return. As we move into the twenty-first century and beyond, it is tempting to make predictions concerning what psychology will say about the legal system next and what it will learn from it. The importance of a psychological study or hypothesis should not be determined by how “right” it turns out, but rather by how much it inspires others to think in this way.
Reference
Loftus, E. F. (1991). Resolving legal questions with psychological data. American Psychologist, 46(10), 1046, Publisher: American Psychological Association; [Journal Article]; DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.46.10.1046, Database: APA PsycArticles
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