Cognition [Hardcover]

Margaret W. Matlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0470002212 | ISBN-13: 978-0470002216 | Edition: 5

This text's success has come in large part from its up-to-date coverage of important research and theories and offers the latest and most comprehensive overview of cognition on the market today. Recent developments in perception, imagery, problem solving, and creativity are highlighted along with advances in such areas as memory and language and expanded theoretical approaches.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

With Margaret Matlin’s Cognition, Sixth Edition, you have the opportunity to explore the latest thinking on cognitive processes, current theoretical approaches, and innovative research techniques.

Extensively updated with more than 700 new references, this Sixth Edition provides clear, balanced, and highly engaging coverage of the field, along with extensive pedagogical support and numerous applications to everyday life. You’ll investigate interesting topics such as perceptual processes, working memory, long-term memory, mental imagery, general knowledge, language, problem solving, decision making, and cognitive development. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Margaret W. Matlin received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University and her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She currently holds the title Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology at SUNY Geneseo, where she has taught the course in cognitive psychology for 20 years. In addition to Cognition, Harcourt also publishes her textbooks, Psychology and Psychology of Women.

Dr. Matlin is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the Canadian Psychological Association. She received the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1977, the American Psychological Association's Teaching of Psychology Award for four-year institutions in 1985, and the American Psychological Foundation's Distinguished Teaching in Psychology Award in 1995.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 624 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 5 edition (February 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470002212
• ISBN-13: 978-0470002216
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,559,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Targeted Undergraduate Cognitive Psychology Text, September 2, 2009

By 

John M. Ford "johnDC" (near DC, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cognition (Hardcover)

I have used Margaret Matlin's cognitive psychology textbook several times to teach an undergraduate cognition course. The book is reasonably organized and up-to-date. I am satisfied with it as an instructor because it covers the field well, incorporates instructional design features that promote learning, is instructor-friendly, and is readable for undergraduate students.

The text is organized into thirteen chapters that cover the familiar landscape of cognition. I suggest using Amazon's "Search inside this book" link to verify coverage of key topics in the detailed Table of Contents. By the author's report, the 7th edition includes "2,064 references; 806 are new to the seventh edition." I didn't look them all up, of course, but my experience with the text attests to her good judgment in the mix of current and classic studies, both referenced and discussed in the text.

The book's instructional design features are better than average. A large glossary aids study and reinforces consistency in terminology across chapters. The demonstrations throughout the book are well-crafted, allowing students to experiment with new concepts quickly as they read. Placing summaries at the end of each chapter section (rather than only at chapter end) is an excellent idea, encouraging more frequent review of smaller amounts of related material. The remaining end-of-chapter material--review questions, keywords and recommended readings--is standard, but well executed.

Instructor friendly features count with me too, since they make my life easier. Matlin has been largely successful in making each chapter self-contained, allowing the instructor to shuffle the order with minimal pain for students. Her use of primary research sources enables motivated students to dive into the field's research literature for term papers or extra reading, even if their searching skills are not yet well developed. The test bank is helpful addition and is well integrated with the text itself.

Maitlin is both praised and criticized for her writing style, seen as either accessible or excessively chatty. I personally don't enjoy such a chatty style in a professional book. But I still think she gets it right--because I am not her target audience. My students find her style engaging and her personal examples helpful and interesting. They are the audience that matters and I am glad this book connects well with most of them. This, too, makes my job easier.

This text is recommended for use in an undergraduate cognition class.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book on cognition, April 22, 2010

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Cognition (Hardcover)

This book covers most aspects of the subject and is easy to read. I liked the way important phrases, titles etc were emphasized and highlighted in the text, almost like notes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a keeper, June 12, 2009

By 

A. Walker (Ferndale, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cognition (Hardcover)

a little dry and lacking colorful diagrams and graphics, but very informative and thorough. i have referenced this book many times since the class i bought it for has ended... a keeper.