ABSTRACT

Over the past 3 decades, cognitive psychology has generated a great deal of research, so much that a number of basic and applied researchers have recently developed ways to apply basic cognitive theories to everyday problems. An especially important aspect of these developments in applied cognitive psychology is that researchers have not only developed applications but they have also developed technologies, that is, applications that apply to more than one situation. For example, the creation of a new method to enhance the recall accuracy of eyewitnesses (such as guided recall) would be such an application. A cursory examination of the literature indicates that diverse cognitive technologies have been developed, for example, assessment measures, memory improvement strategies, cognitive rehabilitation strategies, devices that aid prospective memory, cognitively oriented survey interviewing, and structured clinical interviews of suspected victims of childhood sexual abuse. This chapter defines cognitive technology and explains its importance to basic, as well as applied research. It is shown how theories and methods lead to the development of cognitive technology. Alternatively, it is also shown how technology contributes to the development of basic theory. Finally, consideration is given to the advantages of developing cognitive technology in academia and to how basic researchers in academia might begin an applied research program.