Lecture 7 - Week 4 Tuesday - Methods of Cognitive Psychology (Brain)

Neuro Data - What are the 3 types of neuro data psychologists are interested in?

1. Electric: Specifically action potentials. 2. Location: Where in the brain activity is occurring. 3. Significant point: Identifying the peak or mean of brain activity.

Localization - What is localization?

Localization is the process of identifying which specific area of the brain shows the main peak activity during a particular cognitive process.

Neuro Method 1 - What is the first method for collecting neuro data and its requirements?

Studying patients with brain damage. It requires two measures: 1. A description of behavioral deficits (what the patient can no longer do) and 2. An examination of exactly where the physical brain damage occurred.

Neuro Method 2 - What is the second method for collecting neuro data?

Studying healthy patients using neuroimaging technology (fMRI or PET scans) to localize brain activity while the patient performs a specific cognitive task.

Method Logic - How do Method 1 and Method 2 differ in their logic?

Method 1 (Damaged) shows that when a specific area is destroyed, the behavior is lost. Method 2 (Healthy) shows that when the behavior is performed, that same specific area "lights up" with activity.

Brain Scans - What is the difference between structural and functional scans?

Structural scans (CAT, MRI) identify physical anatomy and damage for Method 1. Functional scans (fMRI, PET) measure brain activity and blood flow during tasks for Method 2.

Behavior Measurement - How do psychologists solve the problem of "foggy" behavioral deficits in Method 1?

They use a "codex" of specialized tests designed to isolate very specific, simple cognitive tasks, allowing researchers to narrow down exactly which mental process is missing.

Neuroimaging Challenges - What is the primary problem with fMRI data and how is it overcome?

The brain lights up "all over" during tasks. It is overcome using Subtraction: comparing activity between two tasks that are identical except for one specific cognitive process to isolate that process's location.

The Big Toe Problem - What is the "Big Toe Problem" in cognitive neuroscience?

The argument that localization doesn't explain how a theory works; knowing "where" a process happens (like memory in the hippocampus vs. the big toe) doesn't necessarily clarify the abstract cognitive "how".

Clues about Architecture - What is Technique 1 for overcoming the Big Toe Problem?

Using neuro data before a theory is formed to provide a "broad outline." It shows Diversity where there could be Unity (one concept is actually multiple brain processes) or Unity where there could be Diversity (different behaviors share the same brain deficit).

Abstract Constructs - What is Technique 2 and the role of single cell recording?

Direct observation of an abstract construct. Single cell recording (measuring one neuron's electrical activity) is important because it shows individual cells acting as physical "feature detectors" for specific stimuli.

Confirming Primitives - What is Technique 4 and the "Parallel Parking" example?

Using neuro data to prove a construct is a "cognitive primitive." A "parallel parking module" is a weak theory because it is too narrow and modern; flexible constructs like Short Term Memory are preferred because they "do more work" across many tasks.

Technique 3 - What is Technique 3 (Brain Informing Cognitive Theory) and how is it used?

This technique is used when there are two competing cognitive theories for the same behavior. Researchers use existing knowledge of brain function to see which theory's predictions align better with observed neural activity, allowing the physical brain data to "break the tie" between the theories.