Cognitive Psychology: Brain Structures, Perception, and Methods

What is cognitive psychology concerned with?

How people pay attention, remember, and think.

What does contralateral control refer to?

A pattern where the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa.

What is the corpus callosum?

The largest commissure linking the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

What is prosopagnosia?

A syndrome where an individual loses the ability to recognize faces.

Why is face inversion more challenging for recognition?

It disrupts the relationship between facial features, which is crucial for recognition.

What does signal detection theory state?

Deciding whether a stimulus is present depends on sensitivity to the stimulus and the criteria used for judgment.

What is the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve?

It states that you lose 70% of new information within 24 hours if not used.

What is metacognition?

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

What is the Dunning-Kruger Effect?

A cognitive bias where individuals with low ability overestimate their competence.

What does the levels of processing theory suggest?

Deeper processing leads to better memory retention compared to shallow processing.

What is the difference between growth and fixed mindset?

Growth mindset views abilities as malleable, while fixed mindset sees them as static.

What is the impact of multitasking on cognitive performance?

Multitasking is actually task-switching, which incurs cognitive costs and reduces performance.

What is retrieval practice?

The act of testing oneself to enhance long-term memory retention.

What is the spacing effect?

Studying over several shorter sessions leads to better retention than cramming.

What does interleaving refer to in learning?

Mixing different topics during study sessions to improve memory and understanding.

What is the significance of Henry Molaison (H.M.) in cognitive psychology?

He had his hippocampus removed and could not form new long-term memories, providing insight into memory functions.

What are the three main processes in cognitive psychology?

Input (sensation & perception), Storage (learning & memory), Transformation (decision making, language & problem solving).

What does holistic face processing mean?

It emphasizes the importance of the configuration of facial features for recognition.

What is the role of memory in cognitive psychology?

Memory influences a large range of thoughts, actions, and feelings based on knowledge.

What is the relationship between attention and multitasking?

Attention has a limited capacity, and multitasking can lead to reduced effectiveness due to task-switching.

What is the purpose of cognitive psychology?

To understand human error, learning strategies, and the interaction of cognitive processes.

What is a common myth about learning?

That learning is fast; in reality, it takes more time than often estimated.

What is the implication of studying isolated facts?

It may work for rote memorization but does not support deeper understanding necessary for advanced learning.

What did Craik & Tulving (1975) demonstrate?

That deep processing leads to better memory retention compared to shallow processing.

What is the significance of cognitive control in media multitaskers?

Heavy media multitaskers perform worse in filtering out distractions compared to light multitaskers.

What is the main belief of a rationalist?

A rationalist believes knowledge is acquired through thinking and logical analysis.

What famous phrase is associated with René Descartes?

"I think, therefore I am."

What does the term 'Tabula Rasa' refer to in empiricism?

It refers to the idea that the mind is a 'blank slate' at birth, learning through sensory experiences.

Who are some key figures associated with empiricism?

John Locke, David Hume, and Francis Bacon.

What is the cognitive revolution?

A new approach to psychology that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, focusing on mental processes.

What are the limitations of introspection in psychology?

Introspection is subjective, cannot measure unconscious thoughts, and self-report accuracy is often unknown.

Who is considered the 'Father of Modern Psychology'?

Wilhelm Wundt.

What did behaviorism focus on?

Behaviorism focused on observable behaviors and stimuli, rather than mental events.

What is classical conditioning?

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a reflexive response.

What was the 'Little Albert' experiment?

An experiment demonstrating classical conditioning of fear in a child.

What is operant conditioning?

A learning process where behavior is shaped by rewards or punishments.

How did B.F. Skinner contribute to psychology?

He developed the concept of operant conditioning and studied the relationship between stimuli and responses.

What are the problems associated with behaviorism?

Behaviorism fails to account for subjective states and the complexity of human behavior.

What did Noam Chomsky argue against Skinner's ideas?

Chomsky argued that language acquisition is not solely determined by imitation or reinforcement.

What is Kant's Transcendental Method?

A method of reasoning backward from observations to determine causes.

What is the significance of the phrase 'theory is not fact' in psychology?

It emphasizes that theories are the best explanations based on current evidence, not absolute truths.

What approach do cognitive psychologists take to study mental events?

They measure observable stimuli and responses, develop hypotheses, and design experiments to test them.

What is the role of observation in empiricism?

Observation is crucial for acquiring knowledge through sensory experience.

What is the difference between rationalism and empiricism?

Rationalism relies on logic and reasoning, while empiricism relies on sensory experience.

What did behaviorism reject in its approach to psychology?

Behaviorism rejected the study of mental processes and focused solely on observable behavior.

What is the relationship between stimuli and behavior in operant conditioning?

Behavior is influenced by the consequences of previous actions, such as rewards or punishments.

What is the significance of the cognitive revolution for psychology?

It marked a shift towards understanding mental processes and the limitations of earlier methods like behaviorism.

How did Skinner's views on language learning evolve?

He initially believed language was learned through imitation and reinforcement but later revised this view.

What does the term 'self-report accuracy' refer to?

It refers to the reliability of individuals' accounts of their own thoughts and experiences.

What is the impact of subjective states on behavior according to cognitive psychology?

Subjective states significantly influence how individuals interpret situations and behave.

What is the importance of testing hypotheses in cognitive psychology?

Testing hypotheses is essential for validating theories about mental processes and behavior.

Who is often called the 'father of cognitive psychology'?

Ulric Neisser

What did Edward Tolman argue about learning?

Learning involves the acquisition of new knowledge, not just a change in behavior.

What experiment did Edward Tolman conduct with rats?

He demonstrated that rats could learn the layout of a maze without being rewarded.

What is a 'cognitive map'?

A mental representation of spatial relationships, as shown by rats learning a maze.

What was the outcome of the rats' maze experiment on Day 12?

The rats ran directly to the location of the food, demonstrating they had acquired a cognitive map.

What do Gestalt psychologists emphasize?

Mental processes and behaviors should be understood as part of a whole, not in isolation.

What is the central theme in modern cognitive psychology according to Gestalt psychologists?

Perceivers shape their own experiences through interactions among stimuli, knowledge, and beliefs.

Who was Frederic Bartlett and what was he known for?

He was the first professor of experimental psychology, known for his studies on memory and schemas.

What is a schema according to Bartlett?

A cognitive framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information.

What approach did psychologists begin to use to describe human cognition?

They compared human cognitive processes to computer processes.

What are the steps in the research process of cognitive psychology?

Form a hypothesis, derive predictors, collect data, and confirm or modify the hypothesis.

What are common methods used in cognitive psychology research?

Performance measures, response time measures, and neuroimaging techniques.

What does MRI stand for and what does it measure?

Magnetic Resonance Imaging; it measures brain activity by looking at blood oxygen levels.

What is cognitive neuroscience?

The study of the brain and nervous system to understand mental functioning.

What is the goal of an experiment in cognitive psychology?

To identify causal relationships by manipulating one variable and observing its effects.

What is an independent variable?

The factor that is manipulated in an experiment to observe its effect on behavior.

What is a dependent variable?

The outcome measured in an experiment, which is affected by the independent variable.

What is reaction time (RT) in cognitive psychology?

The time taken to respond to a stimulus, indicating processing speed.

What is the significance of accuracy/error analysis?

It measures how well participants perform on tasks, indicating cognitive function.

What is the purpose of psychobiological studies?

To map cognitive functions to underlying brain structures or neural activity.

What are computer simulations used for in cognitive psychology?

To model human cognitive processes and simulate tasks like memory storage and retrieval.

What is an associative claim in research?

A claim based on self-reports, case studies, or observations rather than experimental data.

What is the nature vs. nurture debate in cognitive psychology?

The discussion on whether behavior is determined by genetics (nature) or environment (nurture).

What does the term 'domain specificity' refer to?

The idea that certain cognitive processes are specialized for specific tasks.

What is the significance of the case study of Phineas Gage?

It provided insights into the relationship between brain damage and changes in personality and behavior.

What is the main cycle of science in cognitive psychology?

Data and theories inform each other, leading to a deeper understanding of cognitive processes.

What is the role of errors in cognition according to cognitive psychology?

Errors are informative and can help improve understanding of cognitive processes.

What is a spoonerism?

A linguistic error where words and sounds are swapped, such as 'a lack of pies' instead of 'a pack of lies'.

How do errors in speech production help us understand cognition?

Errors can reveal patterns that indicate how speech is produced in the brain.

What is Capgras syndrome?

A rare psychological syndrome where patients recognize loved ones but believe they are impostors.

What two systems are involved in normal facial recognition?

Cognitive appraisal and emotional appraisal.

What happens to emotional processing in Capgras syndrome?

Emotional processing is disrupted, leading to a lack of familiar feelings towards recognized individuals.

Which brain regions are linked to Capgras syndrome?

Abnormalities in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

What role does the amygdala play in emotional processing?

It is involved in feelings of familiarity, memory for emotional events, and emotional decision-making.

What is the primary functional unit of the brain?

The neuron.

What are the three identifiable regions of a neuron?

Dendrites, cell body (soma), and axon.

What is the function of dendrites?

They detect incoming signals from other neurons.

What is the role of glia in the nervous system?

They provide electrical insulation, guide development, repair damage, and control nutrient flow to neurons.

What occurs at the synapse?

Neurotransmitters bind to the postsynaptic membrane, potentially generating an action potential.

What is the 'all-or-none law' in action potentials?

An action potential always fires at the same strength once the threshold is reached, regardless of stimulus size.

What is synaptic transmission?

The process that allows a neuron to receive and integrate information from many other neurons.

What is coding in the context of neurons?

How information is represented by specific neurons or through distributed representation.

What are the three main structures of the human brain?

Hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain.

What is the function of the hindbrain?

It regulates key life functions such as heartbeat, posture, and alertness.

What is the role of the cerebellum?

It helps with balance and movement.

What does the midbrain do?

It serves as a primary switchboard for sensory information and coordinates precise eye movements.

What is the function of the thalamus?

It acts as a sensory relay station, processing incoming sensory information.

What is the hypothalamus responsible for?

It controls behaviors that serve specific biological needs.

What is the significance of gyri and sulci in the brain?

They increase surface area for more neurons and processing capacity, allowing the brain to fit in the skull.