Introduction to Cognitive Psychology & Cognitive Neuroscience

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and definitions from chapters on Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience.

Cognitive psychology

The scientific study of how people perceive, learn, remember, and think.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founded the first psychology laboratory and is often called the father of experimental psychology.

Structuralism

Early school that analyzed the basic elements or structure of mental experiences.

Functionalism

School that emphasized the purposes and adaptive functions of the mind and behavior.

Behaviorism

Approach that focuses solely on observable behaviors, disregarding mental processes.

Black box (behaviorism)

Behaviorists’ term for the mind, considered unobservable and thus ignored in their research.

Gestalt psychology

Perspective asserting that the whole of perception is different from the sum of its parts.

Introspection

Self-observation method used to examine conscious mental experience.

Robert Sternberg

Psychologist who proposed the triarchic theory of intelligence.

Triarchic theory of intelligence

Sternberg’s model comprising analytical, creative, and practical intelligence.

Analytical intelligence

Ability to analyze, evaluate, and solve academic-type problems.

Creative intelligence

Capacity to deal with novel situations and generate original ideas.

Practical intelligence

Skill in adapting to everyday life and applying knowledge to real contexts.

Associationism

View that learning occurs through forming connections between ideas.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

Pioneer of memory research who developed the forgetting curve.

Forgetting curve

Ebbinghaus’s graph showing rapid memory loss followed by slower decline.

Dialectic

Process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis driving the development of ideas.

Rationalism

Belief that knowledge is gained primarily through logical reasoning.

Empiricism

Belief that knowledge arises from sensory experience.

René Descartes

Famous rationalist philosopher who emphasized reason as a source of knowledge.

John Locke

Empiricist philosopher who argued the mind is a blank slate at birth.

Tabula rasa

Locke’s notion that the newborn mind is a blank slate shaped by experience.

Immanuel Kant

Philosopher who integrated rationalism and empiricism in his epistemology.

Availability heuristic

Judging frequency or likelihood based on how easily examples come to mind.

Cocktail party effect

Ability to focus on one conversation amid background noise.

Theory

Conceptual explanation that organizes and predicts empirical findings.

Empirical data

Observed or measured evidence used to test and refine theories.

Adaptive cognition

Idea that cognitive processes generally help individuals function effectively.

Applied cognitive psychology

Use of cognitive principles to solve real-world problems.

Nature versus nurture

Debate about the relative influence of biology and environment on cognition.

Cognitive neuroscience

Field examining the relationship between brain activity and cognitive processes.

Forebrain

Brain region including the cerebral hemispheres; handles complex cognition.

Midbrain

Small central area involved in sensory and motor functions.

Hindbrain

Lower brain region regulating vital functions and coordination.

Cerebral cortex

Outer brain layer responsible for higher cognitive functions.

Localization of function

Principle that specific brain areas perform specific tasks.

Parieto-Frontal Integration Theory (P-FIT)

Model positing that intelligence depends on parietal and frontal brain networks.

Occipital lobe

Cortical region dedicated to visual processing.

Parietal lobe

Cortical area processing sensory information such as touch and spatial sense.

Temporal lobe

Lobe involved in auditory processing and memory formation.

Frontal lobe

Region linked to decision-making, planning, and problem-solving.

Hippocampus

Medial-temporal structure critical for forming and retrieving memories.

Amygdala

Limbic structure important for processing emotions, especially fear.

Neuron

Nerve cell that transmits information via electrical and chemical signals.

Dendrite

Branchlike neuron extension that receives messages from other cells.

Axon

Long fiber that carries neural impulses away from the cell body.

Synapse

Tiny gap between neurons where neurotransmitters are released.

Action potential

Electrical impulse that travels along an axon to transmit information.

Resting potential

Stable negative charge of a neuron when it is inactive.

Depolarization

Reduction in a neuron’s negative charge, initiating an action potential.

Myelin

Fatty sheath insulating axons and speeding conduction of impulses.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messenger that carries signals across synapses.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, and movement.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and emotion.

Acetylcholine

Neurotransmitter associated with attention, learning, and muscle activation.

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

Technique that records electrical activity of the brain via scalp electrodes.

fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Imaging method that uses magnetic fields to map brain activity by measuring blood flow.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

Invasive imaging technique that uses radioactive tracers to examine brain function.

TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)

Non-invasive method that uses magnetic pulses to temporarily disrupt brain activity.

ERP (Event-Related Potential)

Measured brain response time-locked to a specific sensory or cognitive event.

Brain plasticity

Brain’s ability to reorganize and adapt its structure and function.

Lesion study

Research examining cognitive deficits following specific brain damage.

Stroke

Interruption of blood supply to the brain, causing neuronal death.

Tumor

Abnormal mass of tissue that can disrupt brain function.

Cognitive impairment

Difficulty with mental abilities such as memory, attention, or decision-making.

Brain metabolism

Brain’s consumption of energy and nutrients to support neural activity.

Lateralization of function

Tendency for some cognitive processes to be dominant in one hemisphere.

Left hemisphere

Cerebral side typically specialized for language and analytical tasks.

Right hemisphere

Cerebral side typically specialized for spatial and creative tasks.

Corpus callosum

Large nerve bundle connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.

Thalamus

Relay station transmitting sensory information to the cortex.

Broca’s area

Frontal-lobe region responsible for speech production.

Wernicke’s area

Temporal-lobe region responsible for language comprehension.

Central nervous system

Comprises the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.

Somatic nervous system

Subdivision controlling voluntary movements and sensory input.

Autonomic nervous system

Subdivision regulating involuntary functions like heartbeat and digestion.

Neurogenesis

Creation of new neurons in the brain.

Brainstem

Lower brain area controlling basic survival functions like breathing.

Motor cortex

Frontal-lobe strip responsible for voluntary motor control.

Somatosensory cortex

Parietal-lobe area that processes touch and body sensations.

Neuroimaging

Family of techniques that visualize brain structure and function.

Hebb’s rule

Principle stating that ‘neurons that fire together wire together.’

Cognitive control

Ability to regulate thought and behavior to achieve goals.

Prefrontal cortex

Frontmost cortical region critical for decision-making and executive functions.

Attention (neuroscience)

Focusing cognitive resources on selected stimuli while ignoring others.

Working memory

System for temporarily holding and manipulating information.

Executive function

Higher-order processes guiding planning, inhibition, and flexible thinking.

Memory consolidation

Process by which short-term memories become long-term stable memories.

Mental imagery

Creation of mental representations without direct sensory input.

Inhibitory control

Capacity to suppress irrelevant or automatic responses.

Cerebellum

Structure coordinating movement and contributing to timing and possibly cognition.

Importance of cognitive neuroscience

Links mental functions to brain activity, advancing understanding of the mind.