Intro to Cognitive Psychology Terms

perception

interpreting sensory input

memory

storing and retrieving data

Imagination

visualizing possibilites

Thinking

solving complex problems

Who was the first to differentiate between memory systems?

William James - 1890

Explicit memory

Intentional retrieval of information - remembering specific date or list of words

Implicit memory

Past experiences influence behavior without conscious awareness - skill aquisition

Semantic encoding

Meaning words are integrated into existing knowledge structures making them easier to recall

Serial processing

cognitive operations happen one at a time in a sequential series

Parallel processing

Multiple cognitive operations occur simultaneously

Three dimensions of consciousness

Self-knowledge, Informational access, Sentience

Six basic emotions

Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Surprise

Two descriptors of emotion

Valence, Arousal

Valence

Degree of pleasure vs displeasure

Arousal

Level of physiological activation

Independant variable

Factor manipulated by researcher

Dependent variable

Factor measured to see the effect of independant variable

Reaction time

Time interval between stimulus and response

Cross-validation

Using multiple methods to increase the validity of the findings

Spatial resolution

Ability to pinpoint WHERE in the brain activity is occurring

Temporal resolution

Ability to pinpoint WHEN in time brain activity is occurring

EEG

Records electrical activity from the scalp, detects voltage changes

High Temporal Resolution (milliseconds) but Low Spatial Resolution

fMRI

Measures blood oxygen level dependent signal, tracks changes in blood flow

High Spatial Resolution (millimeters) but Low Temporal Resolution

PET

Measures metabolic processes via a radioactive tracer

Good Spatial Resolution but Very Low Temporal Resolution

MEG

Measures magnetic fields produced by neural electrical activity

Excellent Temporal Resolution and Better Spatial Resolution than EEG

TMS

Uses magnetic pulses to temporarily disrupt or enhance brain activity in specified areas

Non-invasive brain stimulation

Franciscus Donders equation for decision time

Choice RT - Simple RT = Decision Time

Simple RT

detection of stimulus

Choice RT

detection of stimulus + decision based on stimulus

Broca’s area

Has to do with speech production

Wernickes area

Has to do with speech comprehension

Cross method validation

when different experimental approaches reach the same conclusion it strengthens the validity of the conclusion

Hindbrain

Basic survival functions

Midbrain

Sensory processing and motor coordination

Forebrain

Higher order cognition, emotion, memory

Cerebral Cortex - Left Hemisphere

Producing and comprehending Language

Cerebral Cortex - Right Hemisphere

Recognizing faces and processing spatial relationships between objects

Corpus callosum

Connects both sides of brain

Frontal lobe

Executive control, planning, decision making, and motor function

Temporal Lobe

Auditory processing, language comprehension, and memory

Occipital Lobe

Visual processing center

Parietal Lobe

Sensory integration, spatial awareness, and navigation

Prefrontal Cortex

higher order cognitive processes