Chapter 1 Psych 224

Associationism

The theory that mental processes operate through associations between ideas or sensations.

Behaviorism

A school of thought that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors and rejects the study of internal mental processes.

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of the spatial layout of an environment.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The interdisciplinary study of the neural basis of cognition.

Cognitive Psychology

The scientific study of mental processes, including perception, attention, memory, language, and problem-solving.

Cognitive Revolution

A period in the mid-20th century marked by a shift away from behaviorism and towards the study of cognitive processes.

Connectionist Network Models (PDP Models)

Mathematical models that simulate cognitive processes as interactions between interconnected networks of simple processing units.

Electroencephalography (EEG)

A technique for measuring electrical activity in the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp.

Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

Brain waves that are time-locked to the presentation of a stimulus, derived from EEG recordings.

Forgetting Curve

A graphical representation of the rate of forgetting over time.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow.

Information Processing Approach

A framework for understanding cognition that compares the mind to a computer, processing information through a series of stages.

Introspection

The process of examining one's own thoughts and feelings.

Parallel Processing

The ability to process multiple pieces of information simultaneously.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting the distribution of a radioactive tracer.

Serial Processing

Processing information one step at a time.

Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff

The tendency for faster reaction times to be associated with a greater number of errors.

Sternberg Task

An experimental paradigm used to study short-term memory and information processing speed.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

A technique that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate or inhibit brain activity in specific regions.