Chapter 1 - Overview

Cognitive neuroscience

the study of how the brain enables the mind by linking neural processes to cognition and behavior

Dualism

the idea proposed by Descartes that the mind and body are separate entities with different properties

Monism

the view that mental processes arise entirely from physical processes in the brain

Localization of function

the principle that specific cognitive functions are associated with specific brain regions

Equipotentiality

the idea that the brain functions as a whole and that any part can contribute to behavior

Phrenology

an early and incorrect theory that mental abilities are localized in the brain and reflected in skull shape

Broca’s area

a region in the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production

Wernicke’s area

a region in the temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension

Hierarchy of brain function

the idea that brain functions are organized from simple to complex levels

Neuron doctrine

the theory that the nervous system is composed of individual cells called neurons that transmit information

Reticular theory

the incorrect idea that the brain is a continuous network without discrete cells

Dendrites

branching structures of a neuron that receive incoming signals

Cell body (soma)

the part of a neuron that integrates incoming information

Axon

a long projection that transmits signals away from the neuron

Directional flow of information

the principle that neural signals travel from dendrites to soma to axon

Barlow’s neuron doctrine

the idea that perception depends on the activity of specific neurons tuned to particular features

Brodmann areas

regions of the cortex defined by differences in cellular structure and organization

Anterior (rostral)

the front of the brain

Posterior (caudal)

the back of the brain

Dorsal

the top side of the brain

Ventral

the bottom side of the brain

Medial

toward the midline of the brain

Lateral

away from the midline toward the sides

Sagittal plane

a brain slice dividing left and right hemispheres

Coronal plane

a brain slice dividing front and back

Axial (horizontal) plane

a brain slice dividing top and bottom

Gyrus

a raised ridge on the brain’s surface

Sulcus

a shallow groove on the brain’s surface

Fissure

a deep groove separating major brain regions

Causal method

an approach that manipulates brain activity to determine its effect on behavior

Correlational method

an approach that measures relationships between brain activity and behavior without manipulation

Double dissociation

a method showing that two cognitive functions are independent by demonstrating opposite deficits in different patients

Mental modules

specialized brain systems that perform distinct cognitive functions

Domain-specific processing

processing limited to a particular type of information or function

Domain-general processing

processing used across multiple cognitive tasks

Rationalism

the idea that knowledge comes from reasoning and innate structures

Empiricism

the idea that knowledge comes from sensory experience

Behaviorism

a psychological approach focusing only on observable behavior and rejecting internal mental processes

Cognitive revolution

the shift toward studying internal mental processes as information processing systems

Marr’s computational level

the level of analysis concerned with what problem the system is solving

Marr’s algorithmic level

the level describing how the system solves the problem

Marr’s implementational level

the level describing how the solution is physically realized in the brain

Mechanistic explanation

an explanation that describes how a system works through its parts and processes

Causal explanation

an explanation that identifies cause-and-effect relationships

Prediction

the ability to forecast outcomes based on a scientific model

Description

the process of measuring and characterizing a system without explaining it

Explanation

the process of identifying why and how a phenomenon occurs

How did Broca’s findings support localization of function

damage to a specific region impaired speech production while other cognitive abilities remained intact showing functions are localized

Why is phrenology considered incorrect but still important

it lacked scientific evidence but introduced the idea that different brain regions may have specialized functions

What is the key difference between correlational and causal methods

correlational methods measure relationships between brain activity and behavior while causal methods manipulate the brain to determine direct effects

Why is double dissociation stronger evidence than a single lesion study

it demonstrates that two cognitive functions are independent by showing opposite deficits in different patients

How does Marr’s computational level differ from the implementational level

the computational level asks what problem is being solved while the implementational level asks how it is physically carried out in the brain

Why can fMRI not establish causation

because it only measures brain activity without manipulating it so it cannot prove that activity causes behavior

What is an example of domain-specific processing

face recognition which relies on specialized brain regions dedicated to processing faces

What is an example of domain-general processing

working memory which is used across many different cognitive tasks

How did Cajal disprove the reticular theory

he showed that the nervous system is made of individual neurons rather than a continuous network

Why is the direction of information flow in neurons important

it explains how signals are processed from dendrites to the cell body and then transmitted through the axon

How do Brodmann areas help researchers

they provide a structural map of the cortex that correlates with functional specialization

What is the difference between a gyrus and a sulcus

a gyrus is a raised ridge while a sulcus is a groove separating ridges

Why are anatomical directions like anterior and dorsal important

they provide a standardized way to describe locations in the brain

How did behaviorism limit the study of psychology

it focused only on observable behavior and ignored internal mental processes like thoughts and memory

Why did the cognitive revolution occur

behaviorism could not explain complex processes like language and memory leading to a renewed focus on mental processes

What does a mechanistic explanation provide

it explains how a system works by describing its parts and interactions rather than just describing what happens

Why is the neuron doctrine fundamental to neuroscience

it establishes neurons as the basic units of brain function and information processing

How can brain functions be both localized and distributed

specific functions are associated with certain regions but depend on interactions across multiple brain areas

What kind of evidence would support a causal relationship between a brain region and behavior

manipulating or damaging the brain region and observing a resulting change in behavior

Why is Marr’s framework important for studying cognition

it provides multiple levels of analysis that together give a complete understanding of cognitive processes