module 8 cogsci final review

modularity

the idea that the mind is made up of various independent systems that are specialized for certain computations

fixed neural architecture

principle that states that something can be considered a module if it is tied to the biological hardware in some way (FFA→face recognition)

domain specificity

principle that states that modules only process a certain kind of information; like what kind of information a module processes

mandatory operation

principle that states that modules have to operate when relevant information is present (like processing speech automatically when you are spoken to)

limited central accessibility

principle that states that the internal workings of a module aren’t immediately available to conscious thought (like perceiving a face but not the mechanism for how)

informational encapsulation

the output of the system is immune to higher level beliefs, desires, and goals

bottom up processing

information flows from the senses to perception

top down processing

information flows from prior knowledge to perception

perceptual grouping

the tendency to see ordered structures in visual patterns

modest modularity

low level perceptual systems are modular, but central cognition is not

massive modularity

the mind is modular through and through, including higher level cognition (swiss army knife architecture)

prosopgnosia

the inability to recognize faces