Cognitive Psychology Chapter 2 : Goldstein 4th Edition

Action Potential

Propagated electrical potential responsible for transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons. Action potentials typically travel down a neuron's axon.

Axon

Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon.

Brain imaging

Techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) that result in images of the brain that represent brain activity. In cognitive psychology, activity is measured in response to specific cognitive tasks.

Broca's aphasia

A condition associated with damage to Broca's area, in the frontal lobe, characterized by difficulty in using speech to express thoughts, but with a remaining facility for understanding speech.

Broca's area

An area in the frontal lobe associated with the production of language.

Cell body

Part of a cell that contains mechanisms that keep the cell alive. In some neurons, the cell body and the dendrites associated with it receive information from other neurons.

Cerebral cortex

The 3-mm-thick outer layer of the brain that contains the mechanisms responsible for higher mental functions such as perception, language, thinking, and problem solving.

Cognitive neuroscience

Field concerned with studying the neural basis of cognition.

Dendrites

Structures that branch out from the cell body to receive electrical signals from other neurons.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

A technique, based on detection of how water diffuses along the length of nerve fibers, for tracing nerve pathways and determining connections.

Distributed representation

Occurs when a specific cognitive function activates many areas of the brain.

Double dissociation

A situation in which a single dissociation can be demonstrated in one person and the opposite type of single dissociation can be demonstrated in another person (i.e., Person 1: function A is present, function B is damaged; Person 2: function A is damaged, function B is present)

Extrastriate body area (EBA)

An area in the temporal cortex that is activated by pictures of bodies and parts of bodies, but not by faces or other objects.

Feature detectors

Neurons that respond to specific visual features, such as orientation, size, or the more complex features that make up environmental stimuli.

Frontal lobe

The lobe in the front of the brain that serves higher functions such as language, thought, memory, and motor functioning.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A brain imaging technique that measures how blood flow changes in response to cognitive activity. This technique does not involve the injection of a radioactive tracer.

Fusiform face area (FFA)

An area in the fusiform gyrus on the underside of the temporal lobe that contains many neurons that respond selectively to faces.

Hierarchical processing

Processing that occurs in a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain.

Levels of analysis

Refers to the idea that a topic can be studied in a number of different ways, with each approach contributing its own dimension to our understanding.

Localization of function

Location of specific functions in specific areas of the brain. For example, areas have been identified that are specialized to process information involved in the perception of movement, form, speech, and different aspects of memory.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Brain imaging technique that creates images of structures within the brain. Excellent for revealing structures, but does not indicate neural activity.

Microelectrodes

Small wires that are used to record electrical signals from the axons of neurons.

Nerve fiber

Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon.

Nerve impulse

An electrical response that is propagated down the length of an axon (nerve fiber). Also called an Action potential.

Nerve net

A network of continuously interconnected nerve fibers (as contrasted with neural networks, in which fibers are connected by synapses).

Neural circuit

group of interconnected neurons that are responsible for neural processing.

Neural network

groups of neurons or structures that are connected together

Neural representation

States that everything a person experiences is based not on direct contact with stimuli, but on representations in the person's nervous system.

Neuron

Cell that is specialized to receive and transmit information in the nervous system.

Neuron doctrine

The idea that individual cells called neurons transmit signals in the nervous system, and that these cells are not continuous with other cells as proposed by nerve net theory

Neuropsychology

the study of the behavioral effects of brain damage in humans

Neurotransmitter

A chemical that is released at the synapse in response to incoming action potentials.

Occipital lobe

The lobe at the back of the brain that is devoted primarily to analyzing incoming visual information.

Parahippocampal place area (PPA)

An area in the temporal lobe that contains neurons that are selectively activated by pictures of indoor and outdoor scenes.

Parietal lobe

The lobe at the top of the brain that contains mechanisms responsible for sensations caused by stimulation of the skin, and also some aspects of visual information.

Population coding

Neural representation of a particular object or stimulus by the pattern of firing of a large number of neurons

Prosopagnosia

Condition caused by damage to the temporal lobe that is characterized by an inability to recognize faces.

Receptors

Specialized neural structures that respond to environmental stimuli such as light, mechanical stimulation, or chemical stimuli.

Recording electrode

When used to study neural functioning, a very thin glass or metal probe that can pick up electrical signals from single neurons. Also see Event-related potential (ERP).

Reference electrode

Used in conjunction with a recording electrode to measure the difference in charge between the two. Reference electrodes are generally placed where the electrical signal remains constant, so any change in charge between the recording and reference electrodes reflects events happening near the tip of the recording electrode.

Resting potential

Difference in charge between the inside and outside of a nerve fiber when the fiber is at rest (no other electrical signals are present).

Retina

A network of neurons that lines the back of the eye. The transformation of light into electrical signals and the initial processing of visual information occur in the retina.

Sensory code

How neural firing represents various characteristics of the environment.

Sparse coding

Neural coding based on the pattern of activity in small groups of neurons; with a majority of neurons remaining silent.

Specificity coding

The representation of a specific stimulus by the firing of neurons that respond only to that stimulus. An example would be the signaling of a person's face by the firing of a neuron that responds only to that person's face.

Synapse

Space between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite of the next axon

Temporal lobe

The lobe on the side of the brain that contains mechanisms responsible for language, memory, hearing, and vision.

Visual cortex

Area in the back of the brain (occipital lobe) that receives signals from the eyes.

Voxel

Small cube-shaped areas in the brain about 2 or 3 mm on a side. They are not brain structures but are simply small units of analysis created by the fMRI scanner.

Wernicke's area

Area in the temporal lobe associated with understanding language. Damage to this area causes Wernicke's apahasia.