Memory & Cognition (ch. 1 - 2)

PSYCH 3312 - content until 01/23

Memory

The ability to encode, store, and retrieve information based on past experiences

Cognition

Mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge, including thinking, reasoning, and problem solving

Introspection

The method of examining and reporting one’s own conscious thoughts and experiences

Behaviorism

An approach that focuses on observable behavior and how it changes in response to stimuli, rewards, and punishments

Cognitive Psychology

An approach that bridges introspection and behaviorism

Cognitive Processes

Active, knowledge-based mental operations used to interpret information

Top-Down Processing

Perception guided by prior knowledge, expectations, and experience

Bottom-Up Processing

Perception driven by incoming sensory information

Inference

Reasoning backward from observations to infer hidden mental mechanisms

Empiricism

The view that knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation

Scientific Empiricism

The use of systematic observation and experimentation to study cognition

Cognitive Revolution

A shift in psychology emphasizing internal mental processes, influenced by computer science, language, and perception research

Accuracy

The correctness of a response or performance

Response Time (RT)

The speed at which an individual responds to a stimulus

Errors

Mistakes made during cognitive tasks

Neuroimaging Techniques

Brain-imaging methods used to study structure and function

Language

An infinitely generative system allowing the creation of novel sentences

Gestalt Perception

The idea that the whole is perceived as greater than the sum of its parts

Neural Basis of Cognition

The brain structures and neural systems underlying cognitive processes

Cognitive Appraisal

The recognition and identification of objects or faces

Emotional Appraisal

The emotional response associated with recognizing stimuli, amygdala

Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness)

The inability to recognize faces due to damage to the fusiform face area

Fusiform Face Area

A brain region specialized for face recognition

Capgras Syndrome

A disorder in which familiar people are recognized but perceived as impostors

Amygdala

A brain structure involved in emotional processing, fear, anxiety, and emotional memory

Prefrontal Cortex

A brain region involved in decision making, emotional regulation, and cognition

Primary Motor Cortex

The cortical area responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movements

Contralateral Control

The principle that each brain hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body

Association Areas

Cortical regions involved in integrating information across sensory and motor systems

Apraxia

Difficulty initiating or organizing voluntary movements

Agnosia

Difficulty recognizing familiar objects or stimuli despite intact sensory function

Unilateral Neglect Syndrome

A disorder in which one side of the visual field (typically the left) is ignored

Aphasia

Impairment in language production or comprehension

Subcortical Structures

Brain structures beneath the cerebral cortex involved in basic functions

Limbic System

A network involved in emotion, memory, motivation, and reward

Hippocampus

A structure essential for long-term memory formation, retrieval, and spatial navigation

Corpus Callosum

A large bundle of axons connecting the left and right hemispheres

Commissures

Neural pathways that allow communication between hemispheres

EEG (Electroencephalogram)

A technique that measures electrical activity in the brain, often used in sleep and seizure studies

CT Scan

A structural imaging technique using X-ray technology

MRI

A high-resolution structural imaging technique using magnetic fields and water molecules

PET Scan

A functional imaging method that tracks radioactive glucose metabolism

fMRI

A functional imaging technique measuring blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activity