Overview of Cognitive Psychology and Perception

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to cognitive psychology, perception, and attention.

Cognitive Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and its processes, including how people think, learn, and remember.

Introspection

The examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors rather than on consciousness.

Cognitive Revolution

A shift in psychology that began in the 1950s, emphasizing the importance of cognitive processes.

Neuropsychology

The study of the relationship between brain function and behavior.

Neurons

Nerve cells that transmit information through electrical and chemical signals.

Synapse

The junction between two neurons where communication occurs.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information to understand the environment.

Visual Pathway

The route from the retina to the visual cortex, involving multiple processing stages.

Visual Perception

The ability to interpret the surrounding environment using light in the visible spectrum.

Feature Nets

A model that explains object recognition based on detecting specific features of objects.

Top-Down Processing

Cognitive processing that is influenced by prior knowledge and expectations.

Bottom-Up Processing

Processing that starts with the input of sensory information and builds up to perception.

Word Superiority Effect

The phenomenon where letters are recognized better when presented in words compared to isolation.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for many higher-level functions, such as perception.

Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

A region in the brain that is particularly responsive to faces.

Selective Attention

The ability to focus on a specific input while ignoring other stimuli.

Change Blindness

The failure to notice changes in a visual stimulus.

Inattentional Blindness

The failure to perceive a prominent stimulus when attention is focused elsewhere.

Gestalt Principles

Laws of organization that explain how we perceive whole shapes rather than individual parts.

Perceptual Constancy

The tendency to perceive an object as unchanging despite changes in sensory input.

Agnosia

A condition where a person can perceive objects but cannot recognize or name them.

Priming

The process by which exposure to a stimulus influences response to a subsequent stimulus.

Feature Integration Theory

A theory of attention that proposes two stages of processing: preattentive and focused attention.

Executive Control

Cognitive processes that help manage and coordinate mental activities.

Neural Plasticity

The brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.