Cognitive Neuropsychology, Object & Face Recognition: Key Concepts and Terms

Key terms and definitions covering cognitive neuropsychology, object recognition, visual processing disorders, and face recognition systems (including prosopagnosia and related models).

Cognitive Neuropsychology

Study of brain-damaged individuals to understand the mind by linking patterns of cognitive impairment to theories of normal cognition, usually at the single-patient level.

Optic Aphasia

Inability to name an object presented visually despite intact visual recognition of the object.

Utilization Behavior

Inappropriate use of an object triggered by environmental cues due to poor task-based control.

Cognitive Psychology

Study of mental processes such as perception, memory, language, planning.

Neuropsychology

Study of how brain structures and processes mediate behavior.

Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology

Study of the development of normal cognitive function and how brain development affects cognition.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Branch of neuroscience studying the neural systems that carry out cognitive functions.

Cognitive Neuropsychiatry

Application of cognitive neuropsychology methods to understand disorders of higher cognition.

Aims of Cognitive Neuropsychology

Explain patterns of impaired/intact function, link to models, infer processes, refine theories.

Threats to CN Research

Case-study time demands, stability of deficits, lack of experimental control over brain damage, emphasis on imaging over cognition.

P300

Event-related potential linked to attention and information processing; sometimes discussed as a methodological concern in CN.

Case Study Series

Same patient(s) tested across multiple tasks to build a detailed longitudinal profile.

Multiple Case Studies

Aggregated findings from many patients to identify patterns across disorders.

Association

Observation that performance on tasks co-varies with lesion/location, used to infer cognitive processes.

Dissociation

When a patient shows impaired performance on one task but intact performance on another, suggesting separate cognitive processes.

Double Dissociation

Two patients show opposite patterns of impairment (e.g., patient A is impaired on task X but intact on task Y, while patient B is intact on task X but impaired on task Y). This provides strong evidence that tasks X and Y rely on separate cognitive processes.

Fraction Assumption

The idea that cognitive processes can be fractionated into distinct components, each responsible for specific aspects of task performance.

Modularity Assumption

The theory that cognitive processes are organized into distinct, specialized modules that operate independently from one another.

Transparency or Subtractivity

The concept that the effects of cognitive processes can be isolated or measured by subtracting the effects of unrelated processes, allowing for clearer analysis of specific cognitive functions.

Universality Assumption

The belief that cognitive processes are uniform across individuals and cultures, suggesting that the same underlying mechanisms are used in similar cognitive tasks worldwide.

Functional Modularity

Mental processes are organized as a functional architecture of cognitive modules. This includes:

• Knowledge modules: Independent bodies of factual or cataloged information.

• Processing modules: Independent processors that access knowledge information through specific lookup processes within the functional architecture.

Anatomical Modularity

Specific brain regions

Neurochemical Modularity

refers to the idea that distinct neurochemicals and neurotransmitter systems play specific roles in regulating different cognitive functions and processes (dopaminergic pathway)

Criticisms of diagrams

limited scope (e.g., single word focus), lack of detailed subcomponent specification, theoretical flexibility hindering falsifiability, and oversimplification when mapped to brain regions.

Early Model of Reading

often conceptualized specific functional centers for language processing, including:

• Auditory images: Associated with Wernicke's Area

• Motor images: Linked to Broca's Area

• Concept elaboration: Considered widely distributed across the brain, not localized

• Visual representations: Processes involved in reading visual information

• Motor writing center: A center for the motor aspects of writing

MODULARITY OF MIND (Fodor)

proposes that the mind is composed of distinct, specialized cognitive modules. Key characteristics of these modules include:

• Information encapsulation

• Domain Specificity

• Mandatory operation

• Innateness

• Fast operations

• Neural specificity

Fodor also notes that higher-level cognitive processes like problem-solving, reasoning, and decision-making are exceptions to this notion of modularity.

Information encapsulation

They process their own information in isolation from other systems (e.g., face recognition separate from word recognition).

Domain Specificity

They respond only to one type of input (e.g., spoken words vs. visually presented words).

Mandatory operation

Their processing is automatic (though this doesn't apply equally to all functions like reading).

Innateness

Modules are often considered innate (with exceptions like reading, which is a recently developed skill).

• Fast operations:

• Neural specificity:

• They operate quickly.

• There's a link between module operation and specific brain regions.