Untitled Flashcards Set

Classical Conditioning

The idea that responses to a neutral stimulus can be changed by pairing it with an unconditioned stimulus.

Structuralism/Introspection

The examination of one's own thoughts and mental processes.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that observes mental processes through behavioral output.

B.F. Skinner

Psychologist associated with the idea that complex behaviors arise from the reinforcement of simpler behaviors.

Cognitive Map

Proposes that the brain builds a unified representation of the spatial environment to support memory and guide future action. A mental representation used for navigation in a maze.

Information Processing Approach

A model suggesting that mental processes occur in a series of stages using observable responses.

Neuroplasticity

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

Axons

The parts of neurons that primarily make up white matter in the brain.

Cajal’s Neuron Doctrine

The idea that individual neurons are the basic building blocks of the brain, there are small gaps called synapses between one neuron’s axon and another neuron’s dendrites/cell body, and connections between specific neurons form interconnected neural circuits.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical signals that enable neurons to communicate across synapses.

Action Potential

Electrical impulses that transmit signals along the axon of a neuron.

Localization of Function

The concept that different parts of the brain are specialized for different functions.

Double Dissociation

A condition where damage to one area of the brain affects one function while leaving another intact.

Structural Connectivity

The physical and structural connections between different parts of the brain.

Functional Connectivity

Connections within the brain that coordinate activity, even without physical connections.

Prosopagnosia

A condition characterized by the inability to recognize faces, often due to damage in the fusiform face area.

Default Mode Network

The network that becomes active when the brain is at rest.

Top-Down Processing

Cognitive processing that begins with the brain's expectations and knowledge to interpret the environment.

Bottom-Up Processing

Cognitive processing that starts with environmental stimuli and builds up to perception.

Bayesian Inference

A concept that involves prior probability and the likelihood of an outcome.

Viewpoint Invariance

The ability to recognize an object from different viewpoints.

Inverse Projection Problem

The challenge of determining an object's identity from its projection on the retina.

Parietal Lobe

The region of the brain responsible for locating objects in space.

Dorsal Pathway/Where Pathway

Pathway in the brain that processes spatial awareness and object location.

Gestalt Principles

Laws of perceptual organization that describe how we perceive visual elements as unified wholes.

Selective Attention

The process of focusing on one aspect of the environment while ignoring others.

Early Selection Model

A theory of attention filtering information at an early stage of processing.

Late Selection Model

A theory of attention that suggests filtering occurs at a late stage of processing.

Low Load

A light perceptual task that requires fewer cognitive resources.

High Load

A demanding perceptual task that requires greater cognitive resources.

Processing Capacity

The amount of information that can be processed at any given moment.

Perceptual Load

The degree of effort required to process stimuli in a given situation.

Covert Attention

Attention that occurs without accompanying eye movements.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to notice unexpected stimuli when attention is focused elsewhere.

Bottom-Up Attention

Attention driven by external stimuli in the environment.

Top-Down Attention

Attention directed by cognitive processes such as goals and knowledge.

Treisman's Attenuator Model

A model suggesting that important information can be processed even when attention is focused elsewhere.