Cognitive Psychology

Cognition

A field devoted to the study of the science of mind, historically referred to as psychology.

Empiricism

The theory that observation is the basis for scientific inquiry, focusing on stimulus-response associations.

Introspection

A method of inquiry used to explore conscious experience by having trained observers analyze their own sensations.

Objective Introspection

A structured research technique for analyzing one's thoughts, emotions, and memories in an objective manner.

Behaviorism

A branch of psychology founded by John Watson focusing on learned behaviors and the environment.

Cognitive Psychology

A subfield that experimentally observes people's behavior and mental processes.

Cognitive Neuroscience

The integration of evidence from behavior and brain to understand cognitive processes.

Cognitive Neuropsychology

The study of human cognition through the examination of brain-damaged patients.

Computational Cognitive Science

The use of computational models to simulate and predict human cognition.

EEG

A method that measures the brain's electrical activity through the scalp non-invasively.

FMRI

A brain imaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow.

Spatial Resolution

The ability to distinguish between two separate points in a space (measured in millimeters for FMRI).

Reaction Time (RT)

The time it takes to respond to a stimulus, used as a measure of cognitive processing speed.

Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff

The principle that achieving greater accuracy often coincides with slower response times.

Subtractive Logic/Method

A technique used to measure the duration of a mental process by isolating variables.

Top-down Processing

Conceptually driven processing where perception is influenced by knowledge and expectations.

Bottom-up Processing

Data-driven processing that begins with stimulus input that influences perception.

Gestalt Psychology

A school of thought that emphasizes perceiving objects as wholes rather than as separate parts.

Perceptual Constancy

The tendency to perceive objects as having constant qualities despite changes in sensory input.

Depth Perception

The ability to perceive the world in three dimensions, allowing the distinction of near and far objects.

Holistic Processing

The recognition of faces or objects as whole entities, facilitating the perception of complex features.

Face Recognition Module

A specialized system in the brain for identifying individual faces quickly and automatically.

Agnosia

A neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize or interpret familiar stimuli despite intact sensory functions.

Prosopagnosia

A condition also known as face blindness, impacting the ability to recognize faces.

Inattentional Blindness

A phenomenon where individuals fail to notice an unexpected stimulus while focused on a task.

Change Blindness

A phenomenon where significant visual changes are not noticed by a person despite direct observation.