Cognitive Control in Psychology

These flashcards cover key concepts related to cognitive control and its functions, neural mechanisms, decision-making processes, and implications for behavior.

Cognitive Control

A collection of mental abilities involving planning, controlling, and regulating the flow of information processing.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Brain region divided into lateral prefrontal cortex, frontal pole, orbitofrontal cortex, and medial frontal cortex, essential for cognitive functions.

Working Memory (WM)

Transient representation of task-relevant information that combines perceptual and long-term knowledge to achieve goals.

Reward Prediction Error (RPE)

The difference between the expected reward and the actual reward obtained, used as a learning signal.

Dopaminergic Neurons

Neurons that release dopamine, associated with the prediction and processing of reward and salience of information.

Goal-Oriented Actions

Actions based on the assessment of expected outcomes and their relationship to the goal.

Inhibition

The ability to suppress habitual responses or irrelevant information in cognitive control processes.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

Part of the medial frontal cortex involved in monitoring cognitive control and detecting errors.

Dynamic Filtering

A process by which the prefrontal cortex prioritizes and activates relevant information while inhibiting irrelevant information.

Temporal Discounting

The reduction in perceived value of a reward based on the delay in receiving it.

Perseveration

The inability to stop or change behavior despite negative feedback, often seen in patients with frontal lobe lesions.

Error-Related Negativity (ERN)

An event-related potential indicator that signifies the occurrence of an error during a task.

Executive Function

Higher-order cognitive processes that affect behaviors such as planning, attention, problem-solving, and utilizing internal goals.

Cognitive Flexibility

The ability to adaptively switch between different tasks or thoughts for effective problem-solving.

Action Planning

The process of identifying goals and developing subgoals to achieve desired outcomes.

Goal-Based Selection

The cognitive process of selecting information and actions relevant to a specific goal.

Social Decisions

Decisions made that involve interactions with other people, often complicated by social dynamics.

Adaptive Behavior

Behavior that is flexible and responsive to changes in the environment.