Chapter 1 Flashcards
Cognition
A set of processes (cognitive functions) that
i) Perceive and process stimuli from outside and in
ii) Store and retrieve information
iii) Decide upon and execute actions to achieve goals
Nativism
The idea that all knowledge is available at birth and only needs to be remembered
Rationalism
The idea that logic, introspection, and intuition leads to knowledge
Empiricism
The idea that all knowledge stems from observation
What ideas did Plato subscribe to?
Nativism, Rationalism, and believed in Nature over Nurture
What ideas did Aristotle subscribe to?
Empiricism, that data and hypothesizing can lead to new knowledge, and in Nurture over Nature
Associationism
Created by William James. Activation of part of a memory activates associated elements; can spread to another memory
William James
A psychologist-philosopher who wrote the Principles of Psychology. Created Associationism.
Herman Ebbinghaus
Used himself as a research subject. Discovered the basic memory principles.
Basic Memory Principles
The learning curve is asymptotic
the forgetting curve is exponential
distributed practice has a more lasting effect than massed practice
Relearning becomes easier each time
What effect does sleep have on memory?
While sleeping is when our brain consolidates our short term memories into long term memories. All connections that went unused throughout the day degrade slightly as well.
Classical Conditioning
a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone
Extinction Learning
A new association with the stimulus is learned negating the original association
Ivan Pavlov
Studied learning in dogs, specifically Classical Conditioning.
Edward Thorndike
Student of William James, studied Instrumental Conditioning and survival of the fittest
Instrumental Conditioning
Subjects learn that a certain action leads to a positive/negative outcome
Survival of the Fittest
When certain actions get “selected” and others “die out”
Law of Effect
Behaviors that lead to a positive outcome are strengthened and actions that lead to a negative outcome are weakened.
B.F. Skinner
A radical behaviorist known for his Skinner boxes. Said that consciousness and free will are illusions because everything we do is a conditioned response to a stimulus.
Skinner box
An operant learning environment for small animals like rats. Taught rats to push a button to receive food.
Behaviorism
The theory that human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior patterns. Sees cognition as a black box.
Cognitivism
Focuses on psychological constructs such as attention, memory, empathy, etc.
Camillo Golgi
Invented the Golgi silver staining method and the reticular theory
Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Created the Neuron doctrine that eventually led to the idea of “localization of function”
Reticular Theory
All neurons in the brain and spinal cord form a continuous information network
Neuron Doctrine
The nervous system is made up of discrete individual cells
Localization of Function
The idea that the brain may have distinct regions that support particular cognitive functions.
Homunculus
A distorted representation of the human body, based on a neurological “map” of the areas and proportions of the human brain dedicated to processing motor functions, or sensory functions, for different parts of the body
Wilder Penfield
Poked peoples brains when they were undergoing neurosurgery for epilepsy. It caused “ghost” sensations and evoked movement when electrically stimulated.
Somatotopy
point-for-point correspondence of an area of the body to a specific point on the central nervous system. Typically, the area of the body corresponds to a point on the primary somatosensory cortex.
cognitive functions
The set of processes that allow humans and many other animals to perceive external stimuli, to extract key information and hold it in memory, and ultimately to generate thoughts and actions that help reach desired goals.
cognitive model
A explanatory framework that invokes unobserved internal states to predict how stimuli lead to actions.
cognitive neuroscience
A scientific discipline that seeks to create models that explain the interrelations between brain function and cognitive functions.
cognitive science
A scientific discipline that seeks to understand and model the information processing associated with cognitive functions.
complementarity
The combination of data across multiple methods for measuring brain function, often to improve inferences about the nature of the generative neural processes.
convergence
The combination of results across multiple experimental paradigms, often to support inferences about an unobservable internal state.
individual difference
Variation in a cognitive function or other trait across people, often as can be related to a particular biological predictor.
mind
The full spectrum of a person’s awareness (one aspect of consciousness) at any point in time, reflecting sensory percepts, as well as thoughts, feelings, goals, desires, and so on.
nervous system
The network of nerve cells throughout the body.
neural correlate
A measure of brain function that covaries with the expression of a cognitive function.
neuron
Also called nerve cell. A cell specialized for the conduction and transmission of electrical signals in the nervous system.
neurotransmitter
A chemical agent released at synapses that mediates signaling between nerve cells.
phrenology
Originating in the early nineteenth century, the attempt to create maps of brain function based on the pattern of bumps and valleys on the surface of the skull.
psychological construct
A theoretical concept, often generated by converging results across experiments, that cannot be directly observed but serves to explain and unify a body of research.
synapse
A specialized point of contact between the axon of a neuron (the presynaptic cell) and a target (postsynaptic) cell. Information is transferred between the presynaptic and postsynaptic cells by the release and receipt of biochemical neurotransmitters.
