Chapter 1 & 2: History and Neural basics Flashcards
Define introspection
observing your own thoughts
What are the two problems with introspection?
thoughts are not directly observable and it is impossible to test objectively.
What is the corpus callosum
Large(gest) fiber (of axons) connecting the two hemispheres. Cutting results in a split-brain patient.
Define cognitive psychology
the study of knowledge; acquiring, storing and usage
Why is cognitive psychology important?
Studying mechanisms essential for many daily activities: perception, attention, memory, thinking and reasoning, decision making
Give two problems of introspection
thoughts are not directly observable and it is impossible to test objective
define behaviourism
how behaviour changes in response to different configurations of stimuli (rewards/punishments etc)
What is a operational definition?
define precisely how a concept is measured, result from behaviourism
On which concept is the nature-nurture debate based?
Behaviorism
What was the main research approach of behaviourism?
no assumptions about the processes in the head ==> black box
What did behaviourism attributed to CogPsy?
Operational definition and scientific objective experiments
Give two problems of behaviourism:
- thoughts and strategies during problem solving etc could not be studied
- Different stimuli elicit the same behaviour & same stimuli elicits different behaviour → ambiguity
What is the problem with behaviourism considering language?
Structure of language is more complex than behaviourism can explain, children speak sentences they have never heard
Define gestalt psychology
The whole is greater & different than the sum of it’s parts
Define cognitive neuroscience/neuropsychology
Studying the functioning of the brain by analyzing which physical part in the brain is involved, mostly using patients with brain damage
What did EP learn from introspection and behaviourism?
Introspection is not scientific, we need to study mental events to understand behaviour
define the transcendental method of Immanuel Kent
work backwards from observations to determine cause
define amnesia
because of brain damage losing the ability to remember certain materials
What is the Amygdala?
Emotional evaluator, helps to detect which stimuli are a threat/danger or safety/reward. Damaged in people with Capgras syndrome makes them not recognised loved ones. Lies in the temporal lobe
Prefrontal cortex location and function:
lies in the frontal lobe and does planning and careful analysis (strategic thinking)
Give a definition of Capgras syndrome and what is damaged
Prefrontal cortex and amygdala is damaged. Results in patients thinking their loved ones are imposters. They recognise them, but don’t have the feeling that they are the loved ones. PFC does not filter out those thoughts.
What’s the difference between MRI and fMRI?
fMRI shows location of activity only, while MRI shows a regular image of the brain
What is the information processing paradigm?
assumes information is processed in steps
What does the midbrain?
coordinating (eye) movements, relay audio from ears to forebrain, pain experience
What does the forebrain consists of?
Cerebrum, thalamus and hypothalamus
What does the pituitary gland?
Part of endocrine system, secrete hormones in blood
lateral fissure
divides frontal lobes from parietal lobes
What lies underneath the cortex?
Subcortial structures (thalamus, hypothalamus etc)
What is the thalamus
relay station for all sensory information, quite big
What is the limbic system
surrounds the thalamus and hypothalamus, is the amygdala and hippocampus => essential for learning and memory
What are commissures and what do they do?
Bundle of fibres carrying information between the hemispheres
What are commissures and what do they do?
Bundle of fibres carrying information between the hemispheres
In which hemisphere is language processing dominant?
Left side
Which hemisphere is dominant for spatial judgement?
Right side
Each hemisphere makes it own contribution to overall performance.
Each hemisphere makes it own contribution to overall performance.
Define a lesion
a specific area of brain damage
What is the difference between PET and CT, what is their frame and what is the difference with MRI?
CT is structural image, PET is activity. Both not real time and main difference is that MRI is more detailed.
What does EEG measure?
current generated by neurons under the skull, multiple rhythms can be detected
What is the fusiform area?
This is active whenever a face is perceived
TMS
transcranial magnetic stimulation; used to determine what happens when (temporary) a lesion is in the brain, helps to determine functions of brain parts in neuroscience
What do we gain from combining multiple methods?
Excluding correlational data; with fMRI and EEG know know where and when.
Define contralateral control
Left hemisphere controls right side of the body and vice versa
What is coding (in neurons) and give it’s two options
how information (example a picture) is represented by neurons, two options:
- neurons X,Y&Z fire
- X fires a little, Y strong, Z little
What are motor areas
contain brain tissue for organising and controlling movement
What are sensory areas
contains brain tissue for organising and analysing sensory input
What area association areas
support functions (oa. thinking)
What is coding (in neurons) and give it’s two options
how information (example a picture) is represented by neurons, two options:
- neurons X,Y&Z fire
- X fires a little, Y strong, Z little
What is apraxia
disturbance in initialising and organising voluntary actions due to damaged frontal lobe
What is agnosia?
(in)ability to identify familiar objects, due to damaged occipital cortex
What is neglect syndrome?
due to damage in usually parietal love, individuals seem to ignore half the visual world
What is Aphasia?
Less language capabilities, due to damage near lateral fissure
What is and does the primary motor projection area?
departure point for nerve cells (that send their signal to lower portions of the brain and spinal cord), resulting in muscle movement
What is and does the primary (soma)sensory projection area?
point of arrival for sensory information
Assignment of cortical space is governed by:
function
In neurons: axons are .. and dendrites are..
output - input
What are glia cells
support cells of neurons
What is in the end the focus of the cognitive revolution?
the science of psychology cannot study the mental world directly & psychology must study the mental world in order to understand behaviour
What is the Stroop effect?
automaticity; apparently being unable to ignore the word’s content even though it is irrelevant to their task.
