Chapter 1 - Introduction

Question 1

Define cognitive neuroscience.

Answer 1

Explains cognitive processes in terms of brain based mechanism

Question 2

What is the mind body problem?

Answer 2

How can a psychical substance (brain) give rise to our sensations, emotions and thoughts (mind)?

Question 3

What is Descartes dualism?

Answer 3

Belief that mind and brain are made up of different kinds of substances. Mind = immortal and brain = mortal.

Interaction through pineal gland.

Question 4

What is the dual aspect theory?

Answer 4

Criticism to dualism. Belief that mind & body are 2 levels of description of the same phenomena.

Question 5

Define Reductionism.

Answer 5

Although cognitive, mind based concepts (emotions, memories) are currently useful for scientific exploration, eventually will be replaced by purely biological constructs (neurotransmitters)

Question 6

Define phrenology

Answer 6

Incorrect notion that individual differences in cognition can be mapped onto differences in skull shape.

Question 7

What are the 2 assumptions of phrenology?

Answer 7

That regions of the brain performed different varying functions and that the size of regions produces distortions in skull & correlates with individual differences.

Question 8

What is functional specialisation?

Answer 8

Different regions of the brain are specialised for different functions

Question 9

What are the 3 things language is now split up into?

Answer 9

Speech recognition, speech production and conceptual knowledge.

Question 10

What does injuries in Broca’s area lead to?

Answer 10

Patients with impaired ability speak but understand and comprehend speech.

Question 11

Define cognition.

Answer 11

Variety of higher processes such as thinking, perceiving, imagining

Question 12

What is cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 12

The study damaged patients to inform theories of normal cognition.

Question 13

Describe info processing model.

Answer 13

Behaviour is described in terms of a sequence of cognitive stages.

Question 14

Discuss Broadbent’s info processing model.

Answer 14

In his model, perceptual processes occur, followed by attritional processes that transfer info to short term memory and then long term memory.

Question 15

What is interactivity in terms of info processing models?

Answer 15

Later stages of processing can begin before earlier stages are complete & are not strictly separate.

Question 16

What is top-down processing?

Answer 16

Influence of later stages on the processing of earlier ones (e.g. Memory influences perception)

Question 17

Define parallel processing.

Answer 17

Different info is processed at same time.

Question 18

Define Connectivist Model.

Answer 18

Computationally explicit models of cognition (literally calculated set of outputs given a set of inputs) rather than computationally inspired.

Question 19

What is a neural network?

Answer 19

Info processing occurs using many interconnected nodes.

Question 20

What is a node?

Answer 20

Basic unit of neural network that are activated in response to activity in other parts

Question 21

What is TMS?

Answer 21

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Question 22

What does tDCS stand for?

Answer 22

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Question 23

Mention 2 types of electrophysiological methods.

Answer 23

EEG/ERG & single cell recordings

Question 24

Give an example of magnetophsyiological method.

Answer 24

MEG

Question 25

Give 2 examples of functional imagining methods.

Answer 25

PET & fMRI.

Question 26

What are functional imaging methods also called and why?

Answer 26

Hemodynamic methods because they record physiological changes with blood supply to brain.

Question 27

What is temporal resolution? Give an example of a method with good and bad temporal resolution.

Answer 27

Accuracy with which one can measure when an event happens.

EEG/MEG/TMS & single cell recordings = good
fMRI = bad.

Question 28

What is spatial resolution? Give an example of a method with good and bad spatial resolution.

Answer 28

Accuracy with which one can measure where an event happens.

Lesions & fMRI = good
Single cell recordings = bad

Question 29

What is invasiveness? Give an example of a method which is invasive.

Answer 29

Refers to whether the equipment is located internally or externally.

PET (injection of radioactive isotope) & single cell recordings.

Question 30

What is brain modularity?

Answer 30

Notion that certain cognitive processes (or regions) are restricted in the type of info they process. Functional specialisation.

Question 31

What are the 2 components in Fodor’s theory of modularity?

Answer 31

Central systems and modules. Models are domain specific (colours, words, faces) whereas central systems are held to be domain independent (memory, attention)