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Cognitive Psychology Chp 1 > Chapter 1 - Introduction to Cognitive Psychology > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Cognitive Psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

cognition

A

Mental activity, including the acquisition, storage, transformation, and use of knowledge.

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2
Q

cognitive psychology

A

(1) A synonym for cognition. (2) The theoretical approach to psychology that focuses on studying people’s thought processes and knowledge.

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3
Q

cognitive approach

A

A theoretical orientation that emphasizes people’s thought processes and their knowledge.

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4
Q

empirical evidence

A

Scientific evidence obtained by careful observation and experimentation.

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5
Q

introspection

A

An early approach to studying mental activity, in which carefully trained observers systematically analyzed their own sensations and reported them as objectively as possible, under standardized conditions.

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6
Q

recency effect

A

A tendency for items at the end of a list to be recalled better than items in the middle of a list.

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7
Q

behaviourism

A

An approach to psychology that focuses on objective, observable reactions to stimuli in the environment.

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8
Q

operational definition

A

In psychology research, a precise definition that specifies exactly how researchers will measure a concept.

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9
Q

gestalt psychology

A

(pronounced “geh-shtahlt”) The theoretical approach which emphasizes that: (1) humans actively organize what they see, (2) they see patterns, and (3) the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

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10
Q

gestalt

A

(pronounced “geh-shtahlt”) In perception and problem-solving, an overall quality that transcends the individual elements in the stimulus.

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11
Q

information-processing approach

A

A theory of cognition proposing that (1) mental processes are similar to the operations of a computer and (2) information progresses through the cognitive system in a series of stages, one step at a time.

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12
Q

sensory memory

A

The large-capacity storage system that records information from each of the senses with reasonable accuracy.

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13
Q

short-term memory

A

The part of memory that holds only the small amount of information that a person is actively using. The more current term for this type of memory is working memory.

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14
Q

working memory

A

The brief, immediate memory for the limited amount of material that a person is currently processing. Part of working memory also actively coordinates ongoing mental activities. In the current research, the term working memory is more popular than a similar but older term, short-term memory.

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15
Q

long-term memory

A

The large-capacity memory for experiences and information accumulated throughout one’s lifetime. Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed that information stored in long-term memory is relatively permanent and not likely to be lost.

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16
Q

ecological validity

A

A principle of research design in which the research uses conditions that are similar to the natural setting where the results will be applied.

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17
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

An approach to studying mental activity that uses the research techniques of cognitive psychology, along with various neuroscience techniques for assessing the structure and function of the brain.

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18
Q

social cognitive neuroscience

A

A new discipline that uses neuroscience techniques to explore the kind of cognitive processes used in interactions with other people.

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19
Q

brain lesions

A

Specific brain damage caused by strokes, tumors, blows to the head, accidents, or other traumas.

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20
Q

positron emission tomography (PET scan)

A

A procedure for measuring blood flow in the brain by injecting the participant with a radioactive chemical, just before this person performs a cognitive task. A special camera makes an image of this accumulated radioactive chemical in the regions of the brain active during the task.

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21
Q

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A

A method of measuring brain activity based on the principle that oxygen-rich blood is an index of brain activity. A magnetic field produces changes in the oxygen atoms in the brain while a person performs a cognitive task. A scanning device takes a “photo” of the changes.

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22
Q

event-related potential (ERP) technique

A

A procedure for recording the very brief, small fluctuations in the brain’s electrical activity in response to a stimulus such as an auditory tone.

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23
Q

megnetoencephalography (MEG) technique

A

A procedure for recording fluctuations in the magnetic fields produced by neural activity while simultaneously providing course-grained information about the neural sources of observed effects.

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24
Q

artificial intelligence (AI)

A

A branch of computer science that explores human cognitive processes by creating computer models that demonstrate “intelligent behavior” and also accomplish the same tasks that humans do.

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25
Q

computer metaphor

A

A way of describing cognition as a complex, multipurpose machine that processes information quickly and accurately.

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26
Q

pure AI

A

An approach that designs a computer program to accomplish a cognitive task as efficiently as possible, even if the computer’s processes are completely different from the processes used by humans.

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27
Q

computer simulation

A

Programming a computer to perform a specific cognitive task in the same way that humans actually perform this task. Also called computer modeling.

28
Q

computer modeling

A

Programming a computer to perform a specific cognitive task in the same way that humans actually perform this task. Also called computer modeling.

29
Q

connectionist approach

A

A theory describing cognitive processing in terms of networks that link together neuron-like units. These networks perform operations simultaneously and in parallel, rather than one step at a time. Also known as the connectionist approach and the neural-network approach.

30
Q

parallel distributed processing (PDP) approach

A

A theory describing cognitive processing in terms of networks that link together neuron-like units. These networks perform operations simultaneously and in parallel, rather than one step at a time. Also known as the connectionist approach and the neural-network approach.

31
Q

neural-network approach

A

A theory describing cognitive processing in terms of networks that link together neuron-like units. These networks perform operations simultaneously and in parallel, rather than one step at a time. Also known as the connectionist approach and the neural-network approach.

32
Q

cerebral cortex

A

The outer layer of the brain that is essential for cognitive processes

33
Q

serial processing

A

A type of cognitive processing in which a person performs operations one item at a time, rather than simultaneously, in contrast to parallel processing.

34
Q

parallel processing

A

A type of cognitive processing in which a person performs many operations simultaneously, in contrast to serial processing.

35
Q

cognitive science

A

An approach to studying mental activity that uses the research techniques of cognitive psychology, along with various neuroscience techniques for assessing the structure and function of the brain.

36
Q

consciousness

A

A person’s awareness of the external world and of her or his own perceptions, images, thoughts, memories, and feelings.

37
Q

memory

A

The process of maintaining information over time.

38
Q

metacognition

A

Knowledge and control of cognitive processes; metacognition helps to supervise the way one selects and uses memory strategies. The general term, metacognition, includes metamemory, metacomprehension, and metalinguistics. It is also related to both the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon and the feeling of knowing.

39
Q

imagery

A

The mental representation of stimuli when those stimuli are not physically present. Sensory receptors do not receive any input when a mental image is created.

40
Q

semantic memory

A

The large-capacity storage system that records information from each of the senses with reasonable accuracy.

41
Q

schemas

A

Generalized, well-integrated knowledge about a situation, an event, or a person. Schemas allow people to predict what will happen in a new situation. These predictions are generally correct.

42
Q

discourse

A

Interrelated units of language that are longer than a sentence.

43
Q

bottom-up processing

A

The kind of cognitive processing that emphasizes stimulus characteristics in object recognition and other cognitive tasks. For example, the physical stimuli from the environment are registered on the sensory receptors. This information is then passed on to higher, more sophisticated levels in the perceptual system.

44
Q

top-down processing

A

The kind of cognitive processing that emphasizes the importance of concepts, expectations, and memory in object recognition and other cognitive tasks.

45
Q

individual differences

A

Systematic variation in the way that groups of people perform on the same cognitive task.

46
Q

major depression

A

A psychological disorder characterized by feeling sad, discouraged, and hopeless; fatigue and lack of interest in leisure activities are also common. This disorder can interfere with the ability to perform daily cognitive and physical tasks.

47
Q

The term “pure AI” refers to:

A) research that considers human limitations in cognitive processing.

B) an approach that attempts to accomplish a task as efficiently as possible.

C) an emphasis on the ecological validity of research in cognitive psychology.

D) a technique used in neuroscience that records the responses from a single cell in the brain.

A

B) an approach that attempts to accomplish a task as efficiently as possible.

48
Q

A psychologist who favours the gestalt approach would be most likely to criticize the fact that behaviourists

A) ignore the context in which a behaviour occurs.

B) overemphasize introspection.

C) are not sufficiently rigorous in designing their psychological research.

D) pay too much attention to insight.

A

A) ignore the context in which a behaviour occurs.

49
Q

According to the discussion of individual differences in Chapter 1 of your textbook,

A) behaviourists pay more attention to individual differences than cognitive psychologists do.

B) cognitive psychologists now emphasize individual differences more than in earlier decades.

C) cognitive psychologists have always studied psychological disorders more than they have studied developmental psychology.

D) cognitive psychologists believe that research about individual differences has some practical applications, but individual differences are not theoretically interesting.

A

B) cognitive psychologists now emphasize individual differences more than in earlier decades.

50
Q

Which of the following interests is shared by researchers within the discipline of cognitive science?

A) internal representations of the world

B) individual differences

C) the relationship between emotions and thought

D) an emphasis on problem solving

A

A) internal representations of the world

51
Q

Suppose that several cognitive scientists are trying to program a computer so that it solves a particular problem in the same way a human does, taking into account that a human might make a few false starts before successfully solving the problem. This approach is called

A) the neuroscience approach.

B) behavioural modelling.

C) the “Pure AI” approach.

D) computer simulation.

A

D) computer simulation.

52
Q

How does magnetoencephalography (MEG) compare with other imaging techniques?

A) It provides more structural information than PET scans.

B) It is more effective than the PET scan in measuring the time course of brain activity.

C) It does not provide precise information about the timing of various brain activities.

D) It produces images that are identical to the ERP technique.

A
53
Q

An operational definition is most likely to

A) describe precisely how the researchers will measure a particular concept.

B) examine the correlation between two well-established variables.

C) point out alternative explanations for the results of a study.

D) adopt an information-processing approach, rather than a behaviourist approach.

A

A) describe precisely how the researchers will measure a particular concept.

54
Q

Suppose that your professor tells you to locate a journal article about cognitive psychology that presents empirical evidence. You should look for an article that

A) studies humans, rather than other animals.

B) emphasizes evidence collected in experiments.

C) provides a theoretical explanation for previous research.

D) uses at least two different statistical analyses.

A

B) emphasizes evidence collected in experiments.

55
Q

One reason for the cognitive revolution is that the behaviourist approach

A) emphasized unobservable cognitive processes.

B) overused Wundt’s technique of introspection.

C) placed too much emphasis on concepts such as reinforcement and observable responses.

D) devoted too much research to the organization of memory.

A

C) placed too much emphasis on concepts such as reinforcement and observable responses.

56
Q

One of the characteristics of the human brain that is especially important in the connectionist approach is that the brain

A) is divided into several distinct lobes.

B) has two hemispheres that are somewhat similar to each other.

C) has networks that link together many neutron-like units.

D) has a very specific location in which it performs each cognitive activity.

A

C) has networks that link together many neutron-like units.

57
Q

In the introspection technique,

A) people describe what they are thinking as they perform a task.

B) people report their daily experiences in an informal, unstructured fashion.

C) the experimenter observes how people respond to learning tasks.

D) emotional responses are emphasized, rather than a variety of thought processes.

A

A) people describe what they are thinking as they perform a task.

58
Q

Which of the following statements about connectionist approach is false?

A) Cognitive processes can be understood in terms of networks of neuron-like processing units.

B) It is also known as the PDP approach.

C) It is also known as the neural network approach.

D) The connectionist approach using serial processing.

A

D) The connectionist approach using serial processing.

59
Q

According to the first chapter in your textbook, research in cognitive neuroscience

A) shows that most cognitive processes can be traced to a specific location in the brain.

B) often obtains brain images while people are working on a cognitive task.

C) is currently most likely to explore cognitive processes using the brain-lesion method.

D) has declined in its popularity during the past 10 to 15 years.

A

B) often obtains brain images while people are working on a cognitive task.

60
Q

A researcher wants to study how people’s attention shifts when they see a visual stimulus in an unexpected portion of a screen that they are viewing; this attention shift occurs in just a fraction of a second. Which of the following techniques is this researcher most likely to use?

A) the neural-network approach

B) a positron emission tomography (PET) scan

C) the functional magnetic resonance imaging technique (fMRI)

D) the event-related potential technique (ERP)

A

D) the event-related potential technique (ERP)

61
Q

Suppose that you attend a lecture on the bottom-up processes involved in speech perception. The lecturer is likely to emphasize

A) how the listener’s auditory system registers and transmits information about the speech sounds.

B) the listener’s familiarity with the language.

C) the listener’s knowledge about grammar.

D) the listener’s expectations about what the speaker will say.

A

A) how the listener’s auditory system registers and transmits information about the speech sounds.

62
Q

The perspective called the “parallel distributed processing approach” includes the word “parallel” in its name because

A) the human brain can process several items simultaneously.

B) both the human brain and the PDP models have parallel weaknesses in terms of processing speed.

C) an item stored in your brain is registered in just one very small location.

D) the neural network in your brain is arranged in parallel columns.

A

A) the human brain can process several items simultaneously.

63
Q

The term “pure AI” refers to

A) research that considers human limitations in cognitive processing.

B) an approach that attempts to accomplish a task as efficiently as possible.

C) an emphasis on the ecological validity of research in cognitive psychology.

D) a technique used in neuroscience that records the responses from a single cell in the brain.

A

B) an approach that attempts to accomplish a task as efficiently as possible.

64
Q

According to the information-processing approach, which of the following is not true?

A) Mental processes are similar to operations of a computer.

B) information is processed in a series of stages.

C) memories are distributed throughout the brain.

D) information processing can be represented with flowcharts.

A

C) memories are distributed throughout the brain.

65
Q

A psychologist who favours the gestalt approach would be most likely to criticize the fact that behaviourists

A) ignore the context in which a behaviour occurs.

B) overemphasize introspection.

C) are not sufficiently rigorous in designing their psychological research.

D) pay too much attention to insight.

A

A) ignore the context in which a behaviour occurs.

66
Q

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) A reflex, such as a knee-jerk reflex, is an example of cognition.

B) Cognition refers to the acquisition and retrieval of knowledge, but not the use of that knowledge.

C) “Cognitive psychology” is sometimes used as a synonym for “cognition.”

D) Cognitive psychology emphasizes mental processes that are easily observable.

A

C) “Cognitive psychology” is sometimes used as a synonym for “cognition.”

Cognitive Psychology Chp 1 (2 decks)

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