Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Cognitive Psychology Textbook > Chapter 2 (Cognitive Neuroscience) > Flashcards

Chapter 2 (Cognitive Neuroscience) Flashcards

1
Q

Action potential

A

Propagated electrical potential responsible for transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons. These typically travel down a neuron’s axon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Axon

A

Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Brain imaging

A

Technique such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that results in images of the brain that represent brain activity. In cognitive psych, activity is measured in response to specific cognitive tasks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Broca’s area

A

An area in the frontal lobe associated with the production of language. Damage to this area causes Broca’s aphasia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Cell body

A

Part of the cell that contains mechanisms that keep the cell alive. In some neurons, the cell body and the dendrites associated with it receive information from other neurons.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Cerebral cortex

A

The 3-mm thick outer layer of the brain that contains the mechanisms responsible for higher functions such as perception, language, thinking, and problem solving.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Cognitive neuroscience

A

Field concerned with studying the neural basis of cognition.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Dendrites

A

Structures that branch out from the cell body to receive electrical signals from other neurons.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

A

A technique, based on detection of how water diffuses along the length of nerve fibres, for tracing nerve pathways and determining connections.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Distributed representation

A

Occurs when a specific cognition activates many areas of the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Double dissiciation

A

A situation in which a single dissociation can be demonstrated in one person and the opposite type of single dissociation can be demonstrated in another person. (e.g. person 1: function A is present, function B is damaged; Person 2: function A is damaged, function B is present).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Extrastriate body area (EBA)

A

An area in the temporal cortex that is activated by pictures of bodies and parts of bodies, but not by faces or other objects.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Feature detectors

A

Neurons that respond to specific visual features, such as orientation, size, or more complex features that make up environmental stimuli.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Frontal lobe

A

The lobe in the front of the brain that serves higher functions such as language, thought, memory, and motor functioning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

A

A brain imaging technique that measures how blood flow changes in response to cognitive activity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Fusiform face area (FFA)

A

An area in the temporal lobe that contains many neurons that respond selectively to faces.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Hierarchical processing

A

Processing that occurs in a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Level of analysis

A

A topic can be understood by studying it at a number of different levels of a system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Localisation of function

A

Location of specific functions in specific areas of the brain. For example, areas have been identified that are specialised to process information involved in the perception of movement, form speech, and different aspects of memory.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A

Brain imaging technique that creates images of structures within the brain. Related to fMRI.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Microelectrodes

A

Small wires that are used to record electrical signals from single neurons.

22
Q

Nerve fiber

A

see axon.

23
Q

Nerve impulse

A

An electrical response that is propagated down the length of an axon (nerve fibre). Also referred to as action potential.

24
Q

Nerve net

A

A network of continuously interconnected nerve fibers (as contrasted with neural networks, in which fibers are connected by synapses.

25
Q

Neural circuit

A

Group of interconnected neurons that are responsible for neural processing.

26
Q

Neural network

A

Groups of neurons or structures that are connected together.

27
Q

Neural representation, principle of

A

Everything a person experiences is based on representations in the person’s nervous systems.

28
Q

Neuron

A

Cell that is specialised to receive and transmit information in the nervous system.

29
Q

Neuron doctrine

A

The idea that individual cells called neurons transmit signals in the nervous system, and that these cells are not continuous with other cells as proposed by nerve net theory.

30
Q

Neuropsychology

A

The study of the behavioural effects of brain damage in humans.

31
Q

Neurotransmitter

A

Chemical that is released at the synapse in response to incoming action potentials.

32
Q

Occipital lobe

A

The lobe at the back of the brain that is devoted primarily to analysing incoming visual information.

33
Q

Parahippocampal place area (PPA)

A

An area in the temporal lobe that contains neurons that are selectively activated by pictures of indoor and outdoor scenes.

34
Q

Parietal lobe

A

The lobe at the top of the brain that contains the mechanisms responsible for sensations caused by stimulation of the skin and also some aspects of visual information.

35
Q

Population coding

A

Neural representations of a stimulus by the pattern of firing of a large number of neurons.

36
Q

Prosopagnosia

A

Condition caused by damage to the temporal lobe that is characterised by an inability to recognise faces.

37
Q

Receptors

A

Specialised neural structures that respond to environmental stimuli such as light, mechanical stimulation, or chemical stimuli.

38
Q

Recording electrode

A

When used to study neural functioning, a very thin glass or metal probe that can pick up electrical signals from single neurons.

39
Q

Reference electrode

A

Used in conjunction with a recording electrode to measure the difference in charge between the two. These are generally placed where the electrical signal remains constant, so any change in charge between the recording and reference electrodes reflects events happening near the tip of the recording electrode.

40
Q

Resting potential

A

Difference in charge between the inside and outside of a nerve fibre when the fibre is at rest (no other electric signals are present).

41
Q

Retina

A

A network of neurons that lines the back of the eye. Transformation of light into electrical signals and the initial processing of visual information occur in the retina.

42
Q

Sensory code

A

How neural firing represents various characteristics of the environment.

43
Q

Sparse coding

A

Neural coding based on the pattern of activity in small groups of neurons.

44
Q

Specificity coding

A

The representation of a specific stimulus by the firing of neurons that respond only to that stimulus. An example would be the signalling of a person’s face by the firing of a neuron that responds only to that person’s face.

45
Q

Subtraction technique

A

The technique used in brain imaging in which baseline activity is subtracted from the activity generated by a specific task. The result is the activity due only to the task that is being studied.

46
Q

Synapse

A

Space between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite of the next axon.

47
Q

Temporal lobe

A

The lobe on the side of the brain that contains mechanisms responsible for language, memory, hearing, and vision.

48
Q

Visual cortex

A

Area in the occipital lobe that receives signals from the eyes.

49
Q

Voxel

A

Small cube-shaped areas in the brain used in the analysis of data from brain scanning experiments.

50
Q

Wernicke’s area

A

Area in the temporal lobe associated with understanding language. Damage to this area causes Wernicke’s aphasia.

Cognitive Psychology Textbook (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions