Cognitive psych

Question 1

What are the five (5) classical types of “brain waves” and what is each associated with?

Answer 1

Delta | 0.5 - 4hz |Deep sleep
Theta | 4-8hz |Light sleep
Alpha | 8-12hz |Sitting quietly, creative good moods
Beta | 12-35hz | Engaging in tasks, problem solving,
Gamma | 35hz + |Higher level processing

Question 2

What is the main strength of EEG in terms of resolution?

Answer 2

EEG has great temporal resolution, meaning it can measure when brain activity occurs in real time

Question 3

What is the primary strength of fMRI in terms of resolution?

Answer 3

fMRI has excellent spatial resolution, meaning it can accurately show where brain activity is happening

Question 4

What type of cognitive processes are typically researched using fMRI?

Answer 4

fMRI is often used to study memory retrieval and decision-making by mapping blood flow to brain regions.

Question 5

What type of cognitive processes are typically studied using EEG?

Answer 5

EEG is commonly used to study processes like event-related potentials (ERPs) and sleep patterns.

Question 6

Compare and contrast electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Give two (2) examples of what cognitive processes could be researched using each technology.

Answer 6

EEG: Great temporal resolution, measures electrical activity. Used for event-related potentials (ERPs) and sleep studies.

fMRI: Great spatial resolution, measures blood flow. Used for memory retrieval and decision-making.

Question 7

What are specific cognitive resources?

Answer 7

Abilities required for particular tasks, like verbal or spatial processing.

• Specific cognitive resources refer to the abilities and skills required for particular types of tasks. For example, tasks that require verbal processing (like reading) and tasks that require spatial processing (like navigating a map) utilize different cognitive resources. When both tasks demand high levels of their respective resources, performance can decline because the brain struggles to allocate enough resources to each task

Question 8

What are general cognitive resources?

Answer 8

Broad mental capacity, such as working memory and attention span, used across tasks.

• General cognitive resources are more broad and include overall mental capacity, such as working memory and attention span. If a task requires a high level of general cognitive resources, it can limit the capacity available for other tasks. For instance, when someone is trying to remember a long sequence of numbers while also engaging in a conversation, both tasks compete for the same general cognitive resources, leading to diminished performance in one or both tasks

Question 9

How do specific and general cognitive resource limitations impact attentional performance?

Answer 9

When resources are overloaded, performance on tasks declines due to limited capacity.

Question 10

What is a dual-task paradigm in divided attention experiments?

Answer 10

An experiment where participants perform two tasks, such as recalling words and visual tracking, showing that performance on both tasks declines.

Question 11

How are limitations on specific and general cognitive resources related to attentional performance in divided attention experiments?

Answer 11

Limited specific and general cognitive resources cause performance to decline when tasks compete for the same resources. Divided attention experiments, like dual-task paradigms, demonstrate this by showing reduced performance when mental resources are overloaded.

Question 12

What are schemas in cognitive psychology?

Answer 12

Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help organise and interpret information based on past experiences.

Question 13

How do schemas help recollection?

Answer 13

Schemas organize information, facilitate inference, and enhance memory by helping to fill in gaps when details are missing.

Question 14

How can schemas hinder recollection?

Answer 14

Schemas can cause misremembering by filling in details inaccurately, lead to false memories, and result in confirmation bias.

Question 15

How are limitations on schemas related to helping or hindering recollection?

Answer 15

Schemas help by organizing information and filling in gaps, but they can hinder by causing misremembering, false memories, and overgeneralizations, especially when specific details don’t fit the schema.

Question 16

What is Spreading Activation Theory?

Answer 16

A theory that memories are stored as interconnected nodes, and activating one node spreads to related nodes, helping recall associated memories.

Thinking of “summer” may activate memories of a beach trip or ice cream, since these are related concepts.

Question 17

How does Spreading Activation Theory explain context-dependent learning?

Answer 17

Contextual cues (like environment) activate related nodes in the memory network, making recall easier when returning to the same context.

If you study in a library, returning to that library may help you recall what you studied better than if you were at home.

Question 18

How does Spreading Activation explain the encoding specificity effect?

Answer 18

Cues at encoding activate related memory nodes. Later encountering similar cues can directly activate these nodes, aiding recall.

Question 19

What is visual constancy?

Answer 19

Visual constancy refers to the brain’s ability to perceive objects as stable and consistent despite changes in sensory input, such as distance, angle, or lighting.

allowing us to recognize objects and navigate the world effectively.
Adaptation to Change: It helps us maintain consistent perceptions despite changing environmental conditions.

Question 20

What are examples of visual constancy?

Answer 20

Size Constancy: Perceiving objects as the same size despite changes in distance.

Shape Constancy: Recognizing objects as the same shape despite changes in viewing angle.

Brightness Constancy: Perceiving objects with constant brightness despite lighting changes.

Question 21

How does constancy in vision help and hinder perception?

Answer 21

Helps: Constancy ensures stability in our perception of size, shape, and brightness, making it easier to recognize objects and navigate our environment.
Hinders: It can lead to misperceptions and illusions when the brain makes incorrect assumptions or misinterprets depth and context, such as in size or shape illusions. e.g. Mueller-Lyer illusion

Question 22

What are the three levels of categorisation + example

Answer 22

o Superordinate Level:
This is the most general level of categorization. It (broad categories) Example: “Animal” is a superordinate category that includes all types of animals, from mammals to birds to reptiles.
o Basic Level This level strikes a balance between generality and specificity.
* Example: “Dog” is a basic-level category. It provides enough specificity to distinguish dogs from other animals while still being broad enough to encompass various breeds.
o Subordinate Level:
(specific categorization) Example: “Labrador Retriever” is a subordinate category under “Dog.”

Question 23

What visual disorder is Presbyopia

Answer 23

Definition: Age-related vision loss affecting near focus (far-sightedness).
Cause: Hardening of the eye’s lens reduces flexibility.
Symptoms: Difficulty reading small print, needing to hold items further away.
Treatment: Reading glasses, bifocals, contact lenses, or surgery.
Impact: Challenges in close-up tasks like reading or using phones.

Question 24

What visual disorder is Macular Degeneration

Answer 24

Definition: Progressive loss of central vision due to macula damage.
Cause: Breakdown of macular cells due to aging, genetics, and lifestyle.
Symptoms: Blurred central vision, dark spots, trouble recognizing faces.
Treatment: No cure; managed with supplements, laser therapy, and injections.
Impact: Affects central vision needed for reading, driving, and daily tasks.

Question 25

What are “qualia”? What might be the function of this particular experience?

Answer 25

Qualia (singular: quale) are the subjective, personal aspects of our conscious experience—how we uniquely perceive sensations, emotions, and perceptions.
Examples: The taste of chocolate, seeing the color red, feeling pain, or hearing a violin.
Characteristics:

Subjectivity: Qualia are unique to each person; no two people can share the exact same experience.
Ineffability: Difficult to describe fully in words; experiences like seeing blue can’t be completely explained to someone who hasn’t seen it.
Intrinsic Nature: Focuses on the experience itself, not just the external stimulus.

Question 26

What is introspection?

Answer 26

• Introspection is “looking within” and examining one’s own experiences (their mental processes)
• Historically, introspection was a primary method in early psychology, particularly in structuralism, where researchers would ask individuals to report their conscious experiences in response to stimuli