Cognitive Science Flashcards
What is the chameleon effect?
People unconsciously imitate each other’s movements and gestures.
What are mirror neurons?
Definition, where and method.
Definition: A class of single neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when the individual observed another individual performing the same action.
Where: In monkeys. Mostly in motor areas.
Method: Single cell recording
Note: Single mirror neurons not found in humans yet.
What is the mirror neuron system (MNS)?
Definition, method.
Definition: A system found in humans. Not single neurons, but a brain area that is active when performing and observing the same action.
Method: fMRI (BOLD signals)
What is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
Definition. What is it used for? What type of mechanism?
Definition: The ability to understand other people’s mental states (e.g. beliefs, desires, knowledge).
What is it used for? Used to predict/explain their actions.
What type of mechanism? An acquired mechanism. A culturally inherited skill. Flexible/adaptive mechanism that is shaped by interactions/cultures.
What is the most common task in the investigation of Theory of Mind?
The False Belief task
E.g. the Smarties task
What is misophonia?
Hint: Sounds
- A condition in which individuals are affected emotionally by common sounds.
- Usually sounds made by others, and usually ones that other people don’t pay attention to (e.g. breathing, chewing).
- Such sounds create a fight-or-flight response and can trigger anger and a desire to escape.
What is aphantasia?
Hint: Mental pictures
A condition in which you are unable to create mental pictures in your head, i.e. unable to picture a scene, person, object even if it is very familiar.
What is allostasis?
Body budgeting.
Predicting and preparing to meet the body’s needs before they arise.
Your brain runs a budget for your body that regulates water, salt, glucose and many other biological resources inside you.
What is the triune brain?
The idea that the human brain consists of three layers - one for surviving, one for feeling and one for thinking.
What are the three components of the triune brain?
The lizard / reptilian brain: survival instincts, e.g. hunger and sex drive. The deepest layer of our brain.
The limbic system: emotions, e.g. joy, anger and fear. The middle layer.
The neocortex: rational thought, e.g. prefontal cortex that is thought to regulate the emotional and lizard brain. The outermost layer, part of the cerebral cortex.
How many regions does the somatosensory cortex have?
Four regions (Broadmann’s area 3a, 3b, 1 and 2). Area 3b is also known as the primary somatic sensory area or SI). All four areas are involved in processing tactile information.
What is the idea of Plato’s war?
The philosopher Plato believed that there is a never-ending battle between three brain areas that are responsible for our rationality, our emotions and our instincts. These inner forces control our behaviour.
How many neurons does the brain have?
128 billions neurons
What is a generalized seizure?
A seizure that involves the entire cerebral cortex of both hemispheres.
What is a partial seizure?
A seizure that only involves a part of the cortex.
