Introduction Flashcards
How do the mental and physical realms relate, e.g., how can mental causes have physical effects and vice-versa?
Mind-body problem
Basic categories of mental abilities, e.g., memory, attention, language, imagination, emotion, will.
Mental faculties
The idea is that the mind and body are separate and different.
Dualism
The idea that thinking and other forms of mental activity can be understood as analogous to a kind of computer program.
Computational theory of mind/ information processing paradigm
The distinction between a program and the physical “machine” that carries it out; used as an argument that the mind may be studied without detailed knowledge of the brain.
Hardware-software distinction
An internal data structure.
Mental representation
The experience, not arising from an external stimulus, that an amputated or missing limb is still present.
Phantom Limb
If the sum of incoming signals exceeds this criterion, a neuron will fire; if not, then it does nothing.
threshold
A linkage between two neurons in which increased activity in the first cell causes increased activity in the second.
excitatory connection
A linkage between two neurons in which increased activity in the first cell causes decreased activity in the second.
inhibitory connection
A neurophysiological sensing technology that uses powerful magnets to create images of brain structure.
MRI
A neurophysiological sensing technology that uses a rotating X-ray to create 2D images of brain structure.
CAT
A neurophysiological sensing technology that uses radioactive tracers in the blood to create images of brain activity.
PET
A neurophysiological sensing technology that uses powerful magnets to create images of brain activity.
FMRI
