Lecture 1

Question 0

What is the information and processing model

Answer 0

The environment —-> Sensory system —-> Working memory —-> Permanent memory —-> Response

Question 1

Define Cognition

Answer 1

Cognition aims to understand the workings of the human mind by studying human behaviour

Question 2

What is the major goal of the Information Processing Approach?

Answer 2

To specify processes and structures involved in cognition

Question 3

What are the two types of processing?

Answer 3

Parallel and Serial

Question 4

What is the difference between Parallel and Serial processing?

Answer 4

Parallel processes can happen at the same time e.g talking and driving.
Serial processes must finish before the second process begins.

Cascaded progresses are when one directly leads into the other

Question 5

What is the difference between bottom up and top down?

Answer 5

Bottom up is when an external stimulus causes internal cognitive processes to occur.

Top down is when processing is influenced by the individual’s expectations and knowledge

Question 6

What is the most important method to test research hypotheses?

Answer 6

The experimental method

Question 7

What is computational modelling?

Answer 7

Programming computers to model or mimic some aspects of human cognitive functioning

Question 8

What is cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 8

The study of human brain and cognition

Question 9

What is temporal resolution?

Answer 9

The accuracy with which one can measure when an event occurs in the brain

Question 10

Spatial resolution

Answer 10

The accuracy with which one can measure where an event occurs in the brain

Question 11

Neuroscience techniques

What is an event-related potential (erp)

Answer 11

EEG non-invasively measures electrical activity in brain during cognitive activity.
Electrodes placed on scalp
ERPs recorded during repeated events

Question 12

What are the limitations of ERPS?

Answer 12

Limited spatial resolution
Requires many mals
Skull and brain tissue distort electrical fields
Largely blind to subcortical activity

Question 13

What is functional magnetic resonance imaging

Answer 13

Measures changes in the blood flow during cognitive activity

Active brain regions have a higher ratio of oxygenated to deoxygenated blood which have different magnetic property

Provides a non-invasive, indirect measure of brain activity

Question 14

What is the limitation of fMRI?

Answer 14

Spatial Resolution is high, but temporal resolution is poor.

Question 15

What is magneto-encephalography (MEG)?

Answer 15

Uses a superconducting quantum inference device (SQUID)

Measures the magnetic fields produced by the brains electrical activity

Provides high temporal resolution and moderate spatial resolution

Question 16

What are the limitations of MEG?

Answer 16

Expensive

Participant uncomfortable for a long time

Technology and analysis are new and complicated

Question 17

What is cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 17

Study of patterns of cognitive performance(intact and impaired) shown by brain-damaged patients

Question 18

Why are the key assumptions of cognitive neuropsychology?

Answer 18

Functional modularity

• cognitive system consists of numerous, independent processing units
• modules exhibit domain specificity (responding to only one class of stimuli)

Anatomical modularity 
- each module is located in a specific brain region

Question 19

Why might the key assumptions of cognitive neuropsychology not be met?

Answer 19

Because brain damage may be diffuse (e.g. Alzheimer’s) or the cognitive process in question recruits many brain areas (e.g reading and memory)

Question 20

What are the different approaches to the study of cognition?

Answer 20

Behavioural: accuracy and reaction time
Electrical (EEG): ERP
Electromagnetic: MEG
Haemodynamic( BOLD- blood oxygen-level dependent) signal)
-e.g. FMRI is good at localising where in the brain the stimulus is processed but poor at specifying the temporal order of processes
Brain lesions: cognitive neuropsychology