Lesson 6- Cognitive Approach- Use of theoretical computer models & emergence of cognitive 🧠 neuroscience

Question 1

What are 5 similarities between the human mind 🧠 & a computer 💻?

Answer 1

Similarities between human mind 🧠 & computer 💻:

1) Both have input
2) Both have memory
3) Both have output
4) Both could malfunction
5) Both are high tech/complicated

Question 2

What are 5 differences between the human mind 🧠 & a computer 💻?

Answer 2

Differences between human mind 🧠 & computer 💻:
1) 💻 made of plastic & metal BUT 🧠 organic
2) 💻 needs plugging & 🧠 ✖️
3) 💻 stops working when turned off BUT 🧠 ✖️
4) 💻 have limited memory BUT 🧠 ✖️
5) 💻 ✖️ have emotions BUT 🧠 does

Question 3

When did the information processing model come about?

Answer 3

1980

Question 4

What is the information processing model?

Answer 4

Depicted by flow chart:
Input-> Processing-> Output

Input- senses take info from environment
Processing- info processed via schemas
Output- behavioural response

Question 5

What is cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 5

Cognitive 🧠 neuroscience 🧪- scientific study of influence of 🧠 structure on mental processes- area of 🧠 mapped to locate specific cognitive functions

Question 6

When did neuroscience emerge?

Answer 6

1971

Question 7

Who was 1st to use the term cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 7

Miller (1991)

Question 8

What is special about the term cognitive neuroscience?

Answer 8

Bridges gap between cognitive 🧠 science 🧪 & neuro🧪

Question 9

What is link between cognitive neuroscience & the biological approach?

Answer 9

🧠 neuro🧪- looks at biological basis of 💭 processes e.g. how influence of neurons involved in developing 💭 processes … combines 🧠 approach with elements of biological approach

Question 10

What models are used in cognitive science and why?

Answer 10

Mind like 💻 … cognitive neuro🧪 includes 💻 generated models which read 🧠 & help develop mind mapping

Question 11

What are the 2 different methods used by cognitive neuroscientists to study 🧠?

Answer 11

1) 🧠 damaged patients & their brain are investigated

2) Neuro-imaging- parts of 🧠 investigated for activation whilst patient performs task

Question 12

What are the 2 ways in which we can study living 🧠 & get detailed info about mental processing in action?

Answer 12

1) Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)

2) Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Question 13

What is Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)?

Answer 13

Invented in 1990
Detects changes in blood 🩸 oxygenation & 🩸 flow
Used to evaluate effects of stroke

Question 14

What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET scans)?

Answer 14

Reveals how organs & tissues are functioning
Uses radioactive drug (tracer) to show activity
Can detect disease

Question 15

What are the evaluation points for use of theoretical computer 💻 models & emergence of cognitive 🧠 neuroscience?

Answer 15

👎- use of computer 💻 models to explain human 🏃‍♂‍ e.g. input, processing & output- human mind very different to 💻 e.g. 💻 ✖️ forget things, ✖️ make mistakes, ✖️ get tired 💤 & have ✖️ free will … inaccurate to compare human mind to 💻
👍- dominant today in Psychology- 🧠 approach- applied to practical & theoretical contexts & helped develop 🧠 neuroscience- e.g. 🧠 psychology helped develop artificial intelligence (AI) & “thinking” machines e.g. robots- exciting & revolutionary advances ahead formed from basis of 🧠 psychology & neuro🧪
👎- use of theoretical 💻 models- over simplify 🏃‍♂‍ being examined & reduce it ⬇️ to simple steps/processes- regarded as reductionist- ALSO- role of emotion lacking & overlooked when using theoretical models
👍- emphasises scientific 🧪 methods e.g. lab experiments when collecting data … ⬆️ levels of control exercised in these settings & cause & effect relationships identified between IV & DV- foundations of 🧠 neuro🧪 objective, reliable & well controlled which supports its 🧪 roots

Question 16

What did Maguire in 2000 study?

Answer 16

Taxi 🚕 drivers’ brains 🧠

Question 17

What was Maguire’s method when investigating taxi 🚕 drivers brains 🧠?

Answer 17

Method:

1) Maguire- wanted to investigate if 🧠 anatomy was predetermined or whether 🧠 is susceptible to plastic changes due to environment– in this case driving a 🚕
2) 🚕 drivers- undergo extensive training & … make ideal group for study of spatial navigation
3) Aimed to examine whether structural changes could be detected in 🧠 of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation
4) 32 healthy 👨 (average age of 44) investigated & split into 2 groups
5) 1st group- 16 licensed 👨 London 🚕 drivers
6) 2nd group- 16 👨 (control group- never driven 🚕)
7) MRI scans of their 🧠 taken & analysed

Question 18

What was Maguire’s findings when investigating taxi 🚕 drivers brains 🧠?

Answer 18

Findings:
8) Results from MRI scans showed that right posterior hippocampus in 🧠 of taxi drivers’ was larger than control group- related to length of ⏰ 🚕 driver had been in the job

9) The longer they had been 🚕 driver, the larger the right posterior hippocampus- that part of 🧠 responsible for storing visual representations of environment
10) Demand in knowledge-> physical change in 🧠- identified by MRI scan
11) ➕ correlation found between amount of ⏰ spent as 🚕 driver & volume in right posterior hippocampus

Question 19

What are the evaluation points of Maguire’s taxi 🚕 drivers study?

Answer 19

👎- difficult to generalise results- firstly only investigated 👨 … study lacks ecological validity & results ✖️ be generalised to 👩- ALSO- individual differences important factor to consider when examining 🧠 & cognitive functions as every 🧠 different … cautious about generalising results to all individuals
👍- supports key aspects of cognitive neuro🧪- study uses MRI 🧠 scanning to investigate hippocampus area of 🧠- study emphasises 🧠 is “like a muscle” (more an area of 🧠 used/exercised, the larger it becomes)
👎- small sample size & age bias- mean age of 44 year old 👨 investigated- wider range of ages should’ve been used for ⬆️ accurate results- ALSO- large sample size should’ve been used for ⬆️ accurate results
👍- research evidence to support 💡 that right posterior hippocampus involved in spatial awareness- previous rodent 🐀 & 🐒 studies found the (posterior) hippocampus to be involved in spatial navigation- … seems that right posterior hippocampus responsible for spatial awareness in humans & animals & functionality of 🧠 similar across many species