Lesson 6- Cognitive Approach- Use of theoretical computer models & emergence of cognitive 🧠 neuroscience Flashcards
What are 5 similarities between the human mind 🧠 & a computer 💻?
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
What are 5 differences between the human mind 🧠 & a computer 💻?
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
When did the information processing model come about?
1980
What is the information processing model?
Depicted by flow chart:
Input-> Processing-> Output
Input- senses take info from environment
Processing- info processed via schemas
Output- behavioural response
What is cognitive neuroscience?
Cognitive 🧠 neuroscience 🧪- scientific study of influence of 🧠 structure on mental processes- area of 🧠 mapped to locate specific cognitive functions
When did neuroscience emerge?
1971
Who was 1st to use the term cognitive neuroscience?
Miller (1991)
What is special about the term cognitive neuroscience?
Bridges gap between cognitive 🧠 science 🧪 & neuro🧪
What is link between cognitive neuroscience & the biological approach?
🧠 neuro🧪- looks at biological basis of 💭 processes e.g. how influence of neurons involved in developing 💭 processes … combines 🧠 approach with elements of biological approach
What models are used in cognitive science and why?
Mind like 💻 … cognitive neuro🧪 includes 💻 generated models which read 🧠 & help develop mind mapping
What are the 2 different methods used by cognitive neuroscientists to study 🧠?
1) 🧠 damaged patients & their brain are investigated
2) Neuro-imaging- parts of 🧠 investigated for activation whilst patient performs task
What are the 2 ways in which we can study living 🧠 & get detailed info about mental processing in action?
1) Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)
2) Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
What is Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI scans)?
Invented in 1990
Detects changes in blood 🩸 oxygenation & 🩸 flow
Used to evaluate effects of stroke
What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET scans)?
Reveals how organs & tissues are functioning
Uses radioactive drug (tracer) to show activity
Can detect disease
What are the evaluation points for use of theoretical computer 💻 models & emergence of cognitive 🧠 neuroscience?
👎- 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
What did Maguire in 2000 study?
Taxi 🚕 drivers’ brains 🧠
What was Maguire’s method when investigating taxi 🚕 drivers brains 🧠?
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
What was Maguire’s findings when investigating taxi 🚕 drivers brains 🧠?
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
What are the evaluation points of Maguire’s taxi 🚕 drivers study?
👎- 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
