Methods of Cognitive Science

Question 1

Response Time

Answer 1

Infer the speed/timing of internal processes. Break mental tasks up into cognitive stages. Make fine distinctions that are not available via accuracy measures.

Question 2

Gaze direction/time

Answer 2

If something is interesting, an infant might look at it more than something else. Most infants have a preference for face-like objects.

Question 3

Double dissociations

Answer 3

Occurs when damage to two brain regions leads to a complementary profile of impaired/spared cognition (e.g., Broca’s vs. Wernicke’s Aphasia)

Question 4

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Answer 4

Used to induced magnetic fields to distort the behavior of protons and measure how long the protons take to recover from the distortion

Question 5

(functional) fMRI

Answer 5

Good spatial resolution. Better temporal resolution than PET. Event-related designs possible. Non-invasive. Temporal resolution still poor compared to EEG. Indirect measurement of neuronal activity. Activated areas may be associated but not essential for task.

Question 6

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Answer 6

Measure voltage changes at the scalp surface that reflect dendritic currents in large populations of neurons. Poor spatial resolution. Fantastic temporal resolution. Can reveal timing of neural activations.

Question 7

Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

Answer 7

Average voltage change to a stimulus or even across time. Present a stimulus or an event repeatedly and record the EEG response each time.

Question 8

Single cell recording

Answer 8

Great spatial and temporal resolution, but shows only a single cell

Question 9

EEG

Answer 9

Has great temporal resolution, but poor spatial resolution

Question 10

MEG

Answer 10

Has good spatial and temporal resolution, but is only sensitive to neurons in sulci (an close to the brain surface).