Sensation & Perception Flashcards
Neuron
- Receive & transmit info (electrical activity)
Neuronal Comm
Transduction
- Transduction: Sensory receptor cells transform energy from environment into neuronal message (electrical activity)
- Message travels to other neurons, brain
- At rest: charged ions (mv70) more negative than outside.
- Across-category distinctions (house vs. face)
- Within-category distinctions
Neuron Stimulation
- from environment/neuron
- Excitation effect - depolarization inside (potential rises)
Inhibition effect – hyperpolarization inside (potential falls)
- Action potential triggered when enough depolarization to reach threshold (55mV)
- Neurotransmitters (NTs) released into synaptic cleft.
- NTs act on dendrite membranes of adjacent neuron
Firing Rate of Neuron
- Often multiple neurons synapse onto a single postsynaptic neuron
- Summed impact of NTs determines firing rate of postsynaptic neuron
Feature Detectors
Neurons that respond best to specific collections of features in stimuli
Cerebral Cortex
- Frontal: higher level functions (e.g., planning, speech production)
- Occipital: vision
- Parietal: attention, spatial processing
- Temporal: language comprehension, memory, object recognition
Subcortical Structures
- Thalamus: relay station for sensory info
- Hippocampus: forming memories
- Cerebellum & basal ganglia: motor control & complex cognition (e.g., spatial reasoning)
- Amygdala: emotional memories
- Corpus callosum: bridge b/t L & R hemispheres
How to observe links b/t Info Processing and NS (4)
- Single-cell recordings w/ electrodes
- Identify relationship b/t a cognitive deficit and damaged or missing area in the brain. Lesion, Abration (removal)
- Measure electrical activity while Ps engage in cognitive tasks. (EEG, ERP) Observes time/course
- Brain Imaging (PET, fMRI) Observes location of brain use
Prin. of Brain Functioning
- Localization of function
Different brain area specialized for diff functions.
- Frontal: higher level functions (e.g., planning, speech production)
- Occipital: vision
- Parietal: attention, spatial processing
- Temporal: language comprehension, memory, object recognition
Prin. of Brain Func
- Hemispheric lateralization
Some functions reside mainly in one hemisphere or the other
Prin. of Brain Func
- Contralaterality
Several functions reside in both hemispheres but are controlled by “opposite”
- e.g. visual crossover
Prin. of Brain Func
- Reliance on multiple structures
given cognitive process usually relies on a number of areas in the brain
- e.g. What’s this?
Occipital: vision
Temporal: object recognition
Parietal & frontal: naming object
Prin. of Brain Func
- Exerience dependent Plasticity
To extent, structure and function of NS depends on experience
