Chapter 1 & 2: History and Neural basics Flashcards by Pim Praat

Define introspection

observing your own thoughts

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What are the two problems with introspection?

thoughts are not directly observable and it is impossible to test objectively.

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What is the corpus callosum

Large(gest) fiber (of axons) connecting the two hemispheres. Cutting results in a split-brain patient.

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Define cognitive psychology

the study of knowledge; acquiring, storing and usage

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Why is cognitive psychology important?

Studying mechanisms essential for many daily activities: perception, attention, memory, thinking and reasoning, decision making

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Give two problems of introspection

thoughts are not directly observable and it is impossible to test objective

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define behaviourism

how behaviour changes in response to different configurations of stimuli (rewards/punishments etc)

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What is a operational definition?

define precisely how a concept is measured, result from behaviourism

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On which concept is the nature-nurture debate based?

Behaviorism

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What was the main research approach of behaviourism?

no assumptions about the processes in the head ==> black box

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What did behaviourism attributed to CogPsy?

Operational definition and scientific objective experiments

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Give two problems of behaviourism:

thoughts and strategies during problem solving etc could not be studied
Different stimuli elicit the same behaviour & same stimuli elicits different behaviour → ambiguity

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What is the problem with behaviourism considering language?

Structure of language is more complex than behaviourism can explain, children speak sentences they have never heard

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Define gestalt psychology

The whole is greater & different than the sum of it’s parts

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Define cognitive neuroscience/neuropsychology

Studying the functioning of the brain by analyzing which physical part in the brain is involved, mostly using patients with brain damage

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What did EP learn from introspection and behaviourism?

Introspection is not scientific, we need to study mental events to understand behaviour

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define the transcendental method of Immanuel Kent

work backwards from observations to determine cause

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define amnesia

because of brain damage losing the ability to remember certain materials

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What is the Amygdala?

Emotional evaluator, helps to detect which stimuli are a threat/danger or safety/reward. Damaged in people with Capgras syndrome makes them not recognised loved ones. Lies in the temporal lobe

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Prefrontal cortex location and function:

lies in the frontal lobe and does planning and careful analysis (strategic thinking)

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Give a definition of Capgras syndrome and what is damaged

Prefrontal cortex and amygdala is damaged. Results in patients thinking their loved ones are imposters. They recognise them, but don’t have the feeling that they are the loved ones. PFC does not filter out those thoughts.

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What’s the difference between MRI and fMRI?

fMRI shows location of activity only, while MRI shows a regular image of the brain

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What is the information processing paradigm?

assumes information is processed in steps

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What does the midbrain?

coordinating (eye) movements, relay audio from ears to forebrain, pain experience

What does the forebrain consists of?

Cerebrum, thalamus and hypothalamus

What does the pituitary gland?

Part of endocrine system, secrete hormones in blood

lateral fissure

divides frontal lobes from parietal lobes

What lies underneath the cortex?

Subcortial structures (thalamus, hypothalamus etc)

What is the thalamus

relay station for all sensory information, quite big

What is the limbic system

surrounds the thalamus and hypothalamus, is the amygdala and hippocampus => essential for learning and memory

What are commissures and what do they do?

Bundle of fibres carrying information between the hemispheres

What are commissures and what do they do?

Bundle of fibres carrying information between the hemispheres

In which hemisphere is language processing dominant?

Left side

Which hemisphere is dominant for spatial judgement?

Right side

Each hemisphere makes it own contribution to overall performance.

Define a lesion

a specific area of brain damage

What is the difference between PET and CT, what is their frame and what is the difference with MRI?

CT is structural image, PET is activity. Both not real time and main difference is that MRI is more detailed.

What does EEG measure?

current generated by neurons under the skull, multiple rhythms can be detected

What is the fusiform area?

This is active whenever a face is perceived

TMS

transcranial magnetic stimulation; used to determine what happens when (temporary) a lesion is in the brain, helps to determine functions of brain parts in neuroscience

What do we gain from combining multiple methods?

Excluding correlational data; with fMRI and EEG know know where and when.

Define contralateral control

Left hemisphere controls right side of the body and vice versa

What is coding (in neurons) and give it's two options

how information (example a picture) is represented by neurons, two options: - neurons X,Y&Z fire - X fires a little, Y strong, Z little

What are motor areas

contain brain tissue for organising and controlling movement

What are sensory areas

contains brain tissue for organising and analysing sensory input

What area association areas

support functions (oa. thinking)

What is coding (in neurons) and give it's two options

how information (example a picture) is represented by neurons, two options: - neurons X,Y&Z fire - X fires a little, Y strong, Z little

What is apraxia

disturbance in initialising and organising voluntary actions due to damaged frontal lobe

What is agnosia?

(in)ability to identify familiar objects, due to damaged occipital cortex

What is neglect syndrome?

due to damage in usually parietal love, individuals seem to ignore half the visual world

What is Aphasia?

Less language capabilities, due to damage near lateral fissure

What is and does the primary motor projection area?

departure point for nerve cells (that send their signal to lower portions of the brain and spinal cord), resulting in muscle movement

What is and does the primary (soma)sensory projection area?

point of arrival for sensory information

Assignment of cortical space is governed by:

function

In neurons: axons are .. and dendrites are..

output - input

What are glia cells

support cells of neurons

What is in the end the focus of the cognitive revolution?

the science of psychology cannot study the mental world directly & psychology must study the mental world in order to understand behaviour

What is the Stroop effect?

automaticity; apparently being unable to ignore the word’s content even though it is irrelevant to their task.