The Science of Cognition Flashcards
Name three or more of the scientific fields that is used in CogSci
Psychology, philosophy, linguistics, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, anthropology
The branch of psychology that only focuses on external behaviours? (hint noted)
Behaviourism
The famous behaviourist B.F. Skinner thought it possible to increase the occurrence of a specific behaviour through…
Scheduled reinforcement
What are the three main influences on the cognitive revolution?
Information theory, abstract way of analysing the processing of information.
Computer science and AI, computer analogy made to explain what is going on in the brain and the mind.
Linguistics, debate with the behaviourists because their theories couldn’t explain the complexities in the language.
What is the information-processing approach?
Tries to analyse human cognition as a set of steps for information processing. Also known as the component process approach. The more components you have, the longer it takes to process.
What is introspection?
The assumption that the workings of the mind is open to self-observation. People had to describe their own conscious experiences and thoughts and then the psychologists had to explain/analyse that content.
What is cognition?
Information processing
What is cognitive neuroscience and what does it focus on?
Study how cognition is realised in the brain. Focus on biological processes and relationships between brain structures, brain activity and cognitive functions.
What is a neuron and what is its key function?
A neuron is a cell that accumulates and transmits electrochemical signals in the nervous system.
Describe the anatomy of a neuron.
Key words: dendrites, nucleus, soma (cell body), synapse, axon, myelin sheath, axon hillock, node of Ranvier, axon terminal, neurotransmitter
What does the central nervous system include?
The brain and the spinal cord.
What are some examples of topographically organised areas of the brain and what does it mean?
Motor cortex, somatosensory cortex. For example, some adjacent areas in the visual cortex represent information from adjacent area of the visual field. Another example the area that receives sensory information from the fingers is close to the area that controls the muscles in the fingers.
What is the cerebral cortex?
The outer layer of the brain. The surface has folds which creates grooves called sulci and raised areas called gyri.
What is the neocortex?
The evolutionary most advanced part of the brain. Consisting of about 90% of the cerebral cortex. Is responsible for higher-order brain functions
Who is Wilhelm Wundt?
He is the father of modern psychology who established the 1st psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879. The method of inquiry he used was introspection.
Describe the behaviorist revolution
Prevalent in America from 1920s to 50s. Poses that psychology should be entirely concerned with external behavior and rejects consciousness as a useful concept.
Where is the frontal lobe located and what is it’s functions?
Frontal lobe – in the front, controls higher cognitive functions
Where is the parietal lobe located and what is it’s functions?
behind the frontal lobe, where-pathway and manipulation of objects
Where is the occipital lobe located and what is it’s functions?
in the back of the brain, vision (visual cortex)
Where is the temporal lobe located and what is it’s functions?
at the temples, what-pathway and hearing
Where is the Motor cortex located and what is its functions?
Right next to the central sulcus and it controls movement
Where is the cerebellum located and what is it’s functions?
bottom part of the brain, coordination of movement, fine motor skills and muscle memory
Where is Broca’s area located and what is its functions?
Located in the frontal cortex with the function of speech production
Where is the brainstem located and what is it’s functions?
connected to the spinal cord, low-level primitive surviving functions
