Week 1 - perception & attention

Question 1

What does the stroop test, test ?

Answer 1

1. cognitive control ( can one ignore distractions?)
2. selective attention
3. mental flexibility

Question 2

what is the Stroop test

Answer 2

A way to measure how well your brain can handle conflicting information, it tests processing speed, ability to control impulses, attention

Question 3

what is the main goal of cognitive psychology?

Answer 3

to understand how people acquire, process, store and retrieve information

Question 4

what are common behavioral measures used in cognitive psychology?

Answer 4

reaction times and accuracy

Question 5

what is the Stroop test used to measure?

Answer 5

the automaticity of reading and its interference with colour naming

Question 6

what is a limitation of experimental cognitive psychology?

Answer 6

it lacks ecological validity, findings may not generalise outside the lab

Question 7

what is hemispatial neglect?

Answer 7

a condition where patients ignore one side of space

Question 8

what causes hemispatial neglect?

Answer 8

Often due to parietal lobe damage

Question 9

what is a limitation of cognitive psychology?

Answer 9

There’s a lack of baseline data, unclear what the patient could do before injury.

Question 10

What does EEG measure?

Answer 10

Electrical activity of neurone via electrodes on the scalp

Question 11

What does EEG stand for?

Answer 11

Electroencephalogram

Question 12

What does fMRI measure?

Answer 12

Brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation levels (BOLD signal)

Question 13

What does fMRI stand for?

Answer 13

functional Magnetic resonance imaging

Question 14

how is fMRI measuring brain activity?

Answer 14

it measures blood flow as an indirect sign of brain activity

Question 15

what does BOLD mean in fMRI?

Answer 15

Blood oxygenation level dependent

Question 16

What does TMS stand for?

Answer 16

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Question 17

What is the purpose of TMS in cognitive psychology

Answer 17

To temporarily disrupt brain activity and study the function of specific regions.

Question 18

What is the difference between top-down and bottom up processing?

Answer 18

top-down uses prior knowledge to interpret sensory input; bottom-up starts with raw sensory data

Question 19

what does the rubber hand illusion demonstrate?

Answer 19

how the brain can be tricked into adopting a fake body part as its own

Question 20

what is the main use of structural MRI?

Answer 20

to image brain anatomy and detect structural abnormalities

Question 21

what does DTI measure?

Answer 21

the direction of water diffusion to map white matter tracts/pathways (fibre tract maps)

Question 22

what does DTI stand for

Answer 22

Diffusion Tensor imaging

Question 23

why do we use DTI and why is it useful

Answer 23

to capture movement and visualise and map the brains wiring. helps to understand how different brain regions are connected whilst detecting damage to white matter to conditions like:
1. Traumatic brain injury
2. stroke
3. multiple sclerosis
4. Alzheimers disease

Question 24

anisotropic diffusion

Answer 24

white matter moving easily in one direction (healthy white matter)

Question 25

isotropic diffusion

Answer 25

grey matter or damaged tissue water will move randomly

Question 26

Double dissociation

Answer 26

when two patients show opposite patterns of impairment suggesting separate cognitive systems

Question 27

Subtraction logic in fMRI studies

Answer 27

comparing brain activity between two conditions to isolate specific cognitive processes

Question 28

difference between structural and functional imaging

Answer 28

structural imaging shows brain anatomy and functional imaging shows brain activity

Question 29

advantage of EEG over fMRI

Answer 29

EEG has better temporal resolution (timing) and fMRI has better spatial resolution (location)

Question 30

What are ERPs

Answer 30

event related potentials

Question 31

What is the Sapir-whorf hypothesis?

Answer 31

the idea that language influences though and perception.

Question 32

How many neurons does the human brain have?

Answer 32

~80 billion neurons

Question 33

What percentage of brain cells are neurons?

Answer 33

10%

Question 34

What type of cells comprise the rest of the brain cells?

Answer 34

Glia cells

Question 35

What does electrophysiology study?

Answer 35

Neural activity

Question 36

What does single-cell recordings measure?

Answer 36

Neural activity from within or outside the axon membrane

Question 37

What can single-cell recordings in animals help understand?

Answer 37

How specific neurons respond to stimuli

Question 38

What does electroencephalography (EEG) measure?

Answer 38

Electrical activity of neurons via scalp electrodes

Question 39

What can EEG be used to study during different stages?

Answer 39

Brain waves

Question 40

What are event-related potentials (ERPs)?

Answer 40

Measures EEG response to the same stimulus/task repeatedly

Question 41

What can ERPs be used to study?

Answer 41

How the brain processes visual or auditory stimuli

Question 42

What does magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use to align protons?

Answer 42

Strong magnetic fields

Question 43

What does structural MRI study?

Answer 43

The anatomy of the brain in detail

Question 44

What does diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measure?

Answer 44

Water diffusion direction

Question 45

What can DTI be used to study?

Answer 45

The connectivity between different brain regions

Question 46

What does functional MRI (fMRI) measure?

Answer 46

Blood oxygenation level dependent signal

Question 47

What does the BOLD signal indicate?

Answer 47

Active brain regions

Question 48

What is subtraction logic in fMRI?

Answer 48

Compares brain activity between different conditions

Question 49

What does transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) use to affect brain activity?

Answer 49

Magnetic pulses

Question 50

What does TMS provide evidence of?

Answer 50

Brain region importance for cognitive functions

Question 51

What is the 'checker shadow illusion' an example of?

Answer 51

Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Processing

Question 52

What implications does perception and cognitive limits have?

Answer 52

Eye-witness testimony, driving safety, UX/UI design, Schizophrenia, Depression

Question 53

What is the 'rubber hand illusion' an example of?

Answer 53

Sensory Systems and perception

Question 54

Fill in the blank: The brain infers what is out there in the world based on _______.

Answer 54

Electrical signals from sensory input

Question 55

What are the functions of the Frontal Lobe?

Answer 55

Executive functions such as decision-making, problem-solving, planning, reasoning, and impulse control. ## Footnote The Frontal Lobe is essential for higher-level thinking and voluntary movement.

Question 56

What cognitive roles does the Frontal Lobe play?

Answer 56

Crucial for higher-level thinking, attention, voluntary movement, personality, and emotional regulation. ## Footnote It is involved in decision-making and impulse control.

Question 57

What functions does the Parietal Lobe perform?

Answer 57

Processes sensory information related to touch, temperature, and pain. ## Footnote It integrates sensory input to form a coherent picture of the world.

Question 58

What is the cognitive role of the Parietal Lobe?

Answer 58

Important for spatial orientation and body awareness. ## Footnote It helps in understanding the body's position in space.

Question 59

What functions are associated with the Occipital Lobe?

Answer 59

Visual processing center of the brain. ## Footnote It is responsible for interpreting visual stimuli.

Question 60

What cognitive role does the Occipital Lobe serve?

Answer 60

Essential for recognizing shapes, colors, and motion. ## Footnote It enables visual perception.

Question 61

What functions does the Temporal Lobe have?

Answer 61

Involved in auditory processing and memory. ## Footnote It is crucial for understanding language.

Question 62

What cognitive roles does the Temporal Lobe play?

Answer 62

Key role in understanding language, forming memories, and processing sounds. ## Footnote It connects auditory information with memory.

Question 63

What are the functions of the Cerebellum?

Answer 63

Coordinates voluntary movements such as posture, balance, coordination, and speech. ## Footnote It is traditionally linked to motor control.

Question 64

What cognitive role does the Cerebellum have?

Answer 64

Involved in cognitive functions like attention and language. ## Footnote It supports higher cognitive processes beyond motor control.