Psych 490: FINAL
Top-down processing
(Conceptually-driven) - Bringing knowledge to bear in determining what we perceive Ex. Context, experience
Bottom-up processing
(Data-driven) - Flow of info from stimulus, to neural activity, to its identification
Bartlett's research
- "The war of the ghost" - Measured memories from past events and experiences are actual mental reconstructions
Anatomy terms for location in the brain
- Anterior (rostral): front portion - Posterior(caudal): back portion - Dorsal (superior): top portion - Ventral: bottom - Lateral: Closer to periphery - Medial: Closer to midpoint - Gyrus = bump (gyri =pl.) - Sulcus = groove (sulci =pl.) - Inferior = below - Superior = above
Noam Chomskys contributions to the developing field of cognitive psychology
- Argued that linguistics be a branch of cognitive psychology or the study of mental processes Ex. critical thinking, problem solving and language
GIbsons view of perception
- Bottom up processing - Involves innate mechanisms forge by evolution and that no learning is required - Ecological theory - Perception is solely explained in terms of the environment
Cognitive neuroscience
- Criteria for assessing the utility of brain investigation techniques - How well the technique informs the precise nature of the brain activity (how) - Spatial resolution (where) - Temporal resolution (When)
Ebbinghaus's research
- Experimental control - Self as subject - invented method to study memory -Tried
The Cerebral Cortex
- Frontal lobe - Parietal lobe - Occipital lobe - Brocas area - Temporal lobe - Wernikes area
3 Major parts of the brain
- Hindbrain: basic life functions - Midbrain: some sensory processing (reflexes), regulate brain arousal - Forebrain: Compromises most of the brain, Consists mainly of the cerebral cortex, primary neural substrate for higher cognitive functioning
Frontal lobe
- Posterior area (motor cortex): involved in voluntary motor movement - Anterior area (prefrontal cortex): involved in planning and executing complex actions - Brocas area: involved in speech production (brocas aphasia)
The motor cortex
- part of the cerebral cortex in Frontal lobe - involved in planning, control and execution of voluntary movement
Metacognition
- thinking about thinking - ability to control your own thoughts
Gestalt Psychologists
-Early 20th century - Perceive thinks as holes (holistic) EX. Gestalt: Perception of wholeness formed by the human brain "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"
According to the information processing approach, the brain can be viewed as________, while mental processing can be viewed as ________: a) the "hardware" of a computer; the computer's "software" b) a complex network of nodes; activation among these nodes c) neuronal activity; a computer program d) a computer program; central processing unit
A
Conceptually-driven processing is also called _______ processing and data-driven processing is also called ________ processing. a. top-down; bottom-up b. bottom-up; top-down c. implicit; explicit d. explicit; implicit
A
How does TMS (trans-cranial magnetic stimulation) differ from the other techniques? a) TMS involves direct stimulation of the brain; the other techniques do not. b) TMS involves getting an "image" or picture of the brain; the other techniques do not. c) TMS provides poorer temporal and spatial resolution than all of the other techniques. d) TMS is much more costly than any other of the techniques.
A
In referring to "the problem of meaning", renowned psychologist Jerome Bruner was offering what critique of cognitive research? a) too much emphasis on internal validity at the expense of external validity b) too much emphasis on external validity at the expense of internal validity c) not enough emphasis on how cognition relates to brain activity d) research in cognition should be "disembodied"
A
Lashley ________ the S-R approach to performance, pointing out that ________. a) attacked; complex performance plays out too quickly to be a simple chain of S-R associations b) defended; even complex responses can be explained through a simple appeal to responses and reinforcements c) attacked; humans in no way are guided by associations d) defended; complex responses can only be explained via an S-R analysis.
A
Our tendency to perceptually complete incomplete objects and figures is called: a) closure. b) proximity. c) synchrony. d) common fate
A
Research on hemispheric differences in functioning show that a. the right hemisphere specializes in holistic, top-down processing more than the other hemisphere b. the left hemisphere specializes in holistic, top-down processing more than the other hemisphere c. the right hemisphere specializes in processing of non-emotional, rational information d. the dominant hemisphere for an individual will control aspects of language processing
A
Research on split-brain patients reveals that: a) the left hemisphere typically specializes in verbal processing, while the right hemisphere specializes in spatial tasks b) the left hemisphere typically specializes in spatial tasks, while the right hemisphere specializes in verbal processing c) people who have had their corpus callosum severed have a great deal of difficulty functioning in everyday life d) for normal people, there is no difference between the functioning of the left and right hemispheres
A
Suppose damage to a particular brain area leaves someone unable to recognize faces, but does not affect the ability to recognize objects. This is an example of ________, and provides some evidence that ________. a) a single dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on different brain mechanisms b) a single dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on the same brain mechanisms c) a double dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on different brain mechanisms d) a double dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on the same brain mechanisms
A
The identification of a stimulus with the help of context, previous knowledge, and/or expectations is called: a)top-down processing. b)bottom-up processing. c)materialism. d)phenomenal consciousness.
A
The information processing approach to cognition likens thought to: a) the operation of a computer. b) the storage system of a library. c) the assembly-line production of a factory. d) the trial-and-error learning of the rat in a maze.
A
The most commonly used neuroscience tool seems to be: a)imaging techniques like fMRI and PETscan. b)stimulation techniques like TMS. c)recording techniques like EEG/ERP. d)brain trauma and lesion.
A
What is another name for bottom-up processing? a)Data-driven processing b)Connectionist processing c)Neural network processing d)Conceptually-driven processing
A
What is the "main theme" of the course (from day 1 lecture)? a. Cognition is often adaptive b. Biology underlies all of cognitive psychology c. Human cognition shares most features with animal cognition d. Cognition is usually automatic, rather than effortful.
A
In explaining cognition, the connectionist approach emphasizes: a) interactions between individual processing units in the brain. b) the serial nature of cognitive processing. c) that cognitive processes are localized within certain regions of the brain. d) simple perceptual processing, rather than higher-level cognitive processing.
A Look at page 22
Embodied Cognition
A social and cognitive psychology topic covering issues such as social interaction and decision making - The motor system influences our cognition
Which two techniques are" brain imaging" techniques? a. fMRI and EEG b. fMRI and PET c. PET and EEG d. EEG and ERP
A?
Neurotranmitter release into the synapse
Action Potential causes this
Cognitive Science
An interdisciplinary effort to understand the mind. made up of 5 fields 1. Cognitive psych 2. Philosophy 3. Pose questions 4. Neuroscience 5.Artificial intelligence
A tendency to encode the overall features of a scene before apprehending scene details is called: a) figure-ground. b) global precedence. c) synchrony. d) common fate.
B
An action potential causes release of neurotransmitters (chemicals) into the __________ a. cell body b. synaptic gap c. sodium channel d. central sulcus
B
Bartlett's studies of memory were different than Ebbinghaus's in that: a. Bartlett found little evidence of forgetting b.Bartlett's studies featured a higher degree of realism c. Bartlett's ideas were consistent with the behaviorist approach of the day. d.it has had relatively little influence on current day research
B
If you're a psychology major, you've probably been exposed to basic information about the history of psychology in several courses. Each time you're exposed to this information, you probably pick up on it and retain it a little better. This is an example of ________, a key concept from the work of memory psychologist________. a) savings; Bartlett b) savings; Ebbinghaus c) schemata; Bartlett d) schemata; Ebbinghaus
B
In the video "Sensation and Perception" from class (part of the Discovering Psychology video series), you saw a description of the research done by ___________________________, who mapped the neural pathways for receptor cells in vision. a. Haber and Warner b. Hubel and Wiesel c. Hertzog and Wentworth d. Skinner and Watson
B
Little Baruti sees a four-legged creature that makes the noise, "Woof! Woof!". He points and says, "Dog!" His mother says, "Good, Baruti, good!" Skinner would propose that Baruti saying, "Dog!" is a _____ that comes under control of the stimulus, which is ____. a. response; his mother saying "Good!" b. response; the dog c. reinforcement; his mother saying "Good!" d. reinforcement; the dog
B
Long- _____________________________ ____________________________________ is the modern term for the long-lasting enhancement in communication between two neurons that results from stimulating them simultaneously. a. range encoding b. term potentiation c. term depolarization d. range psychophysics
B
The areas of the brain that aren't strictly devoted to sensory or motor functions are termed: a) prefrontal areas. b) association areas. c) occipital areas. d) Broca's areas.
B
The assumption that the association between two neurons becomes stronger if these two neurons are active at the same time forms a partial basis for which approach to cognition? a) descriptive approach b) connectionist approach c) information processing approach d) ecological approach
B
The forgetting curve, as mapped out by Ebbinghaus, demonstrates that material is forgotten: a)very slowly at first, then at a very rapid rate. b)rapidly at first, then at a very slow steady rate. c) at a fairly constant rate over time. d) only if there is interference.
B
The information processing approach is to the connectionist approach as ________ is to ________. a) recent; antique b) serial; parallel c) automatic;controlled d) brain; computer
B
What does PDP (a type of connectionism) stand for? a. Perceptual dissociated processing b. Parallel distributed processing c. Priority dissociated perspective d. Parallel diencephalic priority
B
Which neuroscientific investigation technique uses a SQUID? a)ERP b)MEG c)PTscan d)fMRI
B
_______ is the identification of a stimulus through the assembly of its component features. a)Top-down processing b)Bottom-up processing c)Materialism d)Phenomenal consciousness
B
________________________________________________ is the term for a measure of memory developed by Ebbinghaus that refers to the reduction in learning trials needed to learn some set of information due to previous learning trials a. re-capitulated learning b. savings c. unconscious transference d. amnestic processing
B
Which technique for brain investigation is has been termed "the new phrenology"? a)brain trauma and lesion b)imaging techniques like fMRI and PET scan c)stimulation techniques like TMS d)recording techniques like EEG/ERP
B Look at 35
Which of these is a correct sequencing of cortical areas, from those most anterior to those most posterior? a) occipital lobe, parietal lobe, motor cortex, prefrontal cortex b) prefrontal cortex, motor cortex, parietal lobe, occipital lobe c) parietal lobe, motor cortex, occipital lobe, prefrontal cortex d) motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, occipital lobe
B Look at page 27
The ________________________________ lobe is most important in planning processes. a. parietal b. frontal c. temporal d. occipita
B. Part of the frontal Anterior area (prefrontal
Which researcher used "The War of the Ghost?" What was the basic methodology?
Bartlett 1932 - investigate whether people memory for a story is affected by previous knowledge (schemas) and the extent to which memory is reconstructive - An unfamiliar story told to British participants of Native Americans
Semantic Priming
Based on meaning = the tendency for processing of one stimulus to speed up processing of another related stimulus (or the same stimulus) EX. Slim.... table... book... cat.....
The Neuron
Basic Cell of the nervous system
A semantic anomaly (i.e., "Jake put the cookies into the birdbath.") produces an ERP signal termed an N400. What does the "400" refer to? a)distance in the brain's cortex b)approximate number of neurons responding c) time between stimulus presentation and brain response d) the time it takes for the person to say they notices an anomaly in the sentence
C
A tendency to perceive lines as flowing naturally, in a single direction is called: a) grouping. b) proximity. c) good continuation. d) common fate.
C
Cognitive neuroscience emerged in the: a)1950s. b)1960s. c)1970s. d)1980s.
C
Communication between neurons can be described as: a) electrical only. b) chemical only. c) both electrical and chemical. d) neither electrical nor chemical.
C
Communications engineering and computer science were both important to the emergence of cognitive psychology because both: a) showed that learning could occur without reinforcement or response. b) showed that machines could perform intelligent human functions. c) provided a model/metaphor for how the mind might work. d) provided technological advances to better investigate mental processing.
C
Event-related potentials is a technique used in conjunction with ________ that allows researchers to _______. a) PET scan; plot out the time course of brain activity in response to some discrete event b) PET scan; derive a "map" of active and inactive brain areas c) electroencephalography; plot out the time course of brain activity in response to some discrete event d) electroencephalography; derive a "map" of active and inactive brain areas
C
Gestalt psychologists are known for their work on ________, and profoundly influenced the present-day study of ________. a) isolating the basic elements of conscious experience; perception and problem-solving b) isolating the basic elements of conscious experience; decision-making and language c) the basic tendency of the mind to organize experience; perception and problem-solving d) the basic tendency of the mind to organize experience; decision-making and language
C
In the end, what happened to behaviorism? a) It was replaced by a renewed interest in structuralism. b) It completely died out. c) It continues to hold some sway to this day. d) It was replaced by a renewed interest in functionalism.
C
In the video "Sensation and Perception" from class (part of the Discovering Psychology video series), you found out that the absolute threshold for a stimulus is defined as the weakest level that can be detected ______________ of the time. a. all b. 75% c. 50% d. 10%
C
Many social psychologists point out that tests of subliminal persuasion are not really fair tests, because: a) the primes aren't really subliminal. b) the subliminal messages used are too short to be perceived. c) subliminal messages don't work unless they tap into some motivation or need. d) subliminal messages work only in the auditory sense; most empirical tests have been visual.
C
Navon (1977) presented participants with big letters made up of smaller letters. He had some participants identify the large letter, while other participants had to identify the smaller letters. Finally, on some trials, the large and small letters conflicted (e.g., a large H made of small S's) while on other trials, the large and small letters were consistent (a large H made up of small H's). What did he find? a) Participants were faster at identifying small letters than they were at identifying large letters. b) Conflict between the large and small letters didn't influence the ability to identify the small letter. c) Conflict between the large and small letters made it more difficult to identify the small letter. d) Conflict between the large and small letters made it easier to identify the large letter.
C
Suppose damage to brain area "A" leaves someone unable to recognize faces, but does not affect the ability to recognize everyday objects. In addition, suppose that damage to brain area "B" leaves someone unable to recognize everyday objects, but does not affect the ability to recognize faces. This is an example of a ________, and provides some evidence that ________. a) a single dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on different brain mechanisms b) a single dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on the same brain mechanisms c) a double dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on different brain mechanisms d) a double dissociation; recognition of faces and recognition of objects depend on the same brain mechanisms
C
The Gestalt law of __________________ states that "like items" tend to be grouped together. a. proximity b. closure c. similarity d. common fate
C
The subdiscipline of cognitive science that is interested in the association between mental processing and brain activity is: a) developmental. b) clinical. c) neuroscience d)social.
C
The term ________ is typically associated with the physiological processes that underlie information intake, while the term ________ is typically associated with the interpretation and organization of incoming information. a) top-down processing; bottom-up processing b) bottom-up processing; top-down processing c) sensation; perception d) perception; sensation
C
What is the term proposed by Descartes that refers to the belief that mind and body are separable entities? a) Empiricism b) Materialism c) Dualism d) Embodied Cognition
C
When did behaviorism rule American psychology and when did the cognitive revolution occur? a. 1860s-1900; 1920's b. 1950's; 1900 c. 1920s-50s; 1950s-1960s d. 1990s-present; 1950s-1960s
C
Action Potential
Causes release of the neurotransmitters (chemicals) into the synapse
Greenwald, et al., (1991) conducted a double-blind study on the effectiveness of subliminal self-help audiotapes. In their study, participants listened to one of two self-help tapes that (ostensibly) presented messages designed to aid memory or self-esteem. However, the memory tape was labeled "self-esteem" and the self-esteem tape was labeled "memory improvement." Later they were assessed on actual improvement in self-esteem or memory, as well as their own perceived improvement in self-esteem or memory. What was found? a) There were actual improvements, and these improvements matched the content of the tape. b) There were only perceived improvements, and these improvements matched the content of the tape. c) There were actual improvements, and these improvements matched the label of the tape. d) There were only perceived improvements, and these improvements matched the label of the tape.
D
How does magnetoencephalography (MEG) compare to EEG in terms of spatial and temporal resolution? a) MEG is better than EEG for spatial resolution; the reverse is true for temporal resolution b) MEG is better than EEG for temporal resolution; the reverse is true for spatial resolution c) EEG is better than MEG for both spatial and temporal resolution d) MEG is better than EEG for both spatial and temporal resolution
D
How much of our brain do we use? a) more of the right than the left b) more of the left than the right c) about 10% d) 100%
D
The ______ comprises most of the brain and consists mainly of the ______, a) hindbrain; amygdala, and thalamus b) forebrain; amygdale and thalamus c) hindbrain; cerebral cortex d) forebrain; cerebral cortex
D
What was the term Bartlett used for generalized knowledge structures about events and situations based on past experience? a) savings b) introspections c) configurations d) schemata
D
Which brain investigation technique provides a global recording of the action potentials occurring in the brain? a) CATscan b) PETscan c) fMRI d) electroencephalograph (EEG)
D
Which is NOT one of the six disciplines that make up the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science? a. cognitive psychology b. linguistics c. anthropology d. social psychology
D
Which of the following is a similarity between computers and humans? a) Both humans and computers translate incoming information into a different form. b) Both humans and computers have the capacity for executing a logical decision chain. c) Both humans and computers have the capacity to store programs and instructions, as well as the data with which these programs work. d) All of the above are similarities between computers and humans.
D
Which subcortical structure seems particularly involved in regulating emotion and forming emotional memories? a) hippocampus b) hindbrain c) hypothalamus d) amygdala
D
global precedence
Hollistic, whole to part, is the norm
Hemispheric asymmetries in the brain
Left hemisphere- receives info from controls the right side (Verbal) Right hemisphere- receives info from and controls the left side (Nonverbal) - Hemispheres communicate via corpus callosum
Major theme for the course + minor themes
Major- Cognition is often adaptive 1. Evolutionary adaptation 2. Adaptation= Helps our functioning in life day to day Minor- 1. Active- Cognitive processes are active not passive 2. Smart & stupid- Cognitive processes are often efficient and accurate 3. Connected- Cognitive processes are interrelated 4. Cognition relies on bottom up and top down processing
Frontal lobe damage: Common ability lost = ______
Memory
When can I break the rules for the class that are stated in the syllabus and get special treatment that's not available to other students?
Never, because all of the policies (including opportunities for dropped exams) were planned to make life easier for all students, that is, with the expectation that many students get sick, have personal emergencies or tragedies
Connectionism
PDP (Parallel Distributed Processing) - A type of connectionist approach General model of cognition - Connections between simple units
Gestalt Principles E.g., Proximity, similarity, good continuation, closure, common fate, synchrony, figure-ground
Proximity: Items near to one another (proximal) tend to be grouped together Similarity: the law of similarity states that similar items tend to be grouped together Good continuation: Perceive lines as flowing naturally Closure: tend to complete the incomplete Common fate: tend to group elements moving in the same direction Synchrony: simultaneous action or occurrence Figure-Ground: Figure is salient, everything else is ground
Ecological approach to cognition
Study of cognitive phenomena within social and natural contexts
Blindsight
The ability to respond to visual information without consciously seeing it
Information processing model in cognitive psychology
The idea that humans process the information they receive rather than responding to stimuli
Sensation
The physiological processes that underline intake of info (e.g., light photons stimulate rods and cones)
Perception
The psychological processes in organizing and interpreting sensations (e.g., "its a horse")
Contralateral organization
The right side of the body is controlled by the left hemisphere; left side of the body is controlled by the right
Cognitive Psychology
The scientific study of cognition
Who should you contact first if you have a question about ANY class policy (e.g., missed exams)?
Your graduate TA
The tools of cognitive neuroscience (e.g., lesions, double dissociation, EEG, ERP, TMS, PET, fMRI)
lesions- potential for revealing "how" a cognitive process works Double Dissociation- experimental technique by which two areas of neocortex are functionally dissociated by two behavioral tests EEG- Electroencephalographic: Uses electrodes on the scalp to measure electrical activity ERP- Event-related potentials: Shows change in electrical activity when an event occurs TMS- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression PET- Position Emission Tomography: Radioactive substance is injected/ ingested to track blood flow fMRI- Functional Magnetic Resonance imaging: Magnetic detector sensitive to hemoglobin levels track blood flow
Schema
pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information
Subliminal Perception
reaction to a stimulus that occurs without awareness or consciousness
Absolute threshold for perception
smallest level of energy required by an external stimulus to be detected by human senses. - The degree of intensity from stimulus needs to be 50% in order to correctly detect