Chp 01 - Human Cognition

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Artificial intelligence

Back 1

This involves developing computer programs that produce intelligent outcomes; see computational modelling.

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Association

Back 2

Concerning brain damage, the finding that certain symptoms or performance impairments are consistently found together in numerous brain-damaged patients.

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Back-propagation

Back 3

A learning mechanism in connectionist networks based on comparing actual responses to correct ones.

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BOLD

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Blood oxygen-level-dependent contrast; this is the signal that is measured by fMRI.

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Bottom-up processing

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Processing that is directly influenced by environmental stimuli. Cf. top-down processing.

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Cognitive neuropsychology

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An approach that involves studying cognitive functioning in brain-damaged patients to increase our understanding of normal human cognition.

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Cognitive neuroscience

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An approach that aims to understand human cognition by combining information from behaviour and the brain.

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Cognitive psychology

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An approach that aims to understand human cognition by the study of behaviour.

Front 9

Computational cognitive science

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An approach that involves constructing computational models to understand human cognition. Some of these models take account of what is known about brain functioning as well as behavioural evidence.

Front 10

Computational modelling

Back 10

This involves constructing computer programs that will simulate or mimic some aspects of human cognitive functioning; see artificial intelligence.

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Connectionist networks

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These consist of elementary units or node, which are connected; each network has various structures or layers (e.g., input; intermediate or hidden; output).

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Converging operations

Back 12

An approach in which several methods with different strengths and limitations are used to address a given issue.

Front 13

Cytoarchitectonic map

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A map of the brain based on variations in the cellular structure of tissues.

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Dissociation

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As applied to brain-damaged patients, normal performance on one task combined with severely impaired performance on another task.

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Domain specificity

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The notion that a given module or cognitive process responds selectively to certain types of stimuli (e.g., faces) but not others.

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Double dissociation

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The finding that some individuals (often brain-damaged) do well on task A and poorly on task B, whereas others show the opposite pattern.

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Ecological validity

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The extent to which experimental findings are applicable to everyday settings.

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Electroencephalogram (EEG)

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A device for recording the electrical potentials of the brain through a series of electrodes placed on the scalp.

Front 19

Event-related functional magnetic imaging (efMRI)

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This is a form of functional magnetic imaging in which patterns of brain activity associated with specific events (e.g., correct versus incorrect responses on a memory test) are compared.

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Event-related potentials (ERPs)

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The pattern of electroencephalograph (EEG) activity obtained by averaging the brain responses to the same stimulus presented repeatedly.

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

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A technique based on imaging blood oxygenation using an MRI machine; it provides information about the location and time course of brain processes.

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Functional specialisation

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The assumption that each brain area or region is specialised for a specific function (e.g., colour processing; face processing).

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Gyrus

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A ridge in the brain (plural gyri).

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Lesions

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Structural alterations within the rain caused by disease or injury.

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Magneto-encephalography (MEG)

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A non-invasive brain-scanning technique based on recording the magnetic fields generated by brain activity.

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Modularity

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The assumption that the cognitive system consists of several fairly independent processors or modules.

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Paradigm specificity

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This occurs when the findings obtained with a given paradigm or experimental task are not obtained even when apparently very similar paradigms or tasks are used.

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Parallel processing

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Processing in which two or more cognitive processes occur at the same time. Cf. serial processing.

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Phrenology

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The notion that each mental faculty is located in a different part of the brain and can be assessed by feeling bumps on the head.

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Positron emission tomography (PET)

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A brain-scanning technique based on the detection of positrons; it has reasonable spatial resolution but poor temporal resolution.

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Production rules

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“IF...THEN” or condition-action rules in which the action is carried out whenever the appropriate condition is present.

Front 32

Production systems

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These consist of numerous “IF...THEN” production rules and a working memory containing information.

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Repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

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The administration of transcranial magnetic stimulation several times in rapid succession.

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Serial processing

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Processing in which one process is completed before the next one starts. Cf. parallel processing.

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Single-unit recording

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An invasive technique for studying brain function, permitting the study of activity in single neurons.

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Sulcus

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A groove or furrow in the brain (plural sulci).

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Syndromes

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Labels used to categorise patients on the basis of co-occurring symptoms.

Front 38

Top-down processing

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Stimulus processing that is influenced by factors such as the individual’s past experience and expectations. Cf. bottom-up processing.

Front 39

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

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A technique in which magnetic pulses briefly disrupt the functioning of a given brain area, thus creating a short-lived lesion; when several pulses are administered one after the other, the technique is known as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS).