PYC3703 – COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
NOTES
Chapter 2 – Cognitive Neuroscience
Key Terms
Term Explanation Pg
Action potential 30
Axon AKA nerve fibres – usually long processes 27
that transmit signals to other neurons
Broca’s area Area in left frontal lobe specialised for 37
speech
Cell body Metabolic centre of the neuron, it contains 27
mechanisms to keep the cell alive
Cerebral cortex Layer of tissue about 3mm thick that covers 36
the brain
Cognitive The study of the physiological basis of 24
neuroscience cognition
Dendrites Branch out from the cell body to receive 27
signals from other neurons
Distributed The idea that specific cognitive functions 43
representation activate many areas of the brain
Double Occurs if damage to one area of the brain 38
dissociation causes function A to be absent while
function B is present, and damage to
another area causes function B to be
absent while function A is present
EEG Electroencephalogram, suitable to study the 45
synchrony and thereby the functional
connectivity between certain cortical brain
areas
Event-related Can be derived from EEG when participants 46
potentials are involved in some kind of information
processing tasks, providing information
about the timing and activation level of
different stages of info processing
Extrastriata body Activated by pictures of bodies and parts of 41
area bodies (but not of the face)
Feature Neurons that responded to specific stimulus 32
detectors features such as orientation, length and
, movement
Frontal lobe 38
fMRI Functional magnetic resonance imaging, 39
allowed researchers to determine how
various types of cognition activate different
areas of the brain
Fusiform face Activates when looking at pictures of faces 41
area
Hierarchical Progression from lower to higher areas of 34
processing the brain
Level of analysis Refers to the idea that a topic can be 24
studied in a number of different ways, with
each approach contributing its own
dimension to our understanding
Localisation of Specific functions are served by specific 36
function areas of the brain
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging – creates 39
images of structures within the brain
Microelectrode Small shafts of hollow glass filled with a 29
conductive salt solution that can pick up
electrical signals at the electrode tip and
conduct these signals back to a recording
device
Nerve fibre Also called axons 27
Nerve impulse Transmitted down the axon when a neurons 30
receptor is stimulated
Nerve net theory Proposed that signals could be transmitted 26
through the net in all directions
Neural circuit Groups of interconnected neurons 28
Neural network Groups of neurons or structures that are 45
connected together
Neural States that everything a person experiences 31
representation, is based not on direct contact with the
principle of stimuli, but on representations in the
person’s nervous system
Neuron Small units that create and transmit 26
information about what we experience and
know
Neuron doctrine The idea that individual cells transmit 27
signals in the nervous system, and that
these cells are not continuous with other
NOTES
Chapter 2 – Cognitive Neuroscience
Key Terms
Term Explanation Pg
Action potential 30
Axon AKA nerve fibres – usually long processes 27
that transmit signals to other neurons
Broca’s area Area in left frontal lobe specialised for 37
speech
Cell body Metabolic centre of the neuron, it contains 27
mechanisms to keep the cell alive
Cerebral cortex Layer of tissue about 3mm thick that covers 36
the brain
Cognitive The study of the physiological basis of 24
neuroscience cognition
Dendrites Branch out from the cell body to receive 27
signals from other neurons
Distributed The idea that specific cognitive functions 43
representation activate many areas of the brain
Double Occurs if damage to one area of the brain 38
dissociation causes function A to be absent while
function B is present, and damage to
another area causes function B to be
absent while function A is present
EEG Electroencephalogram, suitable to study the 45
synchrony and thereby the functional
connectivity between certain cortical brain
areas
Event-related Can be derived from EEG when participants 46
potentials are involved in some kind of information
processing tasks, providing information
about the timing and activation level of
different stages of info processing
Extrastriata body Activated by pictures of bodies and parts of 41
area bodies (but not of the face)
Feature Neurons that responded to specific stimulus 32
detectors features such as orientation, length and
, movement
Frontal lobe 38
fMRI Functional magnetic resonance imaging, 39
allowed researchers to determine how
various types of cognition activate different
areas of the brain
Fusiform face Activates when looking at pictures of faces 41
area
Hierarchical Progression from lower to higher areas of 34
processing the brain
Level of analysis Refers to the idea that a topic can be 24
studied in a number of different ways, with
each approach contributing its own
dimension to our understanding
Localisation of Specific functions are served by specific 36
function areas of the brain
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging – creates 39
images of structures within the brain
Microelectrode Small shafts of hollow glass filled with a 29
conductive salt solution that can pick up
electrical signals at the electrode tip and
conduct these signals back to a recording
device
Nerve fibre Also called axons 27
Nerve impulse Transmitted down the axon when a neurons 30
receptor is stimulated
Nerve net theory Proposed that signals could be transmitted 26
through the net in all directions
Neural circuit Groups of interconnected neurons 28
Neural network Groups of neurons or structures that are 45
connected together
Neural States that everything a person experiences 31
representation, is based not on direct contact with the
principle of stimuli, but on representations in the
person’s nervous system
Neuron Small units that create and transmit 26
information about what we experience and
know
Neuron doctrine The idea that individual cells transmit 27
signals in the nervous system, and that
these cells are not continuous with other
