COGNITIVE SCIENCE QUESTIONS. SAMPLE EXAM
REVISION PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS (2024 UPDATE)
Cognitive sources of information - ANSWER- (top-down, apperceptual) sources of
information coming from memory, knowledge and experience
Perceptual sources of information - ANSWER- (bottom-up) sources of information coming
from current sensory data in the environment
Connectionist approaches - ANSWER- The metaphor of the mind as a parallel network of
neuron-like computing elements.....nodes/links like a sematic network but operate very differently,
modeled after neural network is the nervous system but it not a model on how the nervous system
works includes excitatory/ inhibitory connections, strength of firing, distributed coding
Information processing view of cognition - ANSWER- an approach to the study of mental
structures and processes that uses the computer as a model for human thinking; filling memories
Marr's levels of analysis - ANSWER- Marr's three levels of analysis [1] promotes the idea that
complex systems such as the brain, a computer or human behaviour should be understood at
different levels. Marr's framework proved to be an elegant and popular way of reasoning about
complex systems, and in the context of machine learning and statistics, remains an intuitive
framework that is often used when describing probabilistic models of cognition and perceptual
systems.
, Computational - ANSWER- - Why does the cognitive capability behave like it does? What is
its goal or purpose?
- Often this is the focus of artificial intelligence or machine learning
Algorithmic - ANSWER- - What processing steps are made to make a decision, or produce
behavior, or so on?
- Often this is the focus of cognitive psychology
Implementation - ANSWER- - How is perceptual and cognitive processing, the remembering
of information, and so on, actually done with neural hardware in the brain?
Cognitive science is inherently multi-disciplinary, involving research from (at least) the fields: -
ANSWER- - Psychology
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- Statistics
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
- Education
- Anthropology
REVISION PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS (2024 UPDATE)
Cognitive sources of information - ANSWER- (top-down, apperceptual) sources of
information coming from memory, knowledge and experience
Perceptual sources of information - ANSWER- (bottom-up) sources of information coming
from current sensory data in the environment
Connectionist approaches - ANSWER- The metaphor of the mind as a parallel network of
neuron-like computing elements.....nodes/links like a sematic network but operate very differently,
modeled after neural network is the nervous system but it not a model on how the nervous system
works includes excitatory/ inhibitory connections, strength of firing, distributed coding
Information processing view of cognition - ANSWER- an approach to the study of mental
structures and processes that uses the computer as a model for human thinking; filling memories
Marr's levels of analysis - ANSWER- Marr's three levels of analysis [1] promotes the idea that
complex systems such as the brain, a computer or human behaviour should be understood at
different levels. Marr's framework proved to be an elegant and popular way of reasoning about
complex systems, and in the context of machine learning and statistics, remains an intuitive
framework that is often used when describing probabilistic models of cognition and perceptual
systems.
, Computational - ANSWER- - Why does the cognitive capability behave like it does? What is
its goal or purpose?
- Often this is the focus of artificial intelligence or machine learning
Algorithmic - ANSWER- - What processing steps are made to make a decision, or produce
behavior, or so on?
- Often this is the focus of cognitive psychology
Implementation - ANSWER- - How is perceptual and cognitive processing, the remembering
of information, and so on, actually done with neural hardware in the brain?
Cognitive science is inherently multi-disciplinary, involving research from (at least) the fields: -
ANSWER- - Psychology
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- Statistics
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Philosophy
- Education
- Anthropology
