COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: EXAM
(CHAPTERS 1-4) QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is cognitive psychology? - Answer--the scientific study of mental processing (what
the mind does)
Speech perception - Answer--understood a request (ex. asked to answer a question on
board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition - Answer-Recognized board
Attention - Answer-Shifted attention toward screen
Reading - Answer-Read and comprehended words
Memory retrieval - Answer--searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement - Answer-"this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning - Answer-Never learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production - Answer-Verbalize response
Types of "data examined" - Answer--Cognitive psychology
-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology - Answer--behavioral measures used because we cannot directly
observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience - Answer--the attempt to use info about behavior AND the brain
to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology - Answer-
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology - Answer--Reaction Time (RT)
Reaction Time - Answer--how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
,-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
Behavioral Data and Inferences - Answer-Problem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex. remembering what
you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example - Answer--Flanker Task: Exploring attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention - Answer--attention selects a region of space (like a
spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
-flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example - Answer--plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed, ice, barn,
fence
-primacy and recency effect
Neurons - Answer--cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit information in
nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites - Answer--expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential - Answer--neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another neuron
Measuring action potentials - Answer--micro electrodes pick up electric signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
, -potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential - Answer--depolarization occurs when Na+ ion channels
open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
-depolarization at one location on axon leads to opening of Na+ channels at neighboring
locations
-depolarization spreads down axon
-myelin sheath spreads signal transmission
-signal jumps from node to node
Measuring action potentials - Answer--the size is NOT measured; size remains
consistent
-the rate of firing is measured
Low intensities => - Answer-Slow firing rate
High intensities => - Answer-Fast firing rate
Synapse - Answer-space between axon terminal buttons of one neuron and dendrite or
cell body of another
When the action potential reaches the end of the axon... - Answer-synaptic vesicles
open and release chemical neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters influence... - Answer-response of receiving neuron
-act to increase or decrease
Representation in the Brain - Answer--Mind creates representations of your
environment
-Hubel and Wiesel (1960s)
Mind creates representations of your environment - Answer--Distal stimulus
-Proximal stimulus
Distal stimulus - Answer-Actual object in environment
Proximal stimulus - Answer-energy reaching sensory receptors
Sensory receptors convert energy (proximal stimulus) into... - Answer-neural response
Pattern of neural activation - Answer--which neurons are activated (and how much)
-this forms your representation of what is present in environment
-ex. I see his water bottle, but the bottle isn't actually in my head
Hubel and Weisel (1960s) - Answer--single cell recordings
-studied neurons in primary visual cortex
(CHAPTERS 1-4) QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is cognitive psychology? - Answer--the scientific study of mental processing (what
the mind does)
Speech perception - Answer--understood a request (ex. asked to answer a question on
board; how many hands did Aristotle have?)
Object recognition - Answer-Recognized board
Attention - Answer-Shifted attention toward screen
Reading - Answer-Read and comprehended words
Memory retrieval - Answer--searched memory for info on Aristotle
-general knowledge (semantic memory)
-specific instances (episodic memory)
Judgement - Answer-"this seems so silly, do I have to answer this?"
Reasoning - Answer-Never learned that he had two, so made an inference
Speech production - Answer-Verbalize response
Types of "data examined" - Answer--Cognitive psychology
-Cognitive neuroscience
-Cognitive neuropsychology
Cognitive psychology - Answer--behavioral measures used because we cannot directly
observe mental processes
Cognitive neuroscience - Answer--the attempt to use info about behavior AND the brain
to understand human cognition
Cognitive neuropsychology - Answer-
Behavioral Data and Cognitive Psychology - Answer--Reaction Time (RT)
Reaction Time - Answer--how quickly a task is performed
-provides a measure of:
-difficulty
,-harder tasks take longer
-number of mental steps involved
-more steps take longer
-interference in processing
-conflicting information causes you to take longer
-Accuracy (ACC)
-how many errors someone makes when performing task
Behavioral Data and Inferences - Answer-Problem:
-can't observe mental events directly
-can look at speed/accuracy with which people perform tasks (ex. remembering what
you wore yesterday, last week, etc.)
-manipulate characteristics
Types of Data: Reaction Time example - Answer--Flanker Task: Exploring attention
-identify center item (target), ex. X or N
-respond with key press
-ignore flanking items
-manipulate:
-flankers compatible with target
-flankers closer or farther away
Possible model of attention - Answer--attention selects a region of space (like a
spotlight)
-info in selected region influences response selection
lower limit to spatial resolution of attentional focus
-this attentional focus can only get so small
-flankers inside or outside of the spotlight
Types of Data: Accuracy example - Answer--plate, leaf, shoe, cabin, bed, ice, barn,
fence
-primacy and recency effect
Neurons - Answer--cells specialized to create, receive, and transmit information in
nervous system
-dendrites
-cell body
-axon
Dendrites - Answer--expands cell body, can receive more synapses
Action Potential - Answer--neuron receives a signal
-information travels down the axon of that neuron to the dendrites of another neuron
Measuring action potentials - Answer--micro electrodes pick up electric signal
-comparing charge inside and outside of neuron
, -potential typically -70mv at resting state
Propagation of action potential - Answer--depolarization occurs when Na+ ion channels
open, allowing positive ions to enter the cell
-depolarization at one location on axon leads to opening of Na+ channels at neighboring
locations
-depolarization spreads down axon
-myelin sheath spreads signal transmission
-signal jumps from node to node
Measuring action potentials - Answer--the size is NOT measured; size remains
consistent
-the rate of firing is measured
Low intensities => - Answer-Slow firing rate
High intensities => - Answer-Fast firing rate
Synapse - Answer-space between axon terminal buttons of one neuron and dendrite or
cell body of another
When the action potential reaches the end of the axon... - Answer-synaptic vesicles
open and release chemical neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters influence... - Answer-response of receiving neuron
-act to increase or decrease
Representation in the Brain - Answer--Mind creates representations of your
environment
-Hubel and Wiesel (1960s)
Mind creates representations of your environment - Answer--Distal stimulus
-Proximal stimulus
Distal stimulus - Answer-Actual object in environment
Proximal stimulus - Answer-energy reaching sensory receptors
Sensory receptors convert energy (proximal stimulus) into... - Answer-neural response
Pattern of neural activation - Answer--which neurons are activated (and how much)
-this forms your representation of what is present in environment
-ex. I see his water bottle, but the bottle isn't actually in my head
Hubel and Weisel (1960s) - Answer--single cell recordings
-studied neurons in primary visual cortex
