Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Cognitive neuroscience is the study of how the brain enables the mind to function. It combines principles from psychology and neuroscience to understand mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, language, and decision-making. By using various techniques such as brain imaging and electrophysiology, cognitive neuroscientists seek to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive functions.
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10 Key excerpts on "Cognitive Neuroscience"
- William H. Kitchen(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Bloomsbury Academic(Publisher)
Part One An Introduction to Neuroscience and Education 1 Neuroscience, Brain-based Learning and Education 1.1 A definition of neuroscience It is particularly diffi cult to capture a satisfactory definition of a discipline as diverse as neuroscience. Nevertheless, a broad definition must be established for the bounds of this book, in particular with reference to education. Bennett and Hacker (2003: 2) suggest that ‘Cognitive Neuroscience operates across the boundary between two fields, neurophysiology and psychology’. In a sense, Cognitive Neuroscience serves as the experimental science that makes empirical efforts to link brain properties with behaviour. The remit of the discipline seems to be to explain behaviour by attaining a fuller understanding of how the brain works. More specifically, Cognitive Neuroscience will be examined in the bounds of this book, in particular to examine the role which it can (or cannot) play with reference to education. In one of the first major works of the Cognitive Neuroscience movement – Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind – one of the fathers of the movement, Michael Gazzaniga and two other cognitive neuroscientists, Richard Ivry and George Mangun, outline in the preface of the text that ‘Cognitive Neuroscience is taking the scientific community by storm’ (Gazzaniga, Ivry and Mangun 1998: xiii), and offer the following insight as to what Cognitive Neuroscience offers to science: Scientists now realize that studying the mind’s complex processes – perception, language, attention, memory, control of movement, feelings, and consciousness itself – has become a task that is not only scientifically tractable, but is approachable by cognitive and neural means. The disciplines of cognitive psychology, behavioural neurology, and neuroscience now feed off each other, contributing a new view to the understanding of the mechanisms of the mind. This development has led to the emergence of the field of Cognitive Neuroscience.
eBook - PDF- Bradley R. Postle(Author)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
And so, with these considerations in mind, we’ll stick with the label “Cognitive Neuroscience.” It’s not perfect, but if one is comfortable with a reasonably broad defini- tion of cognition as thinking, behaving, and the factors on which these depend, then this label will serve us rea- sonably well. CHAPTER 1 KEY THEMES ● Although the phenomenon of consciousness and the related construct of cognition (i.e., thinking) are the focus of many different scholarly disciplines, what distinguishes Cognitive Neuroscience is its grounding in the methods and traditions of neuroscience, and the primacy that it places on understanding the neurobiological bases of mental phenomena. ● There are two levels at which the term “Cognitive Neuroscience” is used: broadly, it has come to refer to the neuroscientific study of most domains of human behavior; narrowly, it refers to the study of neural bases of thinking – what influences it, what it consists of, and how it is controlled. ● The roots of Cognitive Neuroscience can be traced back to a nineteenth-century debate over two ways of thinking about brain function that both remain relevant today: localization of function vs. mass action. ● Mid-to-late nineteenth-century research, and the vigorous debate that accompanied it, led to models of localization of three functions: motor control (localized to posterior frontal lobes); vision (localized to occipital lobes); and speech production (localized to the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus). ● Motor control research introduced the principle of topographic representation, that is, adjacent parts of the body can be represented on adjacent parts of the cerebral cortex. ● Studying an aspect of cognition requires careful thought about the validity of the function to be studied; and not all aspects of human behavior can be studied with the same sets of assumptions, or even with the same methods.
eBook - PDF- Peter Machamer, Rick Grush, Peter McLaughlin, Peter Machamer, Rick Grush, Peter McLaughlin, Rick Grush(Authors)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- University of Pittsburgh Press(Publisher)
5 Cognitive Neuroscience Relating Neural Mechanisms and Cognition William Bechtel Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program, Department of Philosophy, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri In the 1970s and 1980s, the study of cognition and the study of the brain were carried out largely in isolation from each other. Each was the subject of its own interdisciplinary cluster, which had only recently taken shape-cognitive science focusing on cognition, neuroscience on the brain. But in the 1980s the seeds were already being sown for something far grander-an integration of cognitive science and neuro- science in Cognitive Neuroscience'! In the 1990s Cognitive Neuroscience matured rapidly, and at the start of the new millennium it is positioned as one of the most vital fields of inquiry. Part of my task is to analyze how Cognitive Neuroscience has reached this status and how it pro- poses to connect neuroscience and cognition. But there is a second part to my task. Cognitive neuroscientists, to a large degree, proceed as if there had never been a mind-body problem. To a Cartesian-minded philosopher-or even to a 1980s functionalist in the philosophy of mind-this must seem deeply perplexing. The cognitive properties of the mind have seemed to such philosophers to be radically disconnected from those of the brain. How is it that those enmeshed in the study of cognitive processes in the brain have not been ensnared by the mind-body problem? In large part, as I try to show, it is because the explanatory framework they are adopting is one that natu- rally relates cognitive and neural processes. I attempt to illustrate this linkage through a brief case study of the history of research on visual processing. (It is worth noting that the history of research on vision is 81 82 William Bechtel much longer than the modern enterprise of Cognitive Neuroscience.
eBook - PDF- Thomas A. Farmer, Margaret W. Matlin(Authors)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
But, cognitive psychology as it exists today has become an increasingly interdisciplinary pursuit. The rigorous experimental approach to psychological research that is characteristic of cognitive psychology has become increasingly supplemented by theories and method- ologies borrowed from other fields. In this section, we first consider the interdisciplinary field of cognitive science. Indeed, researchers from many different fields have interests in how the human mind works. As we will see, cross-disciplinary research can produce synthetic contributions to our understanding of the human mind that transcend the contributions from any individual discipline. Next, we touch on theoretical questions concerning how the concept of “the mind” relates to the human brain. To conclude, we will pro- vide an overview of Cognitive Neuroscience methodologies. These methodologies allow us to gain insight into how our neural hardware supports different cognitive processes. Cognitive Science Cognitive psychology is part of a broad field known as cognitive science. Cognitive science is an inter- disciplinary field that tries to answer questions about the mind. Cognitive science includes contributions from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computer science, philosophy, and linguistics. In some cases, researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and economics also make contributions to the field of cognitive science. This field emerged when researchers began to notice connections among a variety of disciplines, and thus began to collaborate with one another (Bermúdez, 2010; Sobel, 2001; Thagard, 2005). According to cognitive scientists, thinking requires us to manipulate our internal representations of the external world. Cognitive scientists focus on these internal representations. Cognitive scientists value interdisciplinary studies, and they try to build bridges among the academic areas.
eBook - PDF- Benjamin Martin Bly, David E. Rumelhart(Authors)
- 1999(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
In short, Cognitive Neuroscience can be characterized as having two general goals: First, it aims to carve the cognitive system at its functional and anatomical joints, along the way specifying the nature of, and interactions among, the component sub-systems. Second, it aims to specify the ways specific neural networks operate to pro-duce the requisite output when provided with an input. In both cases, the ultimate aim is to understand how computation in the brain confers specific abilities. In the following three sections we consider how the Cognitive Neuroscience approach has begun to bear fruit in the study of some of our most fundamental mental abilities: selectively attending to objects, visual perception, and memory. There are several comprehensive Cognitive Neuroscience theories of attention (e.g., LaBerge, 1990; Posner & Petersen, 1990), visual perception (e.g., Hummel & Bie-derman, 1992; Kosslyn, 1994), and memory (e.g., Cohen & Eichenbaum, 1994; Schacter, 1990; L. R. Squire, 1987, 1992; see Schacter & Tulving, 1994a, 1994b, for summary of many recent theories). Space limitations preclude our considering each of these theories in detail. Our goal is not to review the literature exhaustively, but rather to convey the flavor of the Cognitive Neuroscience approach in action. Thus for each of the three content areas we will provide an overview of current theory, and illustrate the utility of a multidisciplinary approach and converging evidence. II. ATTENTION Attention is the selective aspect of information processing. This function allows us to focus on some information at the expense of other information.We typically are aware of what we attend to, and only specified pieces of information enter our con-scious experience. Traditional conceptions of attention have posited either a lim-ited “energy”resource or a structural bottleneck (Allport, 1992).
eBook - PDF- Thomas A. Farmer, Margaret W. Matlin(Authors)
- 2023(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Perspectives on Cognitive Psychology Cognitive psychology is part of a broad field known as cognitive science. Cognitive science is an inter- disciplinary field that tries to answer questions about the inner workings of the mind. Cognitive science includes contributions from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, computer science, philosophy, and lin- guistics. In some cases, researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology, and economics also make contributions to the field of cognitive science. This field emerged when researchers began to notice con- nections among a variety of disciplines, and thus began to collaborate with one another (Bermúdez, 2020; Sobel, 2001; Thagard, 2005). According to cognitive scientists, thinking requires us to manipulate our internal representations of the external world. Cognitive scientists focus on these internal representations. Cognitive scientists value interdisciplinary studies, and they try to build bridges among the academic areas. Both the theory and the research in cognitive science are so extensive that no one person could possibly master everything (Bermúdez, 2020; Sobel, 2001; Thagard, 2005). However, if all these different fields remain separate, then cognitive scientists won’t achieve important insights and identify relevant connections. Therefore, cognitive science tries to coordinate the information that researchers have gathered throughout each con- tributing discipline. Below, we discuss two differing large-scale theoretical frameworks that have been used to ground our understanding of results from cognitive psychology experiments. You will see hints of these accounts as experiments are discussed throughout the remainder of this book. We conclude this second main section of Chapter 1 by considering some ways that neuroscientific observations have contributed to research on cognitive processes.
eBook - PDF- Robert J. Galavan, Kristian J. Sund, Robert J. Galavan, Kristian J. Sund(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Emerald Publishing Limited(Publisher)
Cognitive Neuroscience can provide a new perspec-tive to MOC research on individual and team cognition by capturing often-subconscious cognitive processes, including the temporal sequence of how and when the brain encodes information from its environment ( Laureiro-Martinez, 2017 ). 34 Ruchi Sinha et al. The Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective of Individual Cognition and Team Decision-Making As a field, Cognitive Neuroscience emerged from the integration of the cognitive sciences, psychology, neurobiology, neuroscience, and computational modeling ( Posner & DiGirolamo, 2000 ). Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on examining neural processes that underlie cognition and behavior, with neuroimaging methods (such as EEG) used to study neural activity and brain processing. This field examines the neurophysiological activity underlying both conscious and unconscious cognitive processes within an individual or team. Compared to MOC, Cognitive Neuroscience research is far more descriptive, providing rich data on both trait-like brain capacities and transient states of brain func-tion during a particular event or task ( Debener, Ullsperger, Siegel, & Engel, 2006 ). For example, in a novel use of EEG in a classroom context, scholars have shown that when individuals have synchronized brain activity (neural coherence), there is greater shared attention and better engagement and social dynamics ( Dikker et al., 2017 ). In summary, Cognitive Neuroscience attempts to explain the biological basis of cognition and decision-making, which can add to our observations and understanding of individual and team-based decision behaviors (Decety & Grezes, 2006). The techniques and methods within Cognitive Neuroscience provide various benefits to understand individual and team cognition and decision-making.
eBook - PDF- Vibeke Grøver Aukrust(Author)
- 2011(Publication Date)
- Elsevier(Publisher)
Back to the Big Picture: Mind, Brain, and Education are Becoming Usefully Connected Over a decade ago, John Bruer cautioned educators that given the current state of knowledge, directly connecting brain science and education was premature – a bridge too far (Bruer, 1997). But, much has happened since then to narrow the chasm between these two sources of knowl-edge about development and learning. A new field has been established whose aim is to further knowledge about children’s learning by bringing together methods and evidence from various fields, among them neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, and education. In this stimulating climate, it is important that new neuroscience advances be carefully examined in light of psychological, developmental, and pedagogical theory and research, to ensure that the field proceeds with cau-tion as well as optimism toward educational innovation. In the past, techniques and ideas from so-called brain-based education have led to the formation of neuromyths – oversimplified, misunderstood, or misapplied notions whose integration into educational contexts is unjustified and, in some cases, detrimental or even dangerous. Instead, findings from neuroscience must be carefully implemented and evaluated, starting in educational microcosms such as research schools, where students and faculty partner with cognitive neuroscientists in the design and assessment of research. In conclusion, it is an exciting time for the field of MBE, and for studying the neuroscientific bases of learning. In the end, learning happens primarily in the brain; studying the neuroscientific bases of learning can therefore provide educationally relevant insights that, with careful implementation and evaluation, may improve schools and other learning environments for the genera-tions to come. See also: Attention in Cognition and Early Learning; Knowledge Domains and Domain Learning; Neurosci-ence of Reading.
eBook - PDF- William O′Donohue, Richard F Kitchener, Richard F Kitchener, William O′Donohue(Authors)
- 1996(Publication Date)
- SAGE Publications Ltd(Publisher)
CHAPTER 1 5 N EU ROBEHAVIORAL SC I ENCE, N EU ROPSYCHOLOGY, AN D TH E PH I LOSOPHY OF MI N D Karl H. Pribram INTRODUCTION The advent of the cognitive revolution in psychol-ogy ushered in a resurgent interest in the mind! brain connection. In this essay I discuss three forms this interest has taken. Neurobehavioral sci-ence, based to a large extent on animal brain-behavioral research, has made strides in determin-ing the nature of memory storage, and the brain systems involved in attention and in different sorts of learning. Currently the neurochemical basis of emotion and motivation is being clarif ied. Clinical neuropsychology has added to the neurobehav-ioral base, and has been supplemented by it: An examination of memory retrieval processes and the exploration of brain function in the organiza-tion of human consciousness needs a human popu-lation to study. The yield has been rewarding and has given rise to a reexamination by philosophers and others of the nature of mind and spirit as these relate to the material world. 207 NEUROBEHAVIORAL SCIENCE Parts and Wholes Three closely related issues concerning the organi-zation of brain function have been the subj ect of controversy for two centuries. The first of these concerns localization versus distribution of func-tions within the brain. The second issue stems from the first: Does processing proceed among different localizable systems or modules in a hierarchical fashion, or is processing global and heterarchical? Finally, is processing within and between systems serial or parallel? Toward the end of the eighteenth century, Gal l brought these issues to the fore by correlating dif-ferent local brain pathologies to the histories of the cadavers he autopsied. Though often wrong in detail, Gall was correct in the methods he carefully detailed (see Gall & Spurtzheim, 1 809/1969). He was naive in delineating the faculties of mind for
eBook - PDFCognitive Neuroscience of Human Systems
Work and Everyday Life
- Chris Forsythe, Huafei Liao, Michael Christopher Stefan Trumbo, Rogelio E. Cardona-Rivera(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
Recently, there was a second meeting (NeuroGaming Conference) of industry leaders from the video game industry was held to share per-spectives on the prospects for the integration of neurotechnologies, with the gaming industry recognized as fertile territory for the earliest wide-scale adoption of neurotechnologies. Perhaps, most significantly, there has been growing interest in brain science across domains extending beyond health to include education, marketing, engineering, and entertainment. Neurotechnology to Augment, Train, Preserve, or Repair Cognitive Skills Augmentation Advances under the umbrella of augmented cognition have involved adap-tive systems where physiological data from human operators allow systems 286 Cognitive Neuroscience of Human Systems to automatically adjust to the cognitive load and other ongoing cognitive demands (Forsythe et al., 2005). Within the systems that have been demon-strated to date, the system adaptations have taken several forms: • Task Scheduling : the detection of high levels of cognitive demand prompted the delay of nonurgent tasks, with tasks held in a buffer until cognitive demands had subsided. • Task Switching: where multiple operators were capable of performing a task, the detection of high levels of cognitive demand on one oper-ator prompted the transfer of tasks to another operator, for whom there was a lower level of demand. • Adaptive Automation : the detection of high levels of cognitive demand prompted the allocation of tasks for system automation . • Modality Switching : the recognition that task demands consumed the resources associated with one sensory modality prompted the system to switch the mode of information transmission to another sensory modality (e.g., if consumed with a visual task, information would be transmitted via the auditory modality).
Index pages curate the most relevant extracts from our library of academic textbooks. They’ve been created using an in-house natural language model (NLM), each adding context and meaning to key research topics.
