Cognitive Science and Phenomenology Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the main focus of cognitive science?

Studying memory, perception, and decision-making mechanisms (correct)

Providing a qualitative analysis of experiences

Understanding conscious experiences

Describing subjective experiences in detail

How does phenomenology differ fundamentally from cognitive science?

It incorporates computational modeling for understanding cognition

It uses quantitative data for analysis

It relies on neuroimaging techniques

It emphasizes subjective experiences over objective measurement (correct)

What methodological approach does cognitive science primarily rely on?

Introspection and subjective reporting

Philosophical inquiry without empirical evidence

Narrative analysis and case studies

Experimental methods and neuroimaging (correct)

Which of the following best describes the essence of phenomenology?

It seeks a pure account of experiences as they appear in consciousness Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the cognitive science approach?

Focus on behaviors and brain activity through objective measurement Signup and view all the answers

What role does introspection play in phenomenological methodology?

It provides insights into the essence of experiences Signup and view all the answers

In the context provided, what does 'nihilating organization' refer to?

The way objects lose individuality and merge into a totality Signup and view all the answers

What is the central aim of phenomenologists in their studies?

To characterize the essence of subjective experiences deeply Signup and view all the answers

What process do artificial neural networks (ANNs) use to learn from output errors?

Backpropagation Signup and view all the answers

Which application area has ANNs been particularly successful in surpassing classical models?

Image recognition Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of the mind according to the modularity theory in cognitive science?

Specialized modules for specific tasks Signup and view all the answers

What does nativism posit regarding cognition?

Cognition is genetically preprogrammed Signup and view all the answers

Which principle indicates that twins of the same genetic makeup show more similarity than those with different genetics?

Heritability studies Signup and view all the answers

What implication do universally experienced visual illusions suggest about cognitive architecture?

Shared cognitive architecture exists Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the Fusiform Face Area (FFA) based on studies conducted by Arcaro et al.?

It requires prior exposure to faces for normal function Signup and view all the answers

According to Turkheimer's Laws of Behavioral Genetics, what is said about family effects compared to genetic ones?

Family effects are smaller than genetic ones Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive advantage was tracked by Borst & Anderson in their study using EEG?

Timing in cognitive stages Signup and view all the answers

Which brain structure did Schapiro et al. study in relation to structured learning?

Hippocampus Signup and view all the answers

Falk et al. utilized neural activity to predict which behavior change more effectively?

Reduced smoking Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of individual differences did Schwarzkopf et al. associate with the visual area V1?

Size of visual area V1 correlates with strength of visual illusions Signup and view all the answers

What method did Meshulam et al. use to study representational learning?

fMRI Signup and view all the answers

What did the Ancient Egyptians associate with brain injury?

Mental symptoms Signup and view all the answers

According to Aristotle’s Heart Hypothesis, what organ was thought to be the center of emotion and reasoning?

Heart Signup and view all the answers

What triggers a neuron to fire an action potential?

Voltage threshold exceeded by excitatory inputs Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of spatial arrangements of excitatory and inhibitory inputs in retinal cells?

They are responsible for detecting contrasts such as edges. Signup and view all the answers

How does Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP) affect synapse strength?

It strengthens synapses when presynaptic spikes precede postsynaptic spikes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of visual cortex maps?

They assist in organizing visual inputs spatially and by stimulus orientation. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary function of the V1 area in the visual cortex?

It supports object recognition and spatial memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism is primarily responsible for supporting unsupervised learning in biological systems?

Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP). Signup and view all the answers

What does prosopagnosia indicate about face recognition?

It is a modular function. Signup and view all the answers

What effect did Banerjee et al. (2012) find related to mood and perception?

Mood influences the perceived brightness of a room. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the part-whole effect in face recognition?

Easier recognition of an isolated eye compared to a whole face. Signup and view all the answers

What do phonotactic rules in linguistics govern?

The acceptable sound combinations in a given language. Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic of language do recursive rules enable?

The construction of infinitely complex sentences. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement regarding the limitations of animal communication is accurate?

Animals primarily use isolated words without complex structure. Signup and view all the answers

Which language is noted to lack the 'th' sound?

French Signup and view all the answers

In tree diagrams used in linguistics, what is primarily illustrated?

The organization of sentence components. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Phenomenology and Cognitive Science

Phenomenology aims to describe conscious experience without reducing it to underlying mechanisms
Cognitive science seeks to understand cognitive mechanisms and information processing structures
Phenomenology uses introspection and qualitative analysis while cognitive science uses experimental methods

Artificial Neural Networks

ANNs learn by adjusting weights based on output errors during training using backpropagation
ANNs excel in tasks like image recognition and language generation, surpassing classic models, as seen in ImageNet (2012)
ANNs are "black box" systems where internal processes are difficult to understand

Nature vs. Nurture

Nativism argues that cognition is genetically preprogrammed with brain regions developing autonomously
Empiricism argues that cognitive processes emerge from environmental exposure
Face processing in the Fusiform Face Area (FFA) suggests a nature-based explanation for its development, as macaques raised without exposure to faces lack typical face-processing abilities (Arcaro et al., 2017)
Visual illusions, like the Ponzo illusion, that are universally experienced imply a shared cognitive architecture

Heritability Studies

Twin studies show that traits like intelligence and personality exhibit varying degrees of heritability, with identical twins being more similar than fraternal twins
Turkheimer's Laws of Behavioral Genetics state:
- All traits are heritable
- Family effects are smaller than genetic ones
- A portion of trait variation is unexplained by genes or families

Modularity

The modularity theory states that the mind consists of specialized, independent modules responsible for specific tasks, operating with encapsulation, specialization, and localization
Studies suggest low-level perception may be modular, but top-down effects can influence low-level sensory processing
- Mood experiments reveal that thinking about unethical behavior can make a room appear darker (Banerjee et al., 2012)
- Physical load experiments demonstrate that carrying a heavy backpack can make hills appear steeper (Bhalla & Prof tt, 1999)
- Face categorization experiments have found that Black faces appear darker due to categorization biases (Levin & Banaji, 2006)
Face perception, particularly prosopagnosia, indicates that face recognition is modular: individuals with this condition recognize non-faces but not faces
The part-whole effect, where recognizing a face part is easier when seen as part of a whole face, further supports modularity

Linguistics and Syntax

Humans uniquely combine words to convey complex ideas, demonstrating linguistic competence (Pinker, 1994)
Phonotactics, the rules governing the sound structure of a language, demonstrate the structured sounds permissible in each language
- French lacks the “th” sound
- Japanese con ates "l" and "r" sounds
- Hawaiian prohibits codas (syllable endings)
Recursive rules in syntax allow for infinitely complex sentences by embedding phrases within phrases, as seen in cumulative sentences like "This is the cat that chased the mouse..."

Applications of Neuroimaging

EEG can track timing in cognitive stages, predicting retrieval speed differences in different conditions (Borst and Anderson, 2021)
fMRI studies have demonstrated:
- Hippocampal activation in response to learned sequences, observable even in infants (Schapiro et al., 2018)
- Neural activity in the medial frontal cortex can predict behavior change (Falk et al., 2011)
- The size of visual area V1 correlates with the strength of visual illusions, suggesting low-level interactions (Schwarzkopf et al., 2011)
- Shared spatial activity patterns in the brain for similar concepts in learning environments (Meshulam et al., 2021)

Brain Structure and Function

Ancient Egyptians linked brain injury to mental symptoms as early as the 17th century BC
Aristotle's Heart Hypothesis (4th century BC) positioned the heart as the center of sensation, arguing that emotions and pain are manifested through physical responses
The structure of neurons and synaptic connections, fundamental for information transmission, were discovered by Santiago Ramón y Cajal in the late 1800s

Basic Brain Processes

Neurons fire when their voltage exceeds a threshold due to excitatory inputs, sending spikes down the axon
Synapses modulate neuronal firing, either increasing (excitatory) or decreasing (inhibitory) the likelihood of an action potential

Learning Mechanisms

Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP):
- Strengthens synapses if a presynaptic spike precedes a postsynaptic spike (increases weight)
- Weakens them if it follows (decreases weight) (Zhang et al., 1998)
- Supports unsupervised learning by enhancing sensitivity to input patterns without specific goals or feedback

Cortical mapping

Visual cortex maps show retinotopic and orientation-specific organization, structuring visual inputs spatially and by stimulus orientation (Heeger, 2006)
Different brain areas handle unique aspects of sensory processing, supporting object recognition and spatial memory (Felleman & Van Essen, 1991)

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Description

Test your understanding of cognitive science and phenomenology, two fields that explore consciousness and cognitive processes. This quiz will cover key concepts such as artificial neural networks, nature vs. nurture debates, and the methodologies employed in both disciplines.