Cognitive Science and Cognitive Science and Cognitive NeuroscienceCognitive Neuroscience

PSY 421 – Fall 2004PSY 421 – Fall 2004

OverviewOverview

Getting all the terminology straightGetting all the terminology straight Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science Cognitive NeuroscienceCognitive Neuroscience

MethodologyMethodology What do we know about the organization of What do we know about the organization of

the brain?the brain? Where is the field of cognition today? Where is the field of cognition today? Where is the field of cognition going?Where is the field of cognition going?

TerminologyTerminology Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science – multidisciplinary study of the nature of the human – multidisciplinary study of the nature of the human

mind – (study of the brain not necessarily involved)mind – (study of the brain not necessarily involved) PsychologyPsychology Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence LinguisticsLinguistics AnthropologyAnthropology NeuroscienceNeuroscience PhilosophyPhilosophy EducationEducation

Cognitive NeuroscienceCognitive Neuroscience - investigating the psychological, computational, - investigating the psychological, computational, and neuroscientific bases of cognition (the brain and mind)and neuroscientific bases of cognition (the brain and mind)

Neuroscience – study of the brain and nervous systemNeuroscience – study of the brain and nervous system Behavioral Neuroscience – cognition and emotionBehavioral Neuroscience – cognition and emotion Computation Neuroscience – neuroscience, computer science, and applied Computation Neuroscience – neuroscience, computer science, and applied

mathematicsmathematics NeurocognitionNeurocognition – study of cognitive functions closely linked to the – study of cognitive functions closely linked to the

function of particular areas, neural pathways, or cortical networks in the function of particular areas, neural pathways, or cortical networks in the brainbrain

NeuropsychologyNeuropsychology – study of the relationship between the brain and – study of the relationship between the brain and behavior; how the structure and function of the brain relates to specific behavior; how the structure and function of the brain relates to specific psychological processespsychological processes

Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science Psychology – everything from this class would be relevantPsychology – everything from this class would be relevant Artificial Intelligence – development of computational models Artificial Intelligence – development of computational models

that simulate aspects of human performance that simulate aspects of human performance Linguistics – identification of grammatical principles that Linguistics – identification of grammatical principles that

provide the basic structure of human languages provide the basic structure of human languages Anthropology - expanding the examination of human Anthropology - expanding the examination of human

thinking to consider how thought works in different cultural thinking to consider how thought works in different cultural settings settings

Neuroscience – non-invasive methods of studying the brain Neuroscience – non-invasive methods of studying the brain and behavior; use of computation models to guide theory and behavior; use of computation models to guide theory developmentdevelopment

Philosophy – deep understanding of the abstract ideas Philosophy – deep understanding of the abstract ideas behind mind and behavior; deals with general questions behind mind and behavior; deals with general questions such as the relation of mind and body such as the relation of mind and body

Education – considering the way in which individuals learn Education – considering the way in which individuals learn and experience new information and how to improve and experience new information and how to improve learninglearning

Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science Critics of cognitive science and its computational-representational

approach have offered such challenges as: The emotion challenge: Cognitive science neglects the important role of

emotions in human thinking. The consciousness challenge: Cognitive science ignores the importance

of consciousness in human thinking. The world challenge: Cognitive science disregards the significant role of

physical environments in human thinking. The body challenge: Cognitive science neglects the contribution of the

body to human thought and action. The social challenge: Human thought is inherently social in ways that

cognitive science ignores. The dynamical systems challenge: The mind is a dynamical system, not a

computational system. The mathematics challenge: Mathematical results show that human

thinking cannot be computational in the standard sense, so the brain must operate differently, perhaps as a quantum computer.

Thagard (1996) argues that all these challenges can best be met by expanding and supplementing the computational-representational approach, not by abandoning it.

Cognitive NeuroscienceCognitive Neuroscience The study of “how the brain thinks”The study of “how the brain thinks” Whereas cognitive psychologists seek to Whereas cognitive psychologists seek to

understand the mind and its processes, understand the mind and its processes, cognitive neuroscientists are concerned cognitive neuroscientists are concerned with understanding how the mental with understanding how the mental processes take place in the brain processes take place in the brain

The two overlap, however, in that:The two overlap, however, in that: an understanding of mental structure can an understanding of mental structure can

inform theories about brain functions inform theories about brain functions knowledge about neural mechanisms are knowledge about neural mechanisms are

useful in understanding mental structure useful in understanding mental structure

Neuroscience MethodologyNeuroscience Methodology

LesionsLesions Direct Stimulation (Penfield)Direct Stimulation (Penfield) ImagingImaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Electroencephalogram (EEG)Electroencephalogram (EEG) Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)

What we know about the What we know about the organization of the brainorganization of the brain

The cerebral hemispheres control activity in the body The cerebral hemispheres control activity in the body contralaterallycontralaterally; ; this means that the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body this means that the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body (in a few and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body (in a few situations, the brain hemispheres control the same side of the body as situations, the brain hemispheres control the same side of the body as the hemisphere, right hemisphere to right side of body, left the hemisphere, right hemisphere to right side of body, left hemisphere to left side of body; this is called hemisphere to left side of body; this is called ipsilateralipsilateral))

The two hemispheres look similar but are actually structured The two hemispheres look similar but are actually structured differently and process different information - this is referred to as differently and process different information - this is referred to as hemispheric specializationhemispheric specialization

Within the two hemispheres, particular locations are thought to be Within the two hemispheres, particular locations are thought to be primarily responsible for certain behaviors - this is referred to as primarily responsible for certain behaviors - this is referred to as localization of functionlocalization of function and Broca’s and Wernicke’s language areas and Broca’s and Wernicke’s language areas are examples of this; localization of function does not mean that one are examples of this; localization of function does not mean that one particular location controls all of a certain type of information particular location controls all of a certain type of information processing, like language, exclusively; it just means that the area is processing, like language, exclusively; it just means that the area is thought to make a large contribution to the processing of that thought to make a large contribution to the processing of that informationinformation

Where is the field of cognition Where is the field of cognition today? In the future?today? In the future?

TodayToday Basic Research in cognition?Basic Research in cognition? Collaborative researchCollaborative research

• Within PsychologyWithin Psychology• With other disciplinesWith other disciplines

Computational PsychologyComputational Psychology NeuroscienceNeuroscience

FutureFuture Neuroscience!!!Neuroscience!!!