Cognitive Psychology

A neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction and stimulates the release of certain hormones. In the central nervous system it is involved in attentiveness, anger, aggression, wakefulness, sexuality, thirst, etc. It is associated with Alzheimer’s disease

A neurotransmitter involved in controlling posture and movement. It also controls mood and plays a large role in positive reinforcement and dependency. It is associated with Parkinson’s disease

Contributes to functions like regulating body temperature, mood, sleep, appetite, and pain. It is associated with Depression, Suicide, Impulse Behaviour, and Aggressiveness

The front part of the brain that is associated with reasoning, motor skills, higher level cognition, and expressive language. It receives information from the other lobes and uses this information to carry out body movement. Damage to the frontal lobe can lead to changes in sexual habits, socialization, and attention as well as increased risk taking.

The back part of the brain that is associated with interpreting visual stimuli and information. Damage to this area can lead to difficulty recognizing objects, inability to identify colours, and trouble recognizing words.

The bottom part of the brain that is associated with interpreting sounds and the languages we hear. The hippocampus is also located in this area and that is why it is also associated with the formation of memories. Damage to this part of the brain can lead to problem with memory, speech perception, and language skills.

The middle part of the brain that is associated with processing tactile sensory information like pressure, touch, and pain. Damage to this part of the brain can lead to problems with verbal memory, an impaired ability to control eye gaze, and problems with language.

Controls autonomic functions, emotions, endocrine functions, homeostasis, motor functions, regulates food and water intake, regulates sleep wake cycle  

Arousal, controls autonomic responses associated with fear, emotional responses, hormonal secretions

Motor control, receives auditory/somatosensory/and visual sensory signals, relays sensory signals the the cerebral cortex

Creating new memories, emotions, navigation, spatial orientation

Connects the left and right hemispheres

It would be registered in the right hemisphere

The information that comes from the eyes in received in both hemispheres. The retina is divided into two parts, if you are looking at a small item it falls into the dividing line. If you are looking at something on the left it is received on the right side of the brain and vice versa. Each visual field is projected into the opposite hemisphere.

They are unable to name an object placed in their left hand because the right hemisphere does not have very good language skills and the information is not able to make it to the left hemisphere

Learning that has persisted over time- information that has been stored, and in many cases, can be recalled

• Recall
• Recognition
• Relearning

• ____ is the capital of Greece
• Hopefully your brain will hopefully recall the answer as Athens

• Which of the following is not an ancient city in Greece
• Athens
• Marathon
• Pompeii
• Sparta
• Hopefully your brain will recognize that pompeii is not

When you study for an exam you relearn things you have forgot more easily than when you first learned it

Conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from the long term memory

Memory, of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”

Retention independent of conscious recollection

Nonconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings

Refers to how we remember to do things that are effortful at the beginning but eventually you can do without thinking

Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organized devices

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs naturally

Encoding information on basic auditory or visual levels, based on the sound, structure, or appearance of a word