Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J.

Sternberg
Chapter 2

Ch a pte r 2: Cog
nitive Ne u ro s c
ie nc e
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

B a s ic Unit of B ra in: Ne uron

 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Ch0apter 2

Neuron and Neural Impulse

Windows Mac OS 8-9 Mac OS X

 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Me th odsfor th es tudying th e
h um a nb ra in
• P os tmorte m s tudie s
• Anima l S tudie s
• E le c tric a l R e cording s
• S ta tic Ima g ing Te ch nique s
• Me ta bolic Ima g ing
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

P os tm orte m S tudie s
• Ide ntify dis orde r a nd th e n e xa mine
a fte r de a th
– R e s e a rc h e rs m a y tra c e a lin k b e twe
e n a n o b s e rve d type o f b e h a vio r a
n d a n o m a lie s in a p a rtic u la r lo c a tio n
o f th e b ra in.
• P a ul B roc a – linke d s e ve re s pe e
B
c hro c a prob
a re ale m s to a n a re a in
’s
th e fron ta l lob e no w c a lle d
• S tud ie of Alz h e im e vic h a ve le
s r's tim s to
ide ntify s o m e of th eb ra in s truc ture s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

– Yo u n g , Ho lc o m b , Ya z d a ni,
Hic ks & G e rm a n
(2 0 0 4 )
• F oun d th a t de pre s s ion is ass
oc ia te d with a g re a te r
nu m b e r of ne rve c e lls in
th e
Th a la m us b e ingde vote d to e
m otion a l re g ula tion
• S uppo rte d ide a th a t s truc tura l
a b no rm a lity m a y le a d to de pre s
s ion
– ¿ Lim ita tio n s ?
• C a nno t b e pe rform e d o n th e
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Anim a l S tudie s : In Vivo

• Monitor a c tivity of a s ing le ne
uron
•Mic roe le c trod e s

a re ins e rte d into

th e

b ra in of th e
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Anim a l S tudy: S ing le Ne

uron Monitoring
• Dis te rh o ft & Ma tth e w (20 0 3 )
– Youn g ve rs usold ra b b its c om pa re d in
le a rning of e ye b link c ond ition ing
– Hippo c a m pa l p yra m ida l ne uron s
we re m on itore d
– Typic a lly a g ing a nim a ls
c a nno t le a rn th e ta s k
– Me trifon a te , g a la nth a m ine , a nd
C I-101 7 in je c te d in to th e ag
ing ra bb its
– Th is le d a g e d ra b b its to le a rna s
q uic kly a s youn g c on trols
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

E E G -Hum a n S tudie s
EEG’s are recordings of the electrical
frecuencies and intensities of the living brain,
typically recorded over relatively long periods.

Electroencephalograph Research Example

Dehaene-Lambertz, Pena, M., Christophe, &
Landrieu (2004)

Examined the language abilities of infants using

EEG
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

P os itron E m is s ion
Tom og ra ph y (P
E T)
• R a dioa c tive ma te ria l is inje
cte d or inh a le d
• P a rtic ipa nt is th e n s c a nne d
to produce a n ima g e of
th e bra in ’s a c tivity
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Ma g ne tic R e s ona nc e Im a g
ing
• S tro ng m a g n e tic fie ld pa s s e d
th ro ug h th e s ku ll
• Us e s th e de te c tio n of ra dio
fre q u e n c y
s ig n a ls p rod u c e d b y d is p la
c e dra d io wa ve s in a ma
g ne tic fie ld
• C re a te s a d e ta ile d a
na to m ic a l im a g e o f th e b ra in
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

F unc tiona l m a g ne tic re s

ona nc e im a g ing
(fMR I)
• fMR I im a g ing ta ke s a s e rie s o f
im a g e s o f th e b ra in in q u ic k s
u c c e s s io n a n d
th e n s ta tis tic a lly a na lyz e s th e
im a g e s fo r
d iffe re n c e s a m o n gth e m
• B ra in a re a s with m o re b lo o d flo w
h a ve b e e n s h o wn to h a ve b e tte r
vis ib ility o n MR I im a g e s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

fMR I in R e s e a rc h

• G a u th ie r, S ku d la rs ki, G o re & An de
rs o n (2 00 0 )
– fMR Is d e m o n s tra te th a t e xp e rtis e
fo r c a rs a n d b ird s us e s
a re a s in vo lve d in fa c e
re c o g n itio n
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Ana tom y of th e B ra in

• F ore bra in
– C e re b ra l c orte x
– B a s a l g a n g lia
• Motor m ove m e nt
– Lim b ic s ys te m
– Th a la m u s
– Hyp o th a la m u s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
An a tom y o f th e Chapter 2

B ra in
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

F unc tion of Lim b ic S ys te m

• E motion, motiva tion, me mory,
a nd le a rning
– C o n trols m o o d a n d a ttitu d e
– S to re s h ig h ly c h a rg e d e
m o tion a l m e m o rie s
– C o n trols a p p e tite a nd
s le e p c yc le s
– Ma ke u s b e tte r toa d a p t o u r b e
h a viors fle xib ly in re s po n s e to
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

F unc tion of Lim b ic

S ys te m
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Ana tom y of Lim b ic S ys te m

• Am yg d a la
– Involve d in a ng e r a nd a g g re s s ion
• S e p tu m
– Involve d in a ng e r a nd fe a r
• Hip p o c a m pu s
– Is im po rta nt in th e form a tion of m e
m orie s
– Dis rup tion re s ultsin de fic its in
de c la ra tive m e m ory b ut no t in proc e
du ra l m e m ory
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2
Ana tomy of Limbic S
ys te m
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Ana tom y of Lim b ic S ys te m

• Th a la m u s
– R e la y s e n s ory in fo rm a tion
to th e c e re b ra l c o rte x
– C o n trol o f s le e p a n d wa
lkin g
• Hyp o th a la m u s
– Im p o rta n t to m e ta b o lic
b e h a vio rs ,
e a tin g , d rinkin g , s e xua l b e h a viors
, a n d re g u la tin g e m o tio n s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2
Ana tomy of Limbic S
ys te m
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Midbra in
C on trols e ye m ove m e nt a nd c oo rdina tion

• Lo c a tion
– Th e m idb ra in e xte nd s from
th e pon s to th e lowe r
po rtion of th a la m us
• R e tic ula r a c tiva tin g s ys te m
– C on trols re s pira tion , c a rdiova s c ula r
fun c tion, dig e s tion , a le rtne s s , a nd s le
ep
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Midbra in
• B ra in S te m
– Vita l in b a s ic a tte ntion , a
rou s a l, a nd c on s c iou s ne s s
– P h ys ic ia ns m a ke de te rm ina tion of
b ra in de a th b a s e d on th e
fun c tion s of th e b ra in s te m
– P h ys ic ia ns m us t de te rm ine th a t th e
b ra in s te m h a s b e e n da m a g e d
s o s e ve re ly th a t va riou s
re fle xe s o f th e h e a d a re
a b s e nt for m ore th a n 12
h ou rs
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

Hindb ra in
• Me d u lla Ob lo n g a ta
– B re a th in g , s wa llo win g a nd d ig e s
tion
• P on s
– R e la y s ta tio n
• C e re b e llu m
– Mo to r c o -ord in a tio n , p o s tu re , a
n d m a in ta in ing b a la n c e .
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Hindbra in Chapter 2
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

C e re b ra l C orte x P rinc ip le s
• Contra la te ra lity
– R ig h t s id e o f b ra in
c o n trols le ft s id e of
b od y
– Le ft s id e o f b ra in
c o ntro ls rig h t s id e of
b od y
• Corpus Ca llos um
– Ne u ra l fib e rs c o n n e c tin g
le ft a n d rig h t lob e s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

C e re b ra l C orte x P rinc ip le s

• Loc a liz a tion of func tion

– S p e c ific m e n ta l p roc e s s e s a re
c o rre la te d with d is c re te
re g io ns o f th e b ra in

• He mis ph e ric S pe c ia liz a tion

– E a ch lo b e o f th eb ra inh a s s p e c
ia liz e d fu n c tio n s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

E vide nc e for S pe
c ia liz a tion lob of Le ft
e
• We rnic ke ’s a re a
– S p e a ks flue n tly b u t no n s e n s ic a lly
– No t c oh e re n t, c o n ta ins le xic
a l a n d g ra m m a tic a l e rro rs
• B roc a ’s a re a
– Ca n u nd e rs ta n d e
ve ryth in g s a id
– P a tie n t c a n o n ly re s
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

S plit B ra in S tudie s

• S pe rry (1960 - 1998 )

– F irs t to s tu d y p a tie nts
witha s p lit c o rp u s c a llo
s um
– Two lo b e s fu n c tio nin d e pe
n d e ntly
• Ga z z a nig a(1980 ’s - c urre
nt)
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

S plit B ra in Me th odo log y

• Corpus
c a llos
um s e
ve re d

• Te
c h nique
s
us e d te s t e a
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

S plit B ra inS tudie s De m ons

tra te He m is ph e ric S pe c ia liz
a tion
• Le ft Lobe
– La n g u a g e fun c tion s(s pe e c h , s
o ng )
– Log ic a l th ou g h t (writin g , lo g ic )
• R ig h t Lobe
– S p a tia l-re la tion fu nc tio ns
– P e rc e p tio no f rh yth m , a b s tra c
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Chapter 2

S plit B ra in De m ons tra tion

What would a split brain patient say they saw?

What would a split brain patient point to with their
left hand?
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Ch0apter 2

Lob e s of th eC e re b ra l C orte
x
•F ronta l
– R e a s on ing & P la nning
•P a rie ta l
– Tou c h , Te m pe ra
ture , P a in, & P re s s
ure
•Te mpora l
– Aud itory & P e rc e
ptua l proc e s s ing
•Occ ipita l
 Cognitive Psychology, Fourth Edition, Robert J. Sternberg
Ch0apter 2

Lob e sof th eC e re b ra l C orte x