bottom-up processing

processing that starts with stimulation from retina, used in perception

category specific neurons

neurons in temporal lobe that respond best to objects in a specfic category

conceptual peg hypothesis

hypothesis associated with Paivio's dual coding theory that states that concrete nouns create images that other words can hang onto to and this enhances memory for these words

depictive representation

corresponds to a spatial representation. so called because a spatial representation can be depicted by a picture

double dissociation

situation in which a single disassociation can be demonstrated in one person, and the opposite type of a single dissociation can be found in another person

epiphenomenon

something that accompanies the real mechanism but is not actually apart of the mechanism.

imageless thought debate

debate about whether thought is possible in the absence of images

imagery debate

debate about whether imagery is based on spatial mechanisms such as those involved in perception, or on propositional mechanisms that are related to language

mental chronometry

measuring the time course of mental processes

mental imagery

experiencing a sensory impression in the absence of a sensory input

mental scanning

process of mental imagery in which a person scans a mental image in his mind

mental stimulation

models that people create about what will happen following different decisions

mental walk task

task used in imagery experiments in which participants are asked to form a mental image of an object and to imagine that they are walking toward this mental image.

method of loci

method for remembering things in which things to be remembered are placed at different locations in mental image of a spatial layout

paired associate learning

learning that occurs when a participant is presented with pairs of words during a study period and the is tested when one of the words is presented and the task is to recall the other word.

pegword technique

method for remembering things in which the thing to be remembered are associated with concrete words

propositional representation

representation in which relationships are represented by symbols, as when the words of language represent objects and the relationship between objects

rule based approach to mechanical reasoning

applying a rule to solve a mechanical reasoning problem. Contrasts with approaches that involve mental imagery

spatial representation

representation in which diff parts of an image can be describes as corresponding to specific locations in space.

tactic knowledge explanation

argument against describing imagery as a depictive or spatial representation. States that participants unconsciously use knowledge about the world in making their judgements.

top-down processing

processing that involves a persons knowledge or expectations. used in imagery

Transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS)

It induces current inside the cortex (electrical activity) an electrical pulse to certain areas of the brain. It is a way to study brain function without actually removing a part of the person's brain. This disrupts whatever activity is going on inside the brain. If someone is speaking and the inducement of electrical activity will cause the person to stop speaking, because it disrupts normal activity.

unilateral neglect

problem caused by brain damage, usually to right parietal lobes, in which the patient ignores objects in the left half of visual field.

visual agnosia

condition associated with brain damage in which a person can see an object but can't name the object

visual imagery

type of mental imagery involving vision, in which an image is experienced in the absence of a visual stimulus.