Study Questions - Jan 30

Psyc 309

Coltheart -Methods in Cognitive Neuropsychology 1. What is the goal of cognitive neuropsychology? According to Coltheart, how does it differ from neuropsychology or clinical neuropsychology? 2. What is meant by a modular system? What assumptions about modularity are made in cognitive neuropsychology? 3. What are dissociations and double dissociations? Why are these often taken to be stronger forms of evidence than associations? Can associations ever be useful? 4. Why is a single case approach preferred over a syndrome approach? What difficulties arise with a syndrome approach? 5. What are common criticisms of cognitive neuropsychology? How can these be refuted? Another comment sometimes heard about cognitive neuropsychology is that trying to understand normal cognition through the study of brain-damaged patients is like trying to figure out how your t.v. works by smashing it with a sledgehammer. What response could be made to this? Franklin and Howard -Deaf to the Meaning of Words 1. Describe Derek's symptoms. What can he do with regard to speech perception? What causes difficulty? How does the study of this patient demonstrate the use of dissociations? Are there any important associations as well? 2. What does Derek's pattern suggest about the different stages of auditory word recognition? 3. What were the findings with regard to concrete and abstract words for spoken and written presentation? What do these findings suggest about how our knowledge of word meanings is organized and how access to meanings occurs? 4. Derek was unable to repeat nonwords (e.g. "glimp"). Is this just another unassociated deficit? Can you think of any way to relate this to his other difficulties? (This is a hard question. We've seen a somewhat similar patient and have an idea as to why trouble understanding abstract words and repeating nonwords might go together.)