For questions about definitions, names, and terms used in the cognitive sciences literature.
4
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0answers
79 views
When one activity makes you less distracted doing another activity? [closed]
Background: When I'm coding, I sometimes make tea, and as long as I'm drinking the tea, I find myself more focused. Drinking tea seems to make me focus more. Thus, it seems that while doing something ...
3
votes
1answer
43 views
What is the name of a test presenting words in different colors?
What's the name of this psychological test where you.
Read and pronounce words in three colors (red, blue, green). - Words and colors match. - Say word and color (which are the same).
As above - ...
3
votes
1answer
417 views
What is the difference between IQ and Executive Function?
I was reading an article today that stated that people with high IQ's that have trouble with social skills, memory, being punctual (on time), emotional control, and "growing up" are likely to have ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
What is a “delayed match-to-sample task”?
This question talked about how a "delayed match-to-sample task" can be used to measure an animal's working memory. What is a delayed match-to-sample task and how can it be used to measure working ...
3
votes
1answer
55 views
What is a test called that involves indicating whether a line has the same slope as a previous image?
I would like to know the name of the following test:
Participants were asked to memorize the slope of a line of a target image.
Then different images (lines with varying slopes) were presented ...
3
votes
1answer
38 views
What is the proper term for the synchronization of eye movements?
In humans and most two eyed species, eye movements synchronize so that both eyes are focused on the same point. This facilitates 3D vision significantly, allowing bifocal cues. I remember reading a ...
3
votes
1answer
56 views
What's the name of the quantifying preference for visual stimulus by varying size or distance as compared to a reference task?
Say that you enjoy looking at two beautiful paintings (A and B). But you really can't tell which one you like more, and you want to (quantitatively).
So, you compare them both to your favorite ...
3
votes
0answers
56 views
Definition of Affective Cueing
In contrast to Affective Priming, what is Affective Cueing? I'm not sure how to differentiate between the two.
I found a good review on affective priming in Karl Christoph Klauer (1997) in the ...
3
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0answers
60 views
What conditions are associated with more intense feelings and stronger reactions to stimuli? [closed]
What conditions are associated with more intense feelings and stronger reactions to stimuli?
i.e., where someone may normally feel small amounts of happiness, pleasure, sadness, grief, etc., someone ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
What is the relationship between language and the level of comprehension of consciousness?
I asked a similar/related question a couple days ago about how language and/or culture affect an individual's cognitive capacity.
I'm looking for materials, if any, on the subject of a language's ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
Is there sub-conscious error correction in interpreting heard language?
My personal experience suggests there is a background process taking place when interpreting a partially heard utterance. The sound is taken in, the conscious part of my mind begins the process of ...
2
votes
1answer
159 views
The feeling a person gets when they finish a series
Take for example, a person reading a good book series that they enjoy. While they are reading it, they typically look forward to finishing each volume, as well as the whole series. However, when they ...
2
votes
2answers
148 views
Encoding of abstract concepts in memory
When you read a book and you want to remember it you can encode the information into mental pictures with associations. This is a technique for remembering the content.
The problem is when you ...
2
votes
0answers
149 views
Do paraphilias have symptoms other than a sexual attraction? [closed]
Is a paraphilia simply an atypical sexual attraction, or is there more to it?
It was my understanding that a paraphilia will tend to have at least some of the following characteristics:
Developed ...
1
vote
2answers
660 views
What is the definition of sanity? How can I prove someone either sane or insane?
In my experience the definition of insanity is thus:
Insanity: The state of being seriously mentally ill, mad, and/or irrational.
Is there a proper scientific definition of this term? While ...
1
vote
3answers
240 views
Is this optical illusion the visual equivalent of binaural beats?
The optical motional illusion shown below, makes your brain see some motion, where there is none.
In my opinion it's fascinating, although after a while you get a headache. It reminds me of ...
1
vote
2answers
147 views
What is Asperger's Syndrome? [closed]
I have read through the Wikipedia article on and looked at the diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (AS) and am still not sure how it is connected with autism. It seems like compared with autism it is ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
What is the scientific term or concept for inner thought control? [closed]
Usually when a thought arises, it seems that we quickly scurry after it, unconsciously getting caught up with whatever everyday thoughts come up. These can be invoked internally or externally.
(No ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
What is it called when a student tends to speak about what he knows?
Sometimes, a student who has a lack of knowledge, tries to change the topic of a question so that it will be about what he knows and can speak about. Is this a known phenomenon in psychology?
1
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1answer
57 views
What is the definition of pathology?
While trying to get more information for my previous question, I found several different definitions for the terms "pathology" and "pathological." While under normal circumstances I'd be inclined to ...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
Holding grudges for missing the boat
I am wondering if there's a term in psychology for a situation where you want something really bad, but you are not able to get it for the moment (or a goal that you are not able to achieve) and when ...
-2
votes
1answer
68 views
Is there a name for the tendency to use proper nouns often in conversation? [closed]
I think it may happen with people who have lack of confidence, for example shy people. So in conversation they often add proper nouns (eg. names of persons or countries) to give "evidence" and weight ...
-2
votes
1answer
73 views
Is there a cognitive psychology theory for social curiosity? [closed]
Lets say there are two persons denoted $p_1$ and $p_2$ who share some common friends denoted $N$.
$p_1$ is told that $N$ of his friends are interacting with $p_2$. This generates an inherent ...
