398 • GlossaryFrontal lobe The lobe in the front of the brain that serves higher functions such as language,
thought, memory, and motor functioning. (2)
Functional fixedness An effect that occurs when the ideas a person has about an object’s
function inhibit the person’s ability to use the object for a different function. See also
Fixation (in problem solving). (12)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) A brain imaging technique that measures how
blood flow changes in response to cognitive activity. Unlike positron emission tomography,
this technique does not involve the injection of a radioactive tracer. (2)
Fusiform face area (FFA) An area in the temporal lobe that contains many neurons that
respond selectively to faces. (2)Garden path sentence A sentence in which the meaning that seems to be implied at the
beginning of the sentence turns out to be incorrect, based on information that is presented
later in the sentence. (11)
Generation effect Memory for material is better when a person generates the material him- or
herself, rather than passively receiving it. (7)
Geon The basic feature unit of the recognition-by-components approach to object perception.
Geons are basic three-dimensional volumes. (3)
Gestalt psychologists A group of psychologists who proposed principles governing perception,
such as laws of organization, and a perceptual approach to problem solving involving
restructuring. (3, 12)
Given–new contract In a conversation, a speaker should construct sentences so that they
contain both given information (information that the listener already knows) and new
information (information that the listener is hearing for the first time). (11)
Global (superordinate) level The highest level in Rosch’s categorization scheme (e.g., “furni-
ture” or “vehicles”). See also Basic level; Specific (subordinate) level. (9)
Goal state In problem solving, the condition that occurs when a problem has been solved. (12)
Good continuation, law of Law of perceptual organization stating that points that, when
connected, result in straight or smoothly curving lines are seen as belonging together. In
addition, lines tend to be seen as following the smoothest path. (3)
Good figure, law of See Pragnanz, law of. (3)
Graceful degradation Disruption of performance due to damage to a system that occurs only
gradually as parts of the system are damaged. This occurs in some cases of brain damage
and also when parts of a connectionist network are damaged. (9)
Graded amnesia When amnesia is most severe for events that occurred just prior to an injury
and becomes less severe for earlier, more remote events. (7)
Grandmother cell A neuron that responds only to a highly specific stimulus. This stimulus could
be a specific image, such as a picture of a person’s grandmother; a concept, such as the idea of
grandmothers in general; or a person’s real-life grandmother. See also Specificity coding. (2)Heuristic A “rule of thumb” that provides a best-guess solution to a problem. (3)
Hidden units Units in a connectionist network that are located between input units and
output units. See also Connectionist network; Input units; Output units. (9)
Hierarchical model As applied to network models of knowledge representation, a model that
consists of levels arranged so that more specific concepts, like canary or salmon, are at the
bottom and more general concepts, such as bird, fish, or animal, are at higher levels. (9)
Hierarchical organization Organization of categories in which larger, more general categories
are divided into smaller, more specific categories. These smaller categories can, in turn, be
divided into even more specific categories to create a number of levels. (9)
High prototypicality A category member that closely resembles the category prototype. See
also Prototypicality. (9)
High-load task A task that uses most or all of a person’s resources and so leaves little capacity
to handle other tasks. (4)Iconic memory Brief sensory memory for visual stimuli that lasts for a fraction of a second
after a stimulus is extinguished. This corresponds to the sensory memory stage of the modal
model of memory. (5)
Ill-defined problem A problem in which it is difficult to specify a clear goal state or specific
operators. Many real-life problems are ill-defined problems. (12)33559_14_glossary_p391-410.indd 39833559_14_glossary_p391-410.indd 398 13/04/10 5:47 PM13/04/10 5:47 PM
Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.