Cognitive Neuroscience: A Very Short Introduction

Up to the 1960s, psychology was deeply under the influence of behaviourism, which focused on stimuli and responses and regarded consideration of what may happen in the mind as unapproachable scientifically. This began to change with the devising of methods to try to tap into what was going on in the 'black box' of the mind, and the development of 'cognitive psychology'.

With the study of patients who had suffered brain damage or injury to limited parts of the brain, outlines of brain components and processes began to take shape, and by the end of the 1970s, a new science, cognitive neuroscience, was born.

The Evolution of Cognitive Neuroscience

It was with the development of ways to access activation of the working brain using imaging techniques such as PET and fMRI that cognitive neuroscience came into its own. This science cuts across psychology and neuroscience, with strong connections to the philosophy of mind.

Experiments involving subjects in scanners while performing various tasks—thinking, problem-solving, and remembering—are shedding light on the brain processes involved. The research is exciting and new, often making media headlines. However, there is much misunderstanding about what brain imaging tells us and how studies on cognition are interpreted.

A Provocative and Exciting Account

In this Very Short Introduction, Richard Passingham, a distinguished cognitive neuroscientist, provides a provocative and exciting account of the nature and scope of this relatively new field. He explores the techniques available for investigating the human brain and explains what brain imaging shows, while pointing out common misconceptions.

Passingham offers a brief overview of the different aspects of human cognition, including:

• Perceiving
• Attending
• Remembering
• Reasoning
• Deciding
• Acting

He concludes with a discussion of the exciting advances that may lie ahead.

About the Series

The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.