Psychology 2 notes

Top Dow Processing

Making the perceptions from experience

Bottom Up Processing

Raw info

Transduction

To convert one form of energy into neural impulses. Happens at the thalamus

Wavelength

The distance between the same point on two successive waves. Determines if we can see it

Amplitude

Height of the wave, determines color

Cornea

Outer layer at the front of the eye, helps focus light

Pupil

Opening for light that will go through the lens and hit the retina

Lens

Accessory structure that focuses light to the retina, determines near or farsightedness

Hyperopia

Far good, near bad

Myopia

Near good, far bad

Presbyopia

Loss of lens elasticity with age

Cataracts

Gives us reduced detail with age cuz of dirt in eye

Retina

This is where light energy is translated into neural responses

Photoreceptors

Convert the light signal into electrical signals. Either rods or cones, goes to the optic nerve

Bipolar Cells

Transfer information to photoreceptors

Ganglion Cells

Transfers information to the bipolar cells. The axons from the ganglion cells form the optic nerve

Rods

Type of photoreceptor, more rods than cones, used to see night or low illumination

Cones

Type of photoreceptor, less numerous than rods, used to see color, needs light

Parallel Processing

Extracts information along four dimension: color, motion, form, and depth

Blind Spot

Where the optic nerve exits the eye

Macula

Central part of the retina containing the fovea

Fovea

Central point of vision

Macular Degeneration

Leading cause of blindness in the country

Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

part of the thalamus that sends info to the cerebral cortex/occipital lobe

Iris

Muscle that contracts the pupil

Optic Chiasm

Where the optic nerves meet

V1

primary visual cortex, makes an image out of the info, sends info to secondary cortex

V4 and V8

Process information about color

MT/V5

Perceives motion

Visual Agnosia

inability to recognize objects

Prosopagnosia

Inability to recognize faces

Trichromatic Receptor Theory

Color perception depends on the unique pattern of responding from all three types of cones, those cones being

Opponent Process Theory

3 Types of color sensitive receptors respond to a pair of colors, when one turns on the other turns off

Gestalt Approach

Grouping incomplete parts into wholes

Law of Pragnanz

Objects are typically reduced to the simplest form possible

Nearness or proximity

If two things are near each other then they get grouped together

Similarity

If two or three things are similar we group them together

Continuity

We perceive things as one continuous thing

Closure

Filling in missing information to see a whole

Connectedness

If it’s connected then we see it as one

Common Fate

Objects moving together belong together

Symmetry

If they’re symmetrical then they’re together

Convergence

Eyes work harder the closer the image is

Binocular Disparity

Different images in our brains based off of which eye we see things from

The Horopter

Imaginary line where certain images fall on corresponding retinal points

Interposition

Closer Objects obscure the full view of further objects

Aerial Perspective

the technique of representing more distant objects as fainter and more blue.

Lighting and shading

The Use of Shading and Brightness to Infer Distance

Height in the Visual Field

Objects higher in field of view are perceived as more distant

Linear Perspective

The convergence of parallel lines with increasing distance

Texture Gradient

Changes in texture with increasing distance

Familiar Size

Size of retinal image is used to perceive distance

Relative Size

Objects with a larger retinal image are perceived as closer

Motion Parallax

Objects at different distances move at different speeds

Alertness

Being awake vs being unconscious

Self awareness

The ability to think about the self

Having free will

Being able to make a conscious decision

Circannual Rhythms

Last about a year once a year type deal. Like mating season or hibernation

Circadian Rhythms

Last about a day like the sleep wake cycle

Ultradian Rhythms

Happen several times a day like eating

The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus of the Hypothalamus

Our biological clock that produces the rhythms of the body on the daily

Awake and Alert phase of sleep

Shows beta waves you’re up and movin

Awake but Drowsy

Shows alpha brain waves, makes you sleepy

Stage 1 NREM sleep

Mixture of alpha and theta brain waves

Stage 2 NREM Sleep

Mixture of alpha and theta brain waves, you’re officially asleep

Stage 3 NREM deep sleep

Mixture of theta and delta brain waves, less spikes but higher amplitude, brain is working in sync

Stage 4 NREM sleep, deep sleep

Delta brain waves only, slowing of heart rate and breathing and high synced brain

REM Sleep

Waves go from the pons to the lateral geniculate nucleus to the occipital lobe meaning that the images we see in our dreams are real images. Babies sleep 16 hours a day and half of that sleep is REM sleep

Pharmacology

The scientific study of drugs

Psychopharmacology

Scientific study of the effects of drugs on behavior, cognitive functioning, or emotions

Acute Effects of Drugs

Effects following a single episode of use or repeated use over a relatively brief time frame

Chronic Effects of Drug use

Long-term changes to the body as a consequence of continued drug use over an extended period of time (weeks, months, years)

Therapeutic Index

the ratio of what will kill you over the effective death, The more you need to die to it and the less you need for it to be effective is optimal, we look for a safety margin of 10:1

Agonists

increase activity by going into the neurotransmitter making full activation

Antagonists

Decrease neurotransmitter activity by blocking it with their size causing no activation

Psychostimulants

Drugs that stimulate

Sedatives-Hypnotics

Drugs that slow you down. Sedatives produce a psychologically calming effect and Hypnotics put people to sleep

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception