Psych midterm 2 study guide

Qualia

Subjective, individual experiences of perception that cannot be fully shared or understood by others. (color red)

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and able to think about one's own existence and environment.

Attention

The process of focusing mental resources on specific information.

Automatic Processing

Effortless, quick processing without conscious thought.

Controlled Processing

Processing that requires conscious effort and focus.

Gate Theory of Selective Attention

The theory suggesting that the brain filters sensory information, allowing us to focus on important stimuli.

Inattentional Blindness

Failing to notice something while focused on another task. (gorilla exp)

Change Blindness

Not noticing changes in a visual scene due to lack of attention.

Priming

The process where exposure to one stimulus influences a response to another.

Hypnosis

A trance-like state involving focused attention and heightened suggestibility.

Mindfulness Meditation

Meditation focused on awareness and being present in the moment.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase alertness and energy, such as cocaine and caffeine.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down brain function, inducing relaxation or drowsiness, such as alcohol.

Opiates

Pain-relieving drugs that mimic endorphins, such as morphine and heroin.

Hallucinogens

Substances that alter perception and cause visual and auditory distortions.

Marijuana

A psychoactive drug that affects memory, appetite, and motor coordination.

Addiction

A compulsive need for a substance or behavior despite harmful consequences.

Learning

The process of acquiring knowledge, skills, or behaviors through experience, study, or teaching.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Sensitization

Increased response to repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle stating that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated.

Classical Conditioning

Learning through association where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

Learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened or weakened by reinforcement or punishment.

Acquisition

The initial learning phase in conditioning.

Extinction

The weakening of a conditioned response due to absence of reinforcement.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response after a period of extinction.

Discrimination

Responding only to specific stimuli.

Generalization

Responding to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs but is not immediately demonstrated until there is an incentive.

Vicarious Learning

Learning by observing others.

Bandura's Bobo Doll Study

Experiment showing that children imitate aggressive behavior they observe in adults.