PSY200 Exam 2 - Biopsychology and Cognition

Cognition

Thinking

What cognition includes

- Perception

- Learning

- Judgement

- Memory

- Problem Solving

Concept

category or grouping of linguistic information, objects, ideas, or life experiences

Prototype

best representation of a concept

Trial and Error

problem-solving strategy in which multiple solutions are attempted until the correct one is found

Algorithm

a slow problem-solving strategy characterized by a specific set of instructions

Heuristic

a fast but error-prone mental shortcut to solve problems

Mental set

continually using an old solution to a problem without results

functional fixedness

mental set in which one can only see an object's intended use

Confirmation bias

tendency to focus on information that confirms your existing beliefs

hindsight bias

belief that the event just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn't

availability heuristic

faulty heuristic in which you make a decision based on information readily available to you

Cognitive psychology

field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think.

problem-solving strategies

1. Trial and Error

2. Algorithms

3. Heuristics

# of genes in the human body

20,000

# of chromosomes in the human body

46 (23 pairs)

Percentage of DNA humans share

99%+ DNA

Neurons are comprised of...

dendrites, axons, and myelin sheaths

Dendrites

branchlike; collects and receives info

Axons

Carries electrical signals

Myelin sheath

fatty tissue that insulates axons

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers

synaptic cleft

gap between adjacent neurons where chemical signals transfer

Genes

sequence of DNA that controls or partially controls physical characteristics

alleles

specific version of a gene

Range of reaction

genes set the boundaries, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that range we will fall

the two major subdivisions of the nervous system

1. Central Nervous System (CNS)

2. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of

the brain and spinal cord

Divisions of Peripheral Nervous System

somatic and autonomic

Somatic nervous system

Controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

Contains motor and sensory neurons

autonomic nervous system

unconcious and involuntary (like internal organs and glands)

divisions of autonomic nervous system

1. Sympathetic

2. Parasympathetic

sympathetic nervous system

Preps body for stress; EXCITES

parasympathetic ns

returns body to routine operations. CALMS

Frontal Lobe

Reasoning, motor, emotion, and language

Parietal lobe

Processes info from senses

occipital lobe

visual processing

temporal lobe

hearing, memory, emotion, and language

approximate # of sensory neurons

millions

approximate # of motor neurons

millions

approximate # of interneurouns

billions

where sensory neurons travel to/from

PERIPHERAL NS to CENTRAL NS

where motor neurons travel to/from

CENTRAL NS to PERIPHERAL NS

corpus callosum

band of neural fibers that connect brain hemispheres; sometimes cut to reduce seizures

cerebral cortex

higher brain functions

Motor cortex

plans/coordinates movement

thalamus

relays sensory information

limbic system

processes smell and emotion

hippocampus

learning and memory; does not finish developing until 3-4 years!

amygdala

gives emotional meaning to memories

hypothalamus

Regulates homeostasis and endocrine functions.

cerebellum

balance, coordination, and movement

founder of phrenology

Franz Joseph Gall

Sensation

detecting sensory info

perception

interpreting sensory information

transduction

translation of sensory stimuli into action potential

absolute threshold

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

Just Noticeable Difference

how much difference between stimuli is required to detect it

subliminal messaging

messages that are presented below the threshold for conscious awareness

inattentional blindness

a failure to perceive objects that are not the focus of attention

sensory adaptation

diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

top-down processing

having expectations or prior knowledge that influences how we perceive our senses

bottom-up processing

sensing something before being cognitively aware of it, then analyzing afterwards

Gestalt Psychology

a view that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts

somatosensory cortex

touch, temperature, pain