PSYC1101

Milgram Experiment 1963

The study investigated obedience to authority and how much harm a person would inflict on another simply because they were instructed to do so by an authority figure.

Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

The tendency to see members of groups that one does not belong to as more similar to each other than those in one's own group.

Milgram Experiment Results

65% of participants administered the maximum shock of 450 volts.

Meta-Analysis

A type of research that statistically analyzes data from multiple empirical studies on the same phenomenon to provide strong scientific evidence.

Contralateral Processing

The phenomenon where different hemispheres of the brain process different types of information, such as language production and recognition.

What is the difference between Declarative (Explicit) Memory and Non-Declarative (Implicit) Memory?

Declarative memory involves facts and events that can be consciously recalled, while non-declarative memory includes skills and behaviors that are performed without conscious effort.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to better remember the first items presented in a list compared to items in the middle.

Negativity Bias

The phenomenon where negative emotions have a stronger influence on an individual's memory and recall than positive emotions.

What are the two types of interference in memory?

Proactive interference, where past information interferes with new information; and retroactive interference, where new information interferes with old information.

Just-World Bias

The tendency to believe that the world is just, leading to victim-blaming by attributing personal responsibility for misfortunes.

Frontal Lobe?

Responsible for thinking, impulse control, planning, and fine motor skills.

Hippocampus?

Major memory center of the brain, involved in creating and retaining memories.

Sensory Adaptation

To stop responding to constant stimuli, allowing individuals to focus on changes in their environment.

McGurk Effect?

A phenomenon where conflicting auditory and visual signals are integrated by the brain, resulting in a perception that differs from the actual sound heard.

Agonist Drugs

A type of drug that increases the effects of a certain neurotransmitter.

Dopaminergic Reward Pathway?

It is crucial for the processing of rewards and motivation, linking pleasure with behaviors.

Occipital Lobe?

Responsible for vision and visual processing.

Action Potential

An electrical impulse that travels through a neuron, causing it to release neurotransmitters.

Transduction

Process when sensory physical energy is transformed into neural signals

Lateral Inhibition

Nearby neurons suppress each other's activity to enhance contrast, improving edge detection.

What is the difference between habituation and sensory adaptation?

Habituation is a cognitive-level process where the brain stops noticing repeated stimuli, while sensory adaptation occurs at the sensory level where receptors stop responding physically to constant stimuli.

Memory Conformity

One person recalls false detail, and is accepted as true by others (Gabbert crime video study)

Temporal Lobe

Responsible for processing auditory information and is also important for memory and speech.

Cerebellum

Responsible for coordinating voluntary movements, balance, and motor control.

Amygdala

Plays a significant role in processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure.

Brainstem

Controls basic life functions such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Corpus Callosum do

Bundle of neural fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, facilitating communication between them.

Parietal Lobe

Responsible for processing sensory information, body awareness, and spatial orientation.

Broca's Area

Involved in language production and speech, located in the frontal lobe of the brain.

Wernicke's Area?

Responsible for language comprehension and is typically located in the left temporal lobe.

Thalamus?

Acts as a relay station for sensory information, directing it to the appropriate areas of the brain for processing.

Hypothalamus

Regulates homeostasis, including temperature control, hunger, thirst, and sleep cycles.

Cornea

Clear front surface of the eye that refracts light.

Pupil

Adjustable opening that controls the amount of light entering the eye.

Lens

Transparent structure that further focuses light onto the retina.

Retina

Light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that converts light into neural signals.

Optic Nerve

Transmits visual information from the retina to the brain.

Dopamine?

Neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, reward, and motivation, playing a significant role in the brain's reward pathway.

Serotonin?

Neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, sleep, appetite, and digestion, often referred to as the 'feel-good' chemical.

Norepinephrine?

Neurotransmitter involved in arousal and alertness, influencing the body's fight-or-flight response.

Acetylcholine?

Neurotransmitter crucial for muscle action, learning, and memory, commonly associated with the peripheral and central nervous systems.

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid)?

Primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, helping to reduce neuronal excitability and calm the nervous system.

Glutamate?

Main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, essential for synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory.

Endorphin?

Neurotransmitters that act as natural painkillers and promote feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

Afferent neurons

Sensory neurons that carry signals from sensory receptors to the central nervous system (CNS) for processing.

Efferent neurons

Motor neurons that transmit signals from the central nervous system (CNS) to effectors such as muscles and glands, resulting in a response or action.

Components of the Dopaminergic Reward Pathway?

The main components include the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC), all of which are involved in processing rewards and motivation.

Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)?

Responsible for the production of dopamine, which is crucial for feelings of pleasure and reinforcement.

Nucleus Accumbens (NAc)

Involved in the reinforcement and reward processes, integrating signals related to pleasure and motivation.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Involved in decision-making, impulse control, and regulating emotions related to reward and motivation.

What triggers the release of dopamine in the Dopaminergic Reward Pathway?

Dopamine is released in response to rewarding stimuli, such as food, social interactions, and drug use, reinforcing behaviors associated with those stimuli.

Rods

Photoreceptor cells responsible for vision in low light conditions; they do not detect color.

Cones

Photoreceptor cells that function in bright light and are responsible for color vision.

Opponent Process Theory?

A theory of color vision that proposes colors are perceived in pairs of opposites: red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white, with the activation of one color in each pair inhibiting the perception of the other.

Bottom-Up Processing?

A perception process that starts with sensory input, building up to the final perception without prior knowledge or expectations.

Top-Down Processing?

A perception process that relies on prior knowledge, experiences, and expectations to interpret sensory information.

Macular degeneration?

A progressive eye disease that leads to the loss of central vision due to damage to the fovea.

Glaucoma?

A group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, often associated with increased intraocular pressure.

Presbycusis?

Age-related hearing loss, often due to the gradual degeneration of hair cells in the inner ear.

Cataracts

Clouding of the lens in the eye that affects vision, commonly associated with aging and can lead to blindness if untreated.

Diabetic Retinopathy?

A diabetes-related eye condition that damages the blood vessels of the retina, potentially leading to vision loss and blindness.

Confabulated Memory

A memory error that involves creating a false memory

Deese-Roedinger-McDermott Paradigm

Cognitive psychology technique used to study false memories