Psychology 120 Exam 2

Sensation

characteristics of incoming stimuli

Perception

processes used to create a meaningful interpretation of sensations

Transduction

external messages translated into language we can understand

Light

transduced in vision; form of electromagnetic signals

Anatomy of the Eye (Vision)

cornea and lens -> pupil -> retina -> receptor cells (rods and cones) -> optical nerve -> brain

Depth Perception

ability to perceive world in three dimensions

Optical Illusion

experience of seeming to see something that does not exist

Nature/Nurture (vision)

your environment can condition how and what you see

Pitch

perception of frequency

Volume

perception of amplitude

Place Theory

based on location of active receptor cells

Frequency Theory

based on rate of neural impulses

3 Skin Senses

1. Touch

2. Temperature

3. Pain

Touch

pressure- sensitive receptor cells in skin

Temperature

neurons activated when activated when skin is either cold or warm

Pain

bodily warning system for any stimulus intense enough to damage tissue

2 Chemical Senses

1.Gustation

2. Olfaction

Gustation

sense of taste

Olfaction

sense of smell

Chemoreceptors

receptor cells that react to molecules in air/liquid

Absolute Threshold

Lowest level of as stimulus that an organism could detect

Difference Threshold

Smallest DETECTABLE difference in magnitude of two stimuli

Consciousness

subjective awareness of internal and external events

Attention

Internal processes used to set priorities for mental functioning

Dichotic Listening

test used to to investigate selective hearing within the auditory system

Automaticity

Effortless processing that requires little to no focused attention

2 Attention Disorders

1. Visual Neglect

2. ADHD

Visual Neglect

attention disorder that prevents someone from attending to stimuli on one side of the body

ADHD

chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity

Circadian Rhythms

24-hour cycle of biological activities regulated by the hypothalamus (sleep, temp, blood press., hormones...)

5 Stages of Sleep

1. Awake

-brief random waves

2. N1- relaxed state, drowsy/ dosing

-brief regular waves

3. N2 - light sleep slowed heart rate

-slower irregular waves

4. N3 _ deeper sleep

-slowest waves

5. REM - rapid eye movement (dreaming)

• brief random waves

Sleep cycle

90 minutes through the stages 4-5 times per night

3 Sleep Functions

1. Physical

2. Psychological

3. Survival

Physical Sleep Function

Repair cells and strengthen immune system

Psychological Sleep Function

Helps learning and memory

Survival Sleep Function

Adaptive value and avoid predators

Dyssomnias

problems with sleep timing, quality

Examples of Dyssomnias

1. Insomnia

2. Hypersomnia

3. Narcolepsy

Parasomnias

abnormal sleep distrubances

Examples of Parasomnias

1. Nightmares and night terrors

2. Sleepwalking

3. Sleeptalking

3 Theories of Dreaming

1. Psychodynamic- unconscious wishes

2. Physiological - brain activity

3. Evolutionary- survival rehearsal

Psychoactive Drugs

drugs that affect behavior and mental processes by altering conscious awareness

3 Types of Psychoactive Drugs

Depressants, Stimulants, Hallucinogens

Depressants

Slows down CNS activity, reduces anxiety, lack of self-awareness (ex. Alcohol, Oxycontin)

Stimulants

Speeds up CNS activity, enhances neural transmission, increases alertness, feelings of pleasures, anxiety (high dose)

(ex. Ectasy, Crack)

Hallucinogens (Psychedelics)

disrupt normal mental and emotional functioning, distorts perception and alters reality (ex. Shrooms, LSD)

Other Ways of Altering Consciousness

1. Hypnosis

2. Meditation

Learning

relatively permanent change in an organisms behavior as a result of an experience

Stimulus-Stimulus Learning (S-S)

learn to associate one stimulus with another

Stimulus-Response Learning (S-R)

learn to associate a response with a consequence

Habituation

respond LESS to an event that becomes familiar through repeated experience

Sensitization

respond MORE to an event that becomes familiar through repeated experience/exposure

Classical Conditioning (S-S learning)

learn to anticipate events by their associations

Operant Conditioning (S-R learning)

learn to associate behaviors and consequences

4 Components of Classical Conditioning

1. Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

2. Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

3. Unconditioned Response (UR)

4. Conditioned Response (CR)

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

stimulus NATURALLY triggers a response

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

originally neutral stimulus that after being aired with unconditioned stimulus triggers a response

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Unlearned, natural response to unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned Response (CR)

learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Acquisition

how you acquired that conditioned response

Stimulus Generalization

responding to a new stimulus in a way SIMILAR to the response produced by a CS

Stimulus Discrimination

Responding to a new stimulus in a way DIFFERENT from response produced by CS

Extinction

CR fades out and eventually stops, and CS no longer predicts US

Spontaneous Recovery

An "extinct" CR recovers after a period of non-exposure to the CS (response is weaker though)

Behavior in Classical Conditioning

automatic response to stimulus

Behavior in Operant Conditioning

operates on environment to produce reward/punishment

Law of Effect

By Edward Thorndike; favorable consequences increase likelihood of a behavior and unfavorable decrease likelihood

Reinforcer

any consequence that INCREASES likelihood of behavior;

positive- adds a desirable stimulus

negative- removes an undesirable stimulus

Shaping

complex behaviors taught in multiple steps

Continuous Reinforcement

Behavior is reinforced every time performed

Partial Reinforcement

reinforced only part of the time

Fixed-Ratio

reinforces response after a specific # of responses