FINAL STUDIES

LO: Localization (Maguire)

certain parts if brain correspond to certain function

different areas have different functions (localized in an area)

Broca (damage to left temporal = damage to speech)

Maguire: aim = investigate functions of a localized hippocampus in spatial memory

hippocampus facilitates spatial memory in navigation (taxi drivers)

MRI scan in brain density + matter (scanned control group + experienced drivers)

greater volume in posterior hippo in taxi

greater volume in anterior hippo in control

LO: Neurotransmission (Antonova)

signal activity transferred chemically to another when signals are being fired (excitatory)

effect of neurotransmitters on human behavior

neurons can work together or against one another to produce a variety of behaviors (inhibitory)

antagonists, agonists

Ach - formation of memory in hippocampus (learning), scopolamine - blocks ach (antagonist)

wanted to perform water maze but unethical so arena task

fmri for humans in VR injected with scopolamine + saline (placebo) (injected with both + break time to counterbalance)

6 trials, 2 trials between 3-4 weeks

VR arena task w/ abstract colors + move w/ joystick

find pole, then put pole in diff starting point (measured accuracy)

sco. did worse because of less activation in hippocampus

LO: Neuroplasticity/Techniques (Draganski)

development of neural networks through repetition and neural pruning (changing)

change, reorganize in response to adapt to environment/situation

synaptic pruning = changes in brain to learning after time, neurons are eliminated (not used)

participants were split into 2 groups (jugglers vs non-jugglers) but both inexperienced

scanned brain before, when skilled, 3 months later (MRI) comparing gray matter

expansion of gray matter decreased in 3rd scan, non-juggler = no change

didn’t need skill anymore so pruning happened

LO: Hormones (De Dreu)

released by specific glands in body to regulate changes in body

chemical messengers secreted into bloodstream by glands (glands part of endocrine system)

oxytocin = secreted into hypothalamus to brain then blood stream (plays role in social attachments + limbic system (amygdala)

ethnocentrism: tendency to view ones group as superior (in-group favoritism)

aim: if OT motivate ethnocentrism/favoritism in outgroup or in-group

OT by naval spray or placebo

dutch males exposed to other dutch males or Arab males/German males (based on last names)

moral dilemma task (trolley)

5 ppl killed or 1 person w/ switch

OT group- more likely to sacrifice out group

placebo - tendency not significant

LO: Pheromones (Wedekind)

chemical messengers emitted into environment from body to activate behavioral responses from another individual

releaser Pheromones = attractants in silk months

primer Pheromones = puberty

VNO sends signals to olfactory system (humans don’t have)

study whether females able to identify males w/ good Genetic makeup (Evolutionary response to boost immune system of potential children)

focused on MHC genes in immune system

women on and not on birth control

men wore shirt for 2 days and women rated odor of t shirts, 3 similar + 3 dissimilar

scored on pleasantness + intensity

w/o = dissimilar MHC = better

w/ = same MCH = better

LO: Genes and Behavior (McDermott)

genes = basic functional unit of heredity made up of DNA (alleles formed of same genes different sequence)

genes generate protein, indirectly affects behavior (genes + environment = behavior/ gxe interaction)

aggression occurs with greater intensity + frequency as provocation among L-MAOA

subjects paid to punish money taker, each round paired with unknown person and took mcq test and can earn up to $10

subjects waited to see if 20% or 80% of money is taken and were shown

could spend money to administer hotsauce to punish

80% of money taken = more hotsauce + aggressiveness

LO: Genetic Similarities (Bouchard)

genetic similarity = relatedness especially in twin studies

contributions of heredity and environment w/ identical + fraternal twins

MZA = not shared environment

MZT = shared environment

heredity = extent to which genetics contribute to individual differences in behavior

100 set of reared apart twins from US + UK

completed 50 hours of assessments to measure IQ

MZA twins had consistency in IQ

Genetic factors account for 70% varience in IQ

LO: Evolutionary Explanations (Fessler)

behavior can be from Evolutionary pressures

theory of evolution states species change over space and time

Evolutionary change is gradual and slow and based on natural selection (variation within populations for higher survival and growth rate)

disgust = rejecting stimuli w/ pathogen transmission (adaptation against diseases)

investigating prego women in first, second and third trimester to investigate disgust

first trimester = hormones lower woman’s immune system to not harm baby + food sickness

before questions reported nausea on 16 point scale then shown questions to measure disgust sensitivity

first trimester deemed more disgust + nausea

LO: Animal Research (Behringer)

humans use animal research to understand own biology, behavior, and health

more control over animals than humans (helps understand biology and its changes)

transmission le pathogens are bane of social animals

evolved to decrease probability of infection

lobsters avoid conspecies infected w/ virus (early detection = avoidance of infected)

lobster injected w/ lethal virus and lobsters share a den

infected lobsters were ditched and healthy lobsters share dens

shows that there is possibility to detect pathogens

behavioral avoidance shows disgust to limit disease transmission

LO: Models of Memory (Glanzer & Cunitz)

Multi-state model of memory

3 stores of memory: STM, LTM, sensory store

info decays mostly after sensory attention is needed to shift to STM and rehearsal turns into LTM

STM = working memory (memory is transferred)

serial position effect = recall begging and end of list than middle (primacy vs recency effect)

materials from begginging - LTM, at end - STM

aim: test 2 distinct storage methods in relation w/ primacy/recency effect

EX 1: preventing rehearsal at end of list

changing amount of time between items (3, 6, 9 sec)

each word presented 2-3 times at 3 sec rate

lines become the same because of LTM

LO: Schema Theory (Brewers & Treyens)

cognitive Schema = mental representations that organzie knowledge, beliefs, expectations

collection of basic knowledge that guides perception and problem solving

represents persons knowledge about a certain situation w/ qualities and relationships

can be used for remembeing and constructing new memory

grad students left in office for 35 sec

then brought to different room + asked to write + recall objects in room

books - but no books

saw skull due to saliency (not fit office Schema)

LO: Thinking and Decision Making (Alter)

thinking is engaging in information and making a choice

dual process model

2 modes of thinking (system 1 = automatic + intuituve and system 2= logical + analytical )

asked to complete disfluent and fleunet version of text

fluent = easy to read + 12 font, disfluent = hard+ gray + 10 font

asked to read, CTR = better in disfluent

Cognitive reflection test (questions)

LO: Reconstructive Memory (Loftus & Palmer)

process that memory must be re-built, relies on schemas to fill in info

human memory = not exact copy of events can reconstruct and alter over time

process of recreating memory and can lead to false memories

45 students shown film of traffic accident + how fast were the cars going

hit, smashed, vs no verb

1 week later asked if there was broken glass

smashed = more likely to say yes

LO: Biases in Thinking and Decision Making (Festinger)

biases = humans rely on system 1 over 2, rely on intuition to take cognitive shortcuts

cognitive dissonance: dissonance is removed by removing cognitions, adding new cognitions, or reducing/increasing importance

cult believed a flood would end the earth

flood never happened so researchers investigated how people would react

some rejected

some waited for others confirmation

some altered belief

LO: Influences of Emotion on Cognition (Neisser & Harsch)

emotion and Cognition = flashbulb memory

LO: Digital Technology (Barr)

LO: Social Identity Theory (Richter)

LO: Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura)

LO: Stereotypes (Jung)

LO: Culture and its Influences on Cognition (Kulkofsky)

LO: Culture and its Influences on Behavior (Guendelman)

LO: Cultural Dimensions (Chen)

LO: Enculturation (Chen)

LO: Acculturation/Globalization (Qui)