Psych 101

Define Consciousness

The state of being aware of oneself, ones thoughts, and the environment (awareness is subjective)

Concerns about the concept of consciousness

1) if we cant communicate about our consciousness, are we really conscious?

2) given its subjective nature, can consciousness be measured?

Voluntary aspects of attention

selective attention

selective attention

focusing awareness on a subset of internal or external stimuli available to our senses

Multitasking

is a myth, you are shifting your attention rapily between topics

Involuntary aspects of attention

automatic processing and inattentional blindness

automatic processing

attending to information with little/no conscious effort or awareness

inattentional blindness

not noticing stimuli in your sensory field

Biology of sleep

Circadian rhythm, electrochemical processes, brain waves

circadian rhythm

organized by superchiessmatic nudeus

electrochemical process

Chemical: in response to darkness, pineal gland releases melatonin

Electrical: brain waves change through sleep cycle

Brain waves

measured by electroencephalogram (EEG)

Types of brain waves related to sleep

Beta (awake), Alpha, Theta, Delta

(90 min cycle)

Drowsiness

move from beta waves to alpha waves

3 Stages of Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep

N1 (light sleep - theta waves)

N2 (deeper sleep - theta waves)

N3 (deepest sleep - delta waves)

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

• waves similar to beta waves

• most dreams happen

• body largely paralyzed

Why do we sleep/dream?

• Who knows for sure?

• sleep promotes cellular growth, maintenance and repair, and memory consolidation

Short-term sleep deprivation leads to problems with:

• attention and memory

• emotional regulation

• making wise food choices

Long-term sleep deprivation correlated with:

• all short-term problems

• widespread physical problems

Sigmund Freud on Dreams

• wish fulfillment

• manifest content points to latent content

Dream Activation Synthesis Model

Random firing of neurons

Dream Neurological Model

Mind wandering into ares of personal concern

Learning Definition

a relatively enduring change in behavior or thinking that arises from experience

Who created Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov

Classical Conditioning

a learning process that involves making an association between two stimuli and having a natural reaction from one stimulus to the other

Basic Elements of Classical Conditioning

• Unconditioned Stimulus

• Unconditioned Response

• Conditioned Stimulus

• Conditioned Response

Unconditioned Stimulus

something that automatically triggers a response

Unconditioned Response

automatic response to the US

Conditioned Stimulus

Previously neutral stimulus that gets associated with the US

Conditioned Response

A learned response to the CS

Stimulus Generalization

When stimuli similar to CS elicts the CR

Who created Operant Conditioning?

B.F. Skinner

Operant Conditioning

A learning process based on associating a voluntary action with its consequences

Operant conditioning has happened when:

the consequence of an action changes the likelihood that we will repeat the action

Two General Categories of Consequences

1. Reinforcement

2. Punishment

Reinforcement

actions consequence increase the likelihood of action repeating

Punishment

Actions consequence decrease the likelihood of action repeating

Positive Reinforcement

Presenting a stimulus after a behavior, which in turn increases likelihood of a behavior

Negative Reinforcement

Removing a stimulus after a behavior, which in turn increases likelihood of a behavior

Positive Punishment

Presenting a stimulus after a behavior, which inturn decreases likelihood of a behavior

Negative Punishment

Removing a stimulus after a behavior, which inturn decreases likelihood of a behavior

Common problem with operant conditioning

Sometimes the behavior does not occur naturally (use successive approximating to shape behavior)

Similarities of Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning

• describe how behavior changes

• making associations between things as basis of process

• demonstrate how behavior change can be extinguished if associations not maintained

CC vs OC Proccesses based on:

CC: Involuntary behaviors

OC: voluntary behaviors 

CC vs OC Main association between:

CC: two stimuli

OC: own action and consequence

CC vs OC First step in process:

CC: two stimuli occur together in time/space

OC: person engages in specific behavior 

Who created Observational Learning

Albert Bandura

Observational Learning

We learn a new bahvoir by watching others model that behavior