UW Psych 101 Midterm 2

Cognitive Viewpoint

Conscious and unconscious mental life are complimentary forms of information processing that work in harmony

Controlled Processing

Conscious use of attention and effort

Automatic Processing

Unconscious awareness or effort

Divided Attention

Capacity to attend to and perform more than one activity at a time

Visual Agnosia

Difficulty consciously perceiving the shape, size, or orientation of an object

Blindsight

Responds to stimuli in special tests yet report that they cannot see those stimuli

Priming

Exposure to a stimulus influences how you subsequently respond to that same or another stimulus

SCN

Regulates circadian rythym located in the hypothalamus

Adenosine

Produced by cells as they consume fuel. Inhibits brain circuits responsible for keeping us awake.

Wish Fulfillment

Freud's believed this to be the main purpose of dreaming. The gratification of unconscious desires and needs.

Manifest Content & Latent Content

The surface story the dreamer reports. It's disguised psychological meaning.

Dream Work

The process by which a dream's latent content is transformed to manifest content

Problem-Solving Dream Models

Because dreams are not constrained by reality they can help us find creative solutions to our problems and ongoing concerns

Cognitive-Process Dream Theories

Focuses on the process of how we dream and proposes that dreaming and waking though are produced by the same mental systems in the brain

Activation-Synthesis Theory

Dreams don't serve any purpose at all. They are merely a byproduct of REM neural activity

Blood-Brain Barrier

Special lining of tightly packed cells that lets vital nutrients pass through so neurons can function

Hypocretin

Chemical that helps keep us awake.

Classical Conditioning

Type of conditioning where two stimuli, such that one stimulus comes to elicit a response that was originally elicited only by the other stimulus

Operant Conditioning

Type of conditioning where organisms learn to associate their responses with specific consequences

Observational Learning

Type of learning where one imitates the behavior of a model

Habituation

A decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that elicits a reflexive or innate response

Unconditioned Response (UR)

A reflexive or innate response that is elicited by a stimulus without prior learning

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A stimulus, through association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to elicit a conditioned response to the original unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Response (CR)

A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus

Extinction

Process whereby the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly shown without its paired unconditioned stimulus causing the conditioned response to weaken and eventually disappear

Extinction Trial

Each occurrence of the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period and without new learning trials

Stimulus Generalization

Stimuli similar to the initial conditioned stimulus elicit a conditioned response

Discrimination

Process whereby a conditioned response occurs to one stimulus but not to others

Higher-Order Conditioning

A neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after being paired with an already established conditioned stimulus

Exposure Therapies

Therapy in which a patient is exposed to a conditioned stimulus that arouses an anxiety response without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus, allowing extinction to occur

Flooding

Extinguishing an anxiety response by immediately exposing the person to the phobic stimulus

Aversion Therapy

Therapy which attempts to condition an aversion to a stimulus that triggers unwanted behavior by pairing it with a noxious unconditioned stimulus

Law of Effect

Law which states that in a given situation, a response followed by a satisfying consequence will become more likely to occur and a response followed by an annoying consequence will be less likely to occur

Reinforcement

An outcome is STRENGTHENED by the consequences (good or bad) that follow

Punishment

A response is WEAKENED by outcomes that follow it

Antecedent

Stimuli that are present before a behavior occurs

Positive Reinforcement

Occurs when a response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus (Food, Drink, Praise, Money)

Primary Reinforcer

Stimuli that are valued because they satisfy biological need

Secondary Reinforcer

Stimuli that are valued through their association with a primary reinforcer

Negative Reinforcement

Strengthening of a behavior that occurs because we are trying to remove or avoid an aversive stimulus (pain, annoying sound)

Operant Extinction

The weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced

Aversive Punishment

Trying to WEAKEN a behavior by the subsequent presentation of an aversive stimulus (spanking)

Response Cost

Trying to WEAKEN a behavior by removing a stimulus (Time outs, jail time)

Shaping

Involves reinforcing using "successive approximations" toward a final desired response

Chaining

Technique used to develop a sequence or chain of responses by reinforcing each response with the opportunity to perform the next response

Operant Generalization

An operant response occurs to a new stimulus that is SIMILAR to the original one (I am scared of red balloons and any balloon shaped object)

Operant Discrimination

An operant response will occur to one stimulus but not to another (I am scared of dogs but not balloons)

Stimulus Control

A behavior that is influenced by discriminative stimuli (Seeing a police car exerts this on people's driving behavior)

Continuous Reinforcer

Every response of a particular type is reinforced (Every press of a lever results in food pellets)

Partial Reinforcement

Only a portion of the responses are reinforced (Pressing the lever only sometimes gives food pellets)

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses (You receive $1 for every 3 presses of a button)

Variable-Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement is given after a variable number of responses centered around an average. (Slot machines)

Fixed-Interval Schedule

Reinforcements occur after the first response that occurs after a set time interval. (Tests that occur regularly)

Variable-Interval Schedule

Reinforcement is given for the first response that occurs after a variable-time interval, centered around an average. (pop quizzes that occur randomly)

Escape Conditioning

When an organism learns a response to terminate an aversive stimulus. (You're cold so you put on a sweater)

Avoidance Conditioning

When an organism learns a response to avoid an aversive stimulus (We wear a sweater when it is cold to avoid feeling cold in the first place)

Token Economy

Desirable behaviors are reinforced with tokens. (points, gold stars) that are later turned in for other reinforcers (5 gold stars = free drink at Starbucks!)

Encoding

The process of getting information into the system by translating it into a neural code that your brain processes

Storage

The process of retaining information over time

Retrieval

The process of accessing stored information

Sensory Memory

Type of memory that briefly holds sensory information

Echoic Store

Type of memory that holds details about sounds

Iconic Store

Type of memory that holds detail about images

Short-Term Memory

Memory store that temporarily holds a limited amount of information (like RAM)

Memory Code

Mental representations of some type of information or stimulus (associating memory with an image, sound, or a meaning, or movement)

Chunking

Combining individuals items into larger units of meaning

Working Memory

The same as Short Term Memory. The view that STM is actually like RAM

Phonological Loop

Briefly stores mental representations of sounds

Visiospatial Sketchpad

Briefly stores visual and spatial information

Episodic Buffer

Provides temporary storage space where information from long-term memory and from the other systems can be integrated (86+37) uses this

Central Executive

Directs the action of working memory

__________ is the type of cognitive processing that requires conscious effort and attention.

Controlled Processing

An example of __________ conditioning involves a dog drooling at the sound of a bell after the sound has been paired with food.

Classical

During extinction, the conditioned response __________ when the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without reinforcement.

weakens

In __________ learning, an observer imitates the behavior of a model.

Observational

In __________ reinforcement, a response is strengthened by the removal of an aversive stimulus.

Negative

A fixed-__________ schedule provides reinforcement after a specific number of responses.

Ratio

__________ conditioning involves learning to perform a behavior to obtain a desired outcome.

Operant

When similar stimuli elicit the same conditioned response, it is known as __________ generalization.

Stimulus

In the context of memory, __________ refers to the process of retaining information over time.

Storage

The __________ store holds detailed visual information for a brief period.

Iconic

Dual Processing Theory

The theory that describes two systems of thinking: Automatic processing (unconscious, System 1) and Controlled processing (voluntary, System 2).

Stroop Effect

The phenomenon where individuals experience difficulty naming the physical color of a word when the word itself spells out a different color.

Ironic Processes

When controlled processes fail due to disruption, leading to more frequent occurrence of thoughts through automatic processing.

Judgment and Decision Making

Automatic processing creates mental shortcuts and employs heuristics, but these can lead to errors like stereotypes.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that simplify decision making but can result in errors.

Representative Heuristics

Judging the probability that an object belongs to a group based on how closely it resembles the prototype in our mind.

Base Rate Neglect

Ignoring the general probability of a category when making judgments.

Conjunction Fallacy

The fallacy of assuming that specific conditions are more probable than a single general one.

Availability Heuristic

Judging the frequency of an event based on how easily examples come to mind, leading to probability neglect.

Anchoring Effects

The tendency to rely on the first piece of information encountered when making decisions.

Framing Effects

The way information is presented affects decisions and judgments, often highlighting aversion to loss.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.

Motivation

An internal force that activates, energizes, and directs behavior towards specific goals.

Instinct Theory

The theory that suggests behaviors are complex, unlearned, and genetically hard-wired for survival.

Drive-Reduction Theory

The theory that states needs create an aroused state, leading to behaviors that reduce the state and restore homeostasis.

Optimum Arousal Theory

The theory positing that people seek an optimal level of arousal, avoiding boredom or overstimulation.

Incentive Theory

The theory emphasizing external stimuli that motivate behavior, distinguishing between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.