Psych Midterm 2

adaptability

our capacity to learn new behaviors that help us cope with our changing world

Associative Learning

When we link two events that occur closely together

Classical Conditioning

We learn to associate two stimuli and thus anticipate events

Operant Conditioning

We learn to associate a response(behavior) and its consequence

How long does it take for a behavior to become a habit?

66 Days

Cognitive Learning

Acquiring mental information that guides behavior

behaviorism

an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior

Acquisition

The learning of the stimulus

Higher Order Conditioning

New Neutral Stimulus becomes Conditioned Stimulus without presence of Unconditioned Stimulus; Just needs to be associated with a previously conditioned stimulus

Extinction

The diminished response when the Conditioned Stimulus no longer signals Unconditioned Stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

When a weakened Conditioned Response comes back (reappears) after a pause

Generalization

Responding to stimuli similar to the Conditioned Stimulus

Discrimination

The learned ability to be able to distinguish between Conditioned Stimuli and irrelevant stimuli

Sensation

A feeling

Perception

the process by which our brains organize and interpret sensory inputs

Two types of processing

Bottom up & Top down

Top-down Processing

Constructs perceptions from sensory input by drawing on experience & expectations

Bottom-up Processing

Starts from sensory receptors and works up to higher levels of processing

Three key steps to processing

Receive the message, Transform into neural impulses, and deliver the information to the brain

Transduction

The process of converting one form of energy into another that our brain can use

Absolute Threshold

the lowest level of stimulation that a person can detect

Signal Detection Theory

predicts when we will detect weak signals

Subliminal Stimuli

Stimuli that we cannot detect consciously

Difference Threshold

The minimum stimulus difference a person can detect half of the time; increases with size of stimulus

Weber's Law

for an average person to percieve a difference, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage

Sensory Adaptation

When you're constantly exposed to something and you get used to it

Perceptual Set

A set of mental tendencies and assumptions that affects, top down, what we hear, taste, feel, and see

Figure-ground

To separate faces from their backgrounds

Grouping

When our mind brings order and form to other stimuli by following certain rules

Binocular Cues

What we use to judge the distance of nearby objects

Retinal Disparities

We have these because of the space between our eyes

Monocular Cues

When we want to see things at far far distances

Phi Phenomenon

Our brain perceiving a rapid series of slightly varying images as continuous movement

Perceptual Constancy

A top down process when we recognize objects without being deceived by changes in their color, brightness, shape, or size

Luminance

The amount of light an object reflects relative to its surroundings

Size Constancy

the tendency to perceive the veridical size of a familiar object despite differences in their distance

Perceptual Adaptation

When visual inputs are changed, this helps us make the world seem normal again

Height(Amplitude) of a sound wave

Determines the perceived loudness of a sound wave

Frequency of a sound wave

Determines the pitch of a sound wave

Place Theory

Explains how we hear high pitch sounds, but not low pitched sounds

Frequency Theory (Temporal Coding)

Suggests the brain reads pitch by monitoring the frequency

Nociceptors

These detect hurtful temperatures, pressure, or chemicals

Gate-Control Theory

Suggests the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that controls the transmission of pain messages to the brain

Priming

This process explains why our associations are activated without our awareness

Encodinc Specificity Principle

Explains how specific cues will trigger a memory

Serial Position Effect

Explains why we have holes in our memory after a list of recent events

Anterograde Amnesia

A condition where we can remember the past but can't form new memories

Retrograde Amnesia

A condition where we can't remember the past along with a loss of memory for events immediately preceding a trauma

Proactive Interference

When prior learning disrupts recall of new information

Retroactive Interference

When new learning disrupts recall of old information

Positive Transfer

When skills used while performing other skills integrate positively into a new skill

Misinformation Effect

When what you heard separates from who or what you heard it from

Source Amnesia

When we can't remember if something is real or fake

Recall

Retrieving information that is not currently in your mind, but learned before

Recognition

Identifying items previously learned

Relearning

Learning something more quickly a second or third time

What determines memory strength?

The speed at which we recall, recognize, and relearn information

Explicit(Declarative) Memories

The facts and experiences we can constantly know & declare

Implicit(Nondeclarative) memories

Information that you remember unconsciously and effortlessly

Automatic Processing

Processing things we don't actively think about(effortless)

Iconic Memory

Visual memories

Echoic Memories

Auditory memories

Chunking

Organizes items into familiar manageable units

Mnemonics

Using vivid imagery to paint a picture into your head about information that helps you remember information

Hierarchies

Broad concepts divided and subdivided into narrower concepts and facts

Spacing Effect

Encoding distributed over time

Testing Effect

Repeated self testing

Shallow Processing

Encodes on an elementary level

things like words, letters, or a word's sound

Deep Processing

Encodes semantically based on the meaning of words

What does the Basal Ganglia do?

Facilitates formation of our procedural memories for skills

When we're stressed, which part of the brain helps initiate a memory trace that boosts activity in memory forming areas?

The amygdala

Cognition

the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating info

Metocognition

Thinking about thinking

Algorightims

Step by step procedures that guarantee a solution

Heuristics

Simpler thinking strategies

Insight

An abrupt, true seeming, and often satisfying solution

Confirmation Bias

Makes us look for evidence that more closely aligns with our ideas compared to finding evidence to support another idea

Fixation

An inability to come to a fresh perspective

Mental Set

Tendency to approach problems with what previously worked

Intuition

Fast, automatic, unreasoned feelings & thoughts

Representativeness Heuristic

To judge the likelihood of something by intuitively comparing it to particular prototypes

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the commonality of an event based on its mental availability

Overconfidence

The tendency to overestimate the accuracy of our knowledge & judgements

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to information we believe is true even when presented with other evidence

Creativity

The ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable

Convergent Thinking

an ability to provide a single correct answer

Divergent Thinking

The ability to consider many different options and think in novel ways

Components of Creativity

Expertise, Imaginative Thinking Skills, Determined Personality, Intrinsic Motivation, Creative Environment

Developmental Psychology

Examines our physical, cognitive, and social development across the life span

Stability

Provides our Identity

Change

Allows us to adapt and grow from experience

Habituation

A decrease in responding with repeated stimulation

Schemas

Concepts or mental molds we pour our experiences into

Assimilation

interpreting experiences in terms of our current schemas

Accomodation

we do this to our schemas to incorporate information from new experiences

Object Permanance

The awareness that objects continue to exist even when not percieved

Conservation

The principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape

Theory of Mind

Ability to infer others' mental states

Stranger Anxiety

When children can't assimilate a new face into remembered schemas, they become distressed

Secure attachment

Happy and exploring when mom is around; Distressed when mom is absent; Seek contact with her upon arrival