psych chunk 6 - learning and behaviour /Brain & Biology

Learning & Behaviour

• Learning = lasting change from experience

• Behaviour = observable actions

Types of Learning:

• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) → learning by association (dog + bell)

• Operant Conditioning (Skinner) → learning by consequences (reinforcement/punishment)

• Observational Learning (Bandura) → learning by watching others (Bobo doll experiment)

Brain & Biology

Neurons:

• Dendrites = receive signals

• Axon = send signals

• Myelin = speeds messages

• Synapse = gap between neurons

Neurotransmitters:

• Dopamine = reward, movement

• Serotonin = mood, sleep

Nervous System:

• CNS = brain + spinal cord

• PNS = rest of body

  • Somatic = voluntary movement

  • Autonomic = involuntary

    • Sympathetic = fight/flight

    • Parasympathetic = rest/digest

Brain Regions:

• Brainstem = survival functions

• Cerebellum = balance & coordination

• Limbic system = emotion & motivation

  • Amygdala = fear & aggression

  • Hippocampus = memory

  • Hypothalamus = hunger, thirst, hormones

• Thalamus = sensory relay

Cortex Lobes (F-POT):

• Frontal = reasoning, planning, impulse control

• Parietal = touch, spatial awareness

• Occipital = vision

• Temporal = hearing, memory

Plasticity: brain can change and adapt