BIO PSYCH
What are neurons? (Sensory vs. Motor neurons)
Sensory neurons carry signals from sensory receptors (like in skin or eyes) to the central nervous system (CNS), while motor neurons transmit signals from the CNS to muscles and glands, controlling movement and response.
Know different research designs – longitudinal, cross-sectional, repeated measures, experimental, correlational, etc..
Why did some people consider behaviorism a "failure"?
Some critics considered behaviorism a "failure" because it was criticized for oversimplifying human behavior by focusing solely on observable behaviors and ignoring internal mental processes. Critics also argued that behaviorism couldn't fully explain complex cognitive phenomena and human creativity.
Know Thorndike’s Law of Effect.
Thorndike's Law of Effect states that behaviors that lead to positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that lead to negative outcomes are less likely to be repeated. This forms the basis for understanding how reinforcement and punishment influence behavior.
What are the myelin producing cells in the CNS? The PNS?
In the CNS: Oligodendrocytes produce myelin, which is a fatty substance that insulates axons and speeds up nerve impulses.
In the PNS: Schwann cells are responsible for producing myelin around peripheral nerve fibers.
Know the variables in the experimental design (IV, DV, Control Group).
What contributed to the shaping of modern cognitive psychology?
Various factors contributed to the shaping of modern cognitive psychology, including dissatisfaction with behaviorism's limitations, advancements in technology allowing the study of mental processes, and the cognitive revolution emphasizing the importance of understanding internal mental states and processes.
Operant conditioning – including reinforcement and punishment.
Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behaviors are strengthened or weakened by the consequences that follow them.
What are two types of hormones?
Estrogen and Testosterone
What are confidence intervals?
Confidence intervals provide a range of values within which the true value of a population parameter is likely to fall. It's often expressed as a percentage (e.g., 95%). A wider interval indicates more uncertainty, while a narrower interval indicates greater precision.
"Mind" in the context of cognitive psychology is what?
In cognitive psychology, the term "mind" refers to the internal mental processes that involve perception, memory, thinking, problem-solving, and other cognitive functions. Cognitive psychology explores how these mental processes operate and influence behavior.
What is shaping?
Shaping is a technique in operant conditioning where behaviors are gradually molded or "shaped" toward a desired behavior by reinforcing successive approximations of that behavior. It involves rewarding behaviors that are closer and closer to the target behavior.
what is an action potential/nerve impulse (depolarization, hyperpolarization, threshold of excitement)? What is an EPSP? IPSP?
An action potential is a brief electrical signal that travels along the neuron's axon. It involves depolarization (sudden influx of positive ions), reaching the threshold of excitement to trigger an action potential, and repolarization (return to the resting state).
EPSP (Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential): A temporary depolarization of the postsynaptic membrane, making the neuron more likely to fire an action potential.
IPSP (Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential): A temporary hyperpolarization of the postsynaptic membrane, making the neuron less likely to fire an action potential.
x-mean /standard deviation
When the "real" and the perceived do not match it is called?
When the "real" external world and an individual's perceived version do not match, it is referred to as a perceptual illusion or simply an illusion. This occurs when the brain interprets sensory information inaccurately, leading to discrepancies between reality and perception.
What is classical conditioning?
Classical conditioning is a type of learning where a neutral stimulus comes to evoke a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally evokes that response. Famous example: Pavlov's dogs associating the sound of a bell with food.
Why is man considered more intelligent than other mammals?
There are more neurons that are dedicated to our forebrain, man walks on two legs more efficiently, wavy brain, Humans have an extended childhood, we cook our food, we don’t have to savage for it
The most commonly used measure of central tendency is the mean, which is the sum of all values divided by the number of values. Other measures include the median (middle value) and mode (most frequent value).
Attention is defined by cognitive psychologists as what?
Attention, in cognitive psychology, is the cognitive process of selectively focusing on certain aspects of the environment or internal thoughts while filtering out irrelevant information. It involves allocating cognitive resources to process specific inputs.
Know Piaget’s concepts of assimilation and accommodation. Why are these processes necessary?
Assimilation: The process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive frameworks or schemas.
Accommodation: The process of modifying existing cognitive frameworks to accommodate new information that doesn't fit the existing schemas.