Sensation & Perception
True or false: The parietal lobe is most closely associated with vision
True or False: A correlational design and determine cause-and-effect
False--correlational designs show us that things are related, not that one thing caused another (only experiments can do that).
True or false: Biological preparedness means we're evolutionarily wired to form certain associations more easily than others.
True
What are the 4 major lobes of the brain?
Temporal, parietal, frontal, occipital
What do we call the phenomenon where sensation in one sense is heavily influenced by another? (e.g., hearing colors)
Synesthesia
What's the difference between a negative and positive correlation?
A positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other also increases, while a negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases. Essentially, positive correlations move in the same direction, and negative correlations move in opposite directions.
What is observational learning?
Learning by watching and imitating the behavior of those around us
True or false: The central nervous system sends sensory signals to the brain and spinal cord
False--the peripheral nervous system does this
What's the difference between sensation and perception?
Sensation is the process of detecting raw sensory information from the environment, like light, sound, or touch. Perception is the brain’s interpretation of that sensory information, giving it meaning and context.
What are the mean, median, and mode?
The mean is the average value, the median is the middle value when the numbers are ordered, and the mode is the value that appears most often.
A rat wanders through a maze with no reward. Later, when food is finally placed at the end, the rat suddenly runs the correct route quickly—showing it had formed a mental map earlier, even without reinforcement. What is this called?
Latent learning
What do you call the space between the dendrites of one neuron and the axon terminals of another?
Synapse
Describe 3 types of visual grouping principles
Similarity: Similar colors or shapes are grouped together
Closure: People fill in gaps in their minds to create shapes
Connection: Linked items are perceived as one unit
Proximity: Nearby items are grouped together
Continuity: We perceive elements as a continuous line rather than separate
What are outliers and how do they affect our understanding of data?
Outliers are data points that fall far outside the typical range of a dataset. They pull the mean up or down powerfully and can therefore obscure true trends, leading to mistaken conclusions.
Describe the difference between classical and operant conditioning
Classical conditioning involves learning by associating two stimuli, so a neutral stimulus eventually triggers a response (like Pavlov’s dogs salivating to a bell). Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, where behaviors are strengthened by weakened by others' responses.
What are the three main differences between the nervous and endocrine systems?
Nervous uses electrical signaling, endocrine chemical signaling
Nervous system works faster the endocrine because signals travel through nerves rather than blood stream
Endocrine system effects tend to last longer
Describe how an emotion or internal state can change how we perceive sensory information
Our emotions or internal states can influence perception by making certain stimuli more noticeable or intense—for example, feeling anxious might make a person more sensitive to loud noises.
How do high and low variability differ, and what do they tell us about a data set?
High variability means the data points are spread out widely from the mean, indicating more diversity or inconsistency in the data. Low variability means the data points are close to the mean, showing the data are more consistent and similar.
What is "instinctive drift" and how does it impact learning?
Instinctive drift is the tendency for animals to revert to their natural, biologically programmed behaviors even after learning new, reinforced behaviors. It can interfere with learning because these instinctive actions can override or disrupt the trained responses.
What are the basic functions of each of the 4 lobes of the brain?
The frontal lobe handles decision-making, planning, and voluntary movement, while the parietal lobe processes touch, spatial awareness, and body position. The temporal lobe is involved in hearing and memory, and the occipital lobe is responsible for visual processing.