Psychoactive Drugs
Explain the relationship between alcohol and GABA
Alcohol is a GABA agonist - it amplifies the effects of GABA
Extra - What does GABA do?
What are the main symptoms of alcohol use?
Compare and contrast bottom-up and top-down processing
Bottom-up: starts at sensory receptors and works up to higher levels
Top-down: constructs perceptions by drawing on experience and expectations
What causes our blind spot?
The point where the optic nerve leaves the eye has no receptor cells -- blindspot.
Define learning
The process of acquiring new + relatively enduring behavior and information
Extra - what is associative learning?
What are the three main steps in memory (ESR)?
Encoding - process of getting information into the memory system
Storage - the process of retaining encoded information over time
Retrieval - the process of getting information out of memory storage
What is the active ingredient in Marijuana that causes mild hallucinations?
THC
What is signal detection theory?
Predicts how and when we will detect faint stimuli (signal) amid background stimulation (noise)
Extra - compare and contrast difference threshold and absolute threshold. What is weber's law?
Compare and contrast the what and where pathways
What pathway - visual cortex to temporal lobe, recognizing objects
Where pathway - visual context to parietal lobe, spacial awareness
Extra - what is visual agnosia?
Identify the US/UR/CS/CR for the balloon classical conditioning example from class
US - loud noise
UR - jumping
CS - countdown
CR - tensing
Extra - Identify the US/UR/CS/CR for the Pavlov's dog's example
Which form of memory emphasizes conscious, active processing?
Working memory
What category of drug do opiates belong to and how do they impact the body's natural production of endorphins?
Depressants
They reduce the body's production of endorphins. So When opiate use stops, the body is left with less endorphins than it started with.
Extra - what are the main symptoms/feelings?
Define sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity to a stimuli because of constant stimulation
Extra - What is an example of sensory adaptation?
What is parallel processing?
Processing many aspects of a stimulus at once
Extra - what are subdimensions?
Compare and contrast continuous and partial reinforcement schedules
Continuous - reinforcing desired behavior every time it occurs
Partial - reinforcing desired behavior only some of the time
Extra - how is the acquisition and extinction different between these two schedules?
T/F - Memories are consolidated (stored) in the hippocampus
False, the hippocampus is more of a "loading dock"
Extra - How does HM's hippocampus procedure demonstrate this?
Cocaine impacts three neurotransmitters. What are they and how does Cocaine interact with them?
Dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin
Cocaine blocks the reuptake of these neurotransmitters, amplifying their effect.
Extra - what are the main symptoms?
Why hasn't ESP been scientifically supported?
- It is reported in uncontrolled conditions
- Experiments do not provide replicable/significant results
What is the McGurk effect?
Input from one sense influencing the perception of another
Extra - explain the example of the McGurk effect that we watched in class
Bandura's bobo doll experiment demonstrated which type of learning?
Vicarious
Extra - Describe the experiment
Describe Long-Term Pontentiation
An increase in cell's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation
- Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input
- Extra: What is the difference between sensation and perception?
What is the significance of the cochlea and basilar membrane in sensing sounds?
The basilar membrane is inside the cochlea (snail-shaped structure). When the fluid in the cochlea jostles, the basilar membrane ripples along with its hair.
Bonus: what happens after the hairs bend?
Which of the following are binocular/monocular cues?
linear perspective, interposition, retinal disparity, relative size
Monocular - linear perspective, interposition, and relative size
Binocular - relative size
Extra - Describe each of these cues.
Compare explicit and implicit memory (what are they and what brain structures are involved)
Explicit - effortful, conscious recall; hippocampus and frontal lobes
Implicit - automatic, unconscious recall; processed in cerebellum and basal ganglia