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Psychology 100-05
Psychology -8th edition Chapters 1-5
44
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
02/09/2012

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Cards

Term

correlation coefficient (r)

 

What would a perfect negative correlation coefficient be? positive?

 

What would the correlation coefficient be if there is no correlation?

Definition

 

(perf. neg.) -1-------- (no corr.) 0 -------- (perf. pos.) +1

 

1) -1

 

2) +1

 

3) 0

Term

 

 

 

What is Inferential Statistics?

Definition

 

This involves testing a difference between two groups.
provides an assessment of a result’s statistical significance
expressed as a p-value, indicating the probability of getting the data pattern by chance
Term

 

What problem is there with observational studies?

Definition

 

We can’t be sure which observation is the cause and which is the effect.
Also, there’s the third-variable problem:
Some other (i.e., third) variable is influencing both variables observed in our study.
Term

 

 

List evidence for evolution

Definition

 

Examination of the resemblance between genomes of various organisms. (molecular)
The geographic distribution of animals and fossils.
The fossil record
Term

 

Evolution by natural selection has shaped behaviors just as much as physical traits.
Knowing this, you may infer that natural selection has favored _____ flexibility. 
Definition

 

 

 

behavioral

Term

 

 

Is there a link between genetics and intelligence?

Definition

 

 

YES 

An individual’s level of intelligence is influenced by genetic factors. (verified by twin comparisons)
Term

 

 

What does the heritability ratio signify?

Definition

 

 Intelligence is also influenced by environmental factors.

heritability = genetic variance ∕ total phenotypic variance
The higher the heritability ratio, the more genetics contribute to the trait. 
Term

 

 

 

What environmental variations influence the inheritability ratio?

Definition
In groups with lower socioeconomic status (SES), the heritability may be zero.
You can have “great genes”, but those won’t overcome a terrible school system!
Conversely, the better the environment, the more genes matter
Heritability also increases with a person’s age.
This may be because people choose environments that amplify their genetic potential.
Term

Evolution of Mating:

 

 

What are the gender specific roles for men and women in the "Parental Investment Model" (PIM)?

 
Definition
 
males should mate with as many females as possible.
females mate just a few times during their lives but try to ensure the well-being of each of their progeny.
Term

 

 

What are the basic components of a neuron?

Definition

 

 

dendrites
a cell body
and an axon
Term

 

 

What is the main kind of neuron?

Definition

 

Most neurons are interneuronsthat connect to other interneurons.
The nervous system also contains glia:
These cells have many functions, both during development and in supporting the function of the mature nervous system.
Term

 

 

What is resting potential?

Definition

 

When the membrane is stable; an excess of positively charged ions will be on the outside, resulting in negative voltage difference.
Term

 

Describe what happens during neuron communication...

Definition

 

When the membrane is stimulated, ion channels open:
leading to an action potential.
Ion movement leads to an excess of positively charged particles inside the membrane, 
which produces a positive voltage swing.
The excitation spreads, leading to propagation of the action potential along the axon.
Term

 

Myelinated axons ___ the speed of neuron communication.

Definition

 

 

increase

Term

 

 

 The "All-or-none law," what is it?

Definition

 

 

The action potential obeys the all-or-none law:

Once it’s launched, further increases in stimulus intensity have no effect on its magnitude.

Term

 

Neurotransmitters make communication between neurons possible by: 
Definition
crossing the synapse
latching onto receptors on the postsynaptic cell
triggering a response in that cell
Term

 

 

Describe the difference between agonistic and antagonistic drugs:

Definition

 

Drugs called agonists can enhance a neurotransmitter’s effect; antagonists impede its effect.
Drugs work by:
blocking the transmitter’s synaptic reuptake
counteracting the cleanup enzyme

mimicking the transmitter’s action

Term

 

 

EEG

Definition

 Electroencephalography (EEG)

 

Uses sensitive electrodes on the scalp to measure voltages produced by brain activity
Term

 

 

PET and fMRI scans

Definition

 Reveal which brain locations are particularly active at any moment in time while “behaving, thinking, and/or feeling”.

PET = Positron Emission Tomography
Can trace glucose, or a radioactively tagged molecule
fMRI = Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Traces a BOLD signal (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent)
Term

 

 

What are the parts of the nervous system?

Definition

 

Central nervous systembrain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system (PNS)includes both efferent and afferent nerves
The PNS is divided into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
Term

 

What convolutions devide the brain into parts?

Definition

 

The frontal lobes, the parietal lobes, the occipital lobes, and the temporal lobes
Term

 

 

 

What is the cerebral cortex?

Definition

 

The outer surface of forebrain is the cortex. It is a large, thin sheet of tissue crumpled inside the skull.
Term

 

 

What is the function of the corpus collosum?

Definition

 

 

It connects the left and right spheres of the brain, allowing them to communicate with eachother.

(split brain patients and siezures)

Term

 

 

What are some examples of cortical damage disorders?

Definition

 

Apraxias(disorders in action)
Agnosias(disorders in perception)
Aphasias (disorders of language)
 Disorders of planning or social cognition
Term

 

 

Describe the brain's plasticity.

Definition

 

The nervous system is plastic—subject to alteration in the way it functions, such as:
Changes in how much neurotransmitter a presynaptic neuron releases
Changes in neuron sensitivity to neurotransmitters
Creating new connections by growing new dendritic spines
Term

What is significant about perception and knowledge?

 

Hint: Empiricists

Definition

 

Empiricists: knowledge comes through stimuli that excite the senses
We get information about distal stimuli through proximal stimuli.
Perception is built up through learning by association.
Term

 

Psychophysics relate characteristics of a stimulus to the ____ and ____ of its sensory experience.
Definition

 

Psychophysics relate characteristics of a stimulus to the quality and intensity of its sensory experience.

Term
What are some psychophysical measurements?
Definition

 

absolute threshold
difference threshold
producing a just-noticeable difference (jnd)
Term
Define Weber's Law.
Definition
the jnd is a constant fraction of the intensity of the comparison stimulus
Term
Sensory Adaptation
Definition

 

the tendency to respond less to a stimulus that has been present and unchanging for some time

Term
RODS
Definition

 

rods: low light intensities, colorless
Term
CONES
Definition

 

cones: great light intensities, responsible for sensations of color
Acuity is greatest in the fovea, where the most cones are located.
Term

 

Normal human color vision is ____, depending on three cone types.
Definition
trichromatic
Term
Subjective contours
Definition
We tend to complete figures which are not presented completely, or identify incomplete shapes.
Term
Perceptual parsing
Definition
To determine what an object is, the perceptual system must first decide what goes with what.
Term
Figure and ground
Definition
One of the early steps in seeing a form is to segregate it from its background.
Term
Name five types of perceptual grouping.
Definition

1. Similarity

 

2. Proximity

 

3. Good Continuation

 

4. Closure (completing incomplete lines)

 

5. Simplicity (interpreting a form in the simplist ways)

Term
Bottom Up vs Top Down processes
Definition

bottom-up (stimulus-driven)

top-down (knowledge-driven)

Term
What TWO cells are on the retina?
Definition

(smaller)Parvo cells: 

color, pattern, and form
(larger)Magno cells:
 motion and depth
Term
What is the difference between the "What" and "Where" systems?
Definition
The “what” system carries information to the temporal cortex and is crucial for the identification of visual objects; the “where” system carries information to the parietal cortex and conveys information about where a stimulus is located.
Term
What is the binding problem and how is it solved?
Definition

How are the separate pieces of information integrated to form a coherent perceptual whole?

 

Solved partially by neural synchrony

Term
How does the brain distinguish between proximal and distal stimuli?
Definition
The relationship between retnal image size and distance
Term
Shape constancy
Definition

a depth cue... (door partially open vs shut)

 

we achieve constancy through unconscious inference.

Term
What is significant about human attention?
Definition

 

Perception is selective.
Selectivity is produced by orienting and through central adjustments.
Adjustments depend in part on our ability to prepare ourselves by priming relevant  detectors and processing pathways.
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