Study Guide Gen Psychology Test 2 1 Learning Objectives Defined and Analyzed Chapter 4 Contrast sensation and perception and explain the difference between bottom up and top down processing Sensation Touch Taste Smell Vision Hearing These sense receptors convert physical energy into electric signals to create basic psychological experiences Bottom Up processing Perception Use of previous knowledge to gather and interpret stimuli registered by senses Our cognitive system creates meaningful patterns that allow us to perceive the world Top Down Processing Top Down Conceptually driven organization and interpretation Bottom Up Sensory detection and processing EX lines shapes color Distinguish between absolute and difference thresholds Absolute Threshold Minimum stimulation needed to detect particular stimulus 50 of the time Difference Threshold Minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 of the time Explain the signal to noise ratio a key component of signal detection theory and identify 2 3 psychological factors that might influence this ratio Signal to noise ratio The detection of a faint stimulus signal amid background stimulation noise 1 Experience 2 Expectation 3 Motivation Define sensory adaptation and explain why it occurs Sensory Adaption Sensitivity is greatest when a stimulus is first detected Sensitivity starts to diminish as a consequence of constant Why exposure or stimulation Describe what sensory interactions tell us about human information processing Explains that one sensory system can affect another EX Smell of food influences taste Define parallel processing and as one important application discuss its role in visual information processing Parallel Processing Simultaneous concurrent processing of multiple information streams by the brain EX Visual information processing involving color shape motion depth of an object at the same time Know what blindsight is and what its existence tells us about the visual system there will be an in class video on this topic Blindsight Above Chance visual performance of cortically blind individuals with damage to the cortex Discuss whether subliminal stimuli have any influence Subliminal Stmuli have a subtle fleeting effect Describe how we pinpoint sounds 1 Two ears are better than One 2 Ear that s closer to the sound will receive information that s more intense or received slightly sooner State the benefit of pain as discussed in class and identify biopsychosocial factors that may affect people s perception of pain Pain benefits in two ways 1 Alert s us something s wrong 2 May lead us to run away from harmful behavior Biological Influence 1 Spinal Cord Activity 2 Genetic differences in endorphin production 3 Brains interpretation Psychological Influence 1 Attention to pain 2 Learning from experience 3 expectations Social Influence 1 Presence of others 2 empathy for others pain 3 Cultural expectations From the section on Perceptual Organization Define perceptual set and explain why the same stimulus can evoke different perceptions in different contexts Perceptual Set Mental predisposition to perceive one thing and not the other Context Effects A given stimulus may trigger different perceptions based on context Explain how perceptual constancies help us to organize our sensations into meaningful perceptions Perceptual Constancies Allow us to perceive objects as unchanging regardless of changes in illumination shape or size Describe Gestalt psychology s contribution to our understanding of perception Our brains do more than register information about the world we perceive objects as wholes within their overall context Describe the process behind our perception of motion and identify a way that this motion detecting system can be tricked Perception of Motion A rapid series of slightly varying images EX Animation Explain why illusions are helpful in understanding perception They demonstrate the powerful workings of our normally effective perceptual processes Chapter 6 Define learning and identify the major types of learning Learning A relatively permanent change in thought or behavior that results from experience Types 1 Conditioning 2 Cognitive Models Latent Observational Insight Define classical conditioning and describe its four basic components Classical Conditioning A form of learning in which one stimulus the CS comes to single a second stimulus US Summarize the processes of acquisition extinction spontaneous recovery generalization and discrimination Acquisition The initial learning of an association between a neural stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus Extinction Repeated presentation of CS without US will eliminate response to CS Spontaneous Recovery Happens when CS briefly regains its power to signal the response Generalization Tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the CS EX Gun shot and balloon popping Discrimination Ability to distinguish between the CS and other stimuli Identify which schedule of reinforcement leads to the most enduring behavior Variable Reinforcement schedules Although underestimated in Pavlov s research discuss the importance of cognitive processes and biological predispositions in classical conditioning Cognitive Processes Matter Predictability of associations affect the strength of CR Biological Constraints Matter Associative Learning id adaptive Identify the critical role of behavior in distinguishing classical conditioning from operant conditioning In regards to classical conditioning behavior is instinctive and therefore almost involuntary as a result of associative learning EX Pavlov s Dogs In regards to operant conditioning behavior is affected by the environment and past experiences EX Environment Rewards Punishments Experience Getting hit with a baseball Describe the process of operant conditioning including the shaping procedure Reinforcement vs Punishment Explain how punishment and negative reinforcement differ Punishment is the process in which something undesirable is introduces or something desirable in taken away where as negative reinforcement is the process in which something undesirable is removed Outline the evidence that supports latent learning Not all learning requires obvious rewards and punishments Describe observational learning studied by Albert Bandura Observational Learning Learning by observing others people form mental representations without having direct experience with them Discuss how insight learning research challenges Thorndike s
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