Chapter 1: Introduction Flashcards
What is psychology?
the science of behavior and mind
What is science?
an objective way to evaluate hypotheses
based on observable facts (data) and well described and repeatable methods
construct a model of the world that is the best we have at a moment in time
What is behavior?
observable actions of a person or animal
What is the mind?
thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences
internal representation that we experience and assume others have
not directly observable
How can one study an unobservable concept/process/entity like the mind?
through observation of physical and bodily phenomena (i.e. behavior)
there is plenty of evidence to suggest that organisms store and use knowledge
this process is at the crux of what we will study in this course
What is neurobiology?
study of the structure and operation of the nervous system
What is the nervous system?
the physiological system comprising the CNS (brain, spinal cord) and PNS (nerve) which controls the dynamic and adaptive operations of the body, both overt and covert
What is behavioral neuroscience?
aka physiological psychology, psychobiology, neuropsychology
the overlap of psychology and neurobiology
study of how the brain operates to produce behavior
What is cognitive neuroscience?
aka neuropsychology
the specifics of human behavioral neuroscience of the interface of cognitive psychology and neurobiology
study of how the brain operates to produce mind/cognition
What is learning?
behaviorist definition: process by which the environment modifies behavioral expression
cognitive definition: process by which knowledge is acquired
What is memory?
process by which environmental modifications upon behavioral expression (i.e., learning) are maintained
process by which knowledge is maintained
retaining the process of learning
What is the first premise of the neurobiology of learning and memory?
the operation of the nervous system is completely responsible for behavior and mind
What is the second premise of the neurobiology of learning and memory?
environmental influences that modify behavior or thought must reflect functional (& structural) changes in the nervous system
What are the brain mechanisms of learning and memory?
the brain is plastic, it exhibits activity-dependent changes in structure (anatomy) and function (physiology)
learning involves making plastic changes in the brain, these changes affect neural responses and thus influence ongoing behavior
memory involves the retention of these plastic changes, possibility to influence future behavior
What is the theme of connection in the textbook?
memory is a function of the modified connections between the units of the nervous system (neurons)
What is the theme of cognition in the textbook?
memory is defined and constrained by higher order psychological aspects that can manifest themselves as complex associations in both humans and animals
What is the theme of compartmentalization in the textbook?
different brain systems are differentially involved in different forms of memory
What is the theme of consolidation in the textbook?
permanent (long-term) memory traces require a process separate from that of short-term traces
What are the aspects of the psychological approach to learning and memory?
“black box” approach
don’t look inside the structure, just the function of memory
What are the aspects of the neurobiological approach to learning and memory?
look inside the structure at brain systems, synapses, molecules
What concepts are associated with Aristotle?
importance of association
associate concepts to remember
as objects on a familiar path
What concepts are associated with Ebbinghaus?
forgetting, savings, massed vs spaced training
used himself as subject
nonsense syllables; if you don’t study it you won’t remember
savings: took less time to re-learn
massed vs. spaced; intense, quick (massed) vs. took his time (spaced), spaced less likely to be forgotten (time between is important)
What concepts are associated with Muller and Pilzecker?
rehearsal, interference and consolidation
after learning a list, subjects couldn’t help but replay it in their minds, to prevent they got subjects to do something else to stop this, interfered with rehearsal process, decreased memory
What concepts are associated with William James?
flavours of memory
phases: temporal staging (short vs. long-term)
types of memories (habits vs. memories)
