Chapter 4 - Interacting with the Environment Flashcards
What is belief perseverance?
the tendency to cling to beliefs despite the presence of contrary evidence
What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?
People perform best when they are moderately aroused (not too complacent, not too overwhelmed).
What is the social influence theory of hypnosis?
It suggest that hypnotized people do and report what’s expected of them.
What is working memory?
short-term memory
What is the spotlight model of visual attention?
The spotlight is an attention beam that can shine anywhere within an individual’s visual field.
How does alcohol work?
It stimulates GABA (reducing anxiety) and dopamine systems (feeling euphoric).
What are the 3 main types of stress?
- catastrophes
- significant life changes
- daily hassles
Define dyssomnia
abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep
Define heuristics
mental shortcuts
What is the availability heuristic?
the tendency to make judgments based on how readily available information is in our memories
What role does the prefrontal cortex play in emotion?
It tends to reduce overwhelming emotional experiences and controls executive functions such as decision making and behavior inhibition).
When and what defines the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development?
0-2 years of age
Babies experience the world through their senses and movement. They also learn object permanence and have stranger anxiety.
What are the four components of Baddeley’s model of working memory?
1) phonological loop (forget auditory information quickly, must repeat quickly)
2) visuospatial sketchpad (mental images)
3) episodic buffer (interact with long-term memory)
4) central executive (oversees entire process, shifts/divides attention
What is fixation in problem solving?
the inability to see the problem from a fresh perspective
What is the resource model of attention?
We have a limited pool of resources on which to draw when performing tasks, both modality-specific and general resources.
How does one progress through a sleep cycle?
Stage 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, REM
How does recall differ from recognition? Give an example.
Recall involves retrieving information from memory without any clues (ex: witness describing a face), whereas recognition involves retrieving information from memory with clues (ex: witness picking suspect out of lineup).
What hormone induces sleep and what produces it?
melatonin - pineal gland
When do delta waves appear?
Stage 3 sleep - deepest sleep
What is accomodation in terms of schemas?
Adjusting our mental frameworks to take into account new information/experiences.
What is the Schachter-Singer Theory?
One we experience a physiological reaction, we make a conscious cognitive interpretation based on circumstances, that leads to our behavioral reaction.
Define language acquisition
the way infants learn to understand and speak their native language
When do K-complexes and sleep spindles appear?
Stage 2 sleep
What is the James-Lange Theory of emotion?
The cognitive/emotional experience is the result of the physiological and behavioral reactions.
How do opiates work?
They mimic the brain’s own pain relievers (endorphins).
When do theta waves dominate?
Stage 1 of sleep
Define selective attention
One input is attended to (attended channel) and the rest are tuned out (unattended channel).
What is the main function of Broca’s area?
It is involved in producing speech.
What is the main function of Wernkicke’s area?
It is involved in comprehension of speech and written language.
How do stimulants work?
They increase the release/reuptake of neurotransmitters, speeding up body function.
What is assimilation in terms of our schemas?
Conforming new information/experiences to fit our mental frameworks.
Define parasomnia
abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep
What is the cocktail party effect?
Information of personal significance from previously unattended channels catches our attention.
When and what defines the concrete operational stage of cognitive development?
7-11 years of age
Children learn to think logically about concrete events (and learn conservation). They also learn mathematical concepts.
Define learned helplessness
When stress is accompanied by perceiving a lack of control, over time one may feel a sense of exhaustion and lack of believe in their ability to manage situations.
What is physical dependence of a drug?
The body has become tolerant to it and withdrawals without it.
What is the main structure involved in emotion in the limbic system?
the amygdala
When and what defines the preoperational stage of cognitive development?
2-7 years of age
Children learn that things are represented by symbols (such as words and images). They still lack logical reasoning and are egocentric.
What is cortisol’s function in regards to stress?
It shifts our body from using glucose as energy to using fat. It spares glucose for the brain.
What is a mental set in problem solving?
fixating on solutions that worked in the past, but may not be as effective today
What are 3 symptoms of PTSD?
- avoidance
- hyperarousal
- re-experiencing
What is the hallmark of the Treisman Attenuation Model of Selective Attention?
The mind can attenuate or turn down unattended sensory input, rather than completely eliminating it.
Describe Chomsky’s “language acquisition device” or “universal grammer.”
Humans have an innate ability to make grammatical distinctions and do so naturally when exposed to language at a young age.
What is the linguistic relativity hypothesis?
Cognition and perception are determined by the language one speaks. We conceptualize the world differently based on our language.
Define consciousness
the awareness that we have of ourselves, and our surroundings
What is physchological dependence on a drug?
use of a drug in response to painful emotions
What is the Cannon-Bard Theory of emotion?
The behavioral reaction is a result of the simultaneous physiological and cognitive reactions.
Define divided attention
the ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously
What is a confirmation bias in problem solving?
the tendency to search only for information that confirms our preconceived thinking, rather than information that might not support it
What is Wernicke’s aphasia/receptive aphasia?
The person does not have a problem producing speech, but is incapable of producing intelligible, meaningful language.
What is the characteristic of Broca’s aphasia/expressive aphasia?
The person knows what they want to say, but is unable to communicate it effectively.
What is the representativeness heuristic and an example?
the tendency to judge the likelihoods of an event occuring based on our typical mental representations of those events (ex: more likely to die from a shark attack than falling vending machine)
When and what defines the formal operational stage of cognitive development?
12 years - adulthood
People learn abstract reasoning and moral reasoning.
What is the activation-synthesis theory?
Dreams are byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep.
How does time spent in deep and REM sleep change as one progresses through multiple sleep cycles?
amount of time in deep sleep decreases, while the amount of time in REM increases
What structure controls our alterness and arousal?
reticular formation
When do waves that look similar to beta waves appear?
REM sleep
What two systems are activated as a physiological response to stress?
- sympathetic nervous system (adrenaline and noradrenaline)
- hypothalamus (CRH) ► pituitary (ACTH) ► adrenal (cortisol)
What role does the hippocampus play in emotion?
It keeps the memory-emotion connection.
What is the hallmark of the Broadbent Filter Model of Selective Attention?
Only attended information is allowed to pass through the selective filter.
What is object permanence?
Things continue to exist even when they are out of sight.
What are the three components of emotion?
- physiological
- behavioral
- cognitive
What is functional fixedness in problem solving?
the tendency to perceive the functions of objects as fixed and unchanging
To multitask well, should the tasks be similar or dissimilar?
They should be dissimilar, utilizing different resources.
What is the nucleus accumbens and what is its relation to addictive drugs?
It is the “pleasure center” of the brain. Many addictive drugs stimulate the release of dopamine here, which gives the person a feeling of pleasure and reward.
What is the belief bias?
the tendency to judge arguments based on what one believes about their conclusions rather than on whether they use sound logic
What is the binding problem of visual attention?
Many physical aspects are assembled together and related to a single object, rather than something else in the visual field.
Define selective priming
People can be selectively primed to observe something (example: we are primed to hear names we have encountered, like friends).
When do alpha waves dominate?
as a person relaxes before sleep
Which portion of the brain is responsible for “muscle memory,” or the ability to perform motor tasks unconciously?
cerebellum
How do barbiturates work?
They depress the sympathetic nervous system.
Describe Skinner’s behaviorist model of language acquisition.
Infants are trained by operant conditioning. When they make a noise that sounds like the correct word, they receive positive reinforcement.
What is the dissociation theory of hypnotism?
It suggest hypnotism is a form of divided consciousness, kind of like autopilot, allowing the hypnotist to take control.
What is REM rebound?
If you miss REM sleep one night, you have more of it the next night.
