Chapter 6 - Transition to Modern Cognitivism Flashcards
1
Q
Higher mental processes
A
- unobservable processes that occur in the mind
- what we normally think of as “thinking”
2
Q
Dopamine
A
- brain chemical involved in neural transmission
- dopaminergic cells are found in the pleasure centers of the brain, and areas that control physical movement
- excessive activity (eg. cocaine, electrical stimulation, rewards) leads to reactions of pleasure
3
Q
Norepinephrine
A
- neurotransmitter linked with arousal, memory, and learning
4
Q
Acetylcholine
A
- neurotransmitter present in the PNS and CNS
- involved in voluntary activity and physiological functions
- also involved in CNS for learning and memory
5
Q
Serotonin
A
- neurotransmitter
- mostly found in the gut where it regulates intestinal activity
- also implicated in human emotion and cognitive activity
- low levels may be associated with depression
6
Q
Hebb rule
A
- the repeated cofiring of two related neurons will lead to a permanent change in the strength of the synapse (connection) between them
7
Q
Cell assembly
A
- hypothetical structure in Hebb’s theory
- circuit of neurons that reactivate one another
- corresponds to relatively simple sensory input
8
Q
Phase sequence
A
- in Hebb’s theory
- an integrated arrangement of related cell assemblies
- corresponds to a concept or percept
9
Q
Habituation
A
- highly common form of learning
- organism’s responses to stimulation gradually diminish or cease
- most often occurs following mild, repetitive stimulation
10
Q
Sensitization
A
- common form of learning
- organism’s response to stimulation increases in intensity
- most often occurs following intense stimulation
11
Q
Reactivity
A
- the capacity of the organism to react to external stimuli
12
Q
Plasticity
A
- the property of the organism that allows it to change as a function of repeated stimulation
13
Q
Long-term potentiation
A
- a lasting neurological change defined by an increase in the responsiveness of neurons
14
Q
Long-term depression
A
- a neurological change defined by a lasting decline in the strength of the connection between two neurons (decline in synaptic strength)
15
Q
Set
A
- tendency to respond or perceive in a predetermined way
16
Q
Attention
A
- state of the reacting organisms that implies a narrowing and focusing of perception
- selection and emphasis to that which the organism responds
17
Q
Arousal
A
- changes in functions such as heart rate, respiration rate, electrical activity in cortex, and electrical conductivity of skin
- refers to degree of alertness, awareness, vigilance or wakefulness
18
Q
Neobehaviorist
A
- Hull
- did not limit theory to observable stimuli and responses, but also considered what occurs between the two
19
Q
Mechanistic behaviorism
A
- concern with the machine-like, predictable aspects of behaviour and a refusal to consider mentalistic explanations for behaviour
20
Q
Reductionist
A
- term used to describe theories that try to understand a process or a phenomenon by reducing it to its smallest components
21
Q
Cognitivism
A
- approaches to theories of learning concerned with intellectual events such as problem solving, information processing, thinking, and imagining
22
Q
Cognitions
A
- things that are known
- refers to knowing, understanding, problem solving, and related intellectual processes
23
Q
Cognitive maps
A
- Tolman’s term for a mental representation of a physical environment in which goals are located as well as an internal representation of relationships between behaviour and goals
24
Q
Insight
A
- the perception of relationships among elements of a problem situation
- problem-solving method that contrasts with trial and error
- Gestalt
25
Q
Präganz
A
- “good form”
- what we perceive tends to take the best possible form, where best usually refers to a principle like closure, continuity, similarity, or proximity
26
Q
Behavioral field
A
- Gestalt
- the individual’s personal perception of reality
- also called the psychological field
27
Q
Productive thinking
A
- type of thinking that results from insight rather than from rote learning
- often used as a synonym for creative thinking
28
Q
Constructivism
A
- term for student-centred approaches to teacher
- eg. discovery-oriented approaches, reciprocal learning, cooperative instructive
- assumption that learners should build knowledge from themselves
29
Q
Direct teaching
A
- authoritarian approach for teaching
- teachers are the primary source of information
30
Q
Logical positivism
A
- philosophy of science
- things are real and exact and they can therefore be described and measured literally and accurately
