Exam 1 Flashcards
FC Donders
Physiologist. Early reaction time task. Simple v choice reaction time.
Subtraction Method
Choice Reaction Time - Simple Reaction Time = Decision Time
Wilhelm Wundt
MD. 1st experimental psych lab. Structuralism. Analytic Introspection.
Analytic Introspection
Trains participants to describe their thought process in response to stimuli
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Quantitative psychology. Early memory researcher. Savings curve.
Savings Curve
How long it takes people to forget information. Decreases at a decreasing rate.
William James
MD. Idea of free will eased depression. 1st psychology textbook. Stream of consciousness. Functionalism
Stream of Consciousness
Consciousness is a continuous set of experiences
Functionalism
Mind and behavior should be understood with respect to their purpose or function. Has a darwinian influence
Freud
Psychoanalytic technique. Unconscious processes heavily influence behavior.
Issues with Cognitive Psychology
Can’t observe the mind. Analytic introspection isn’t objective. Can’t falsify a lot of things.
John Watson
Behaviorist. Nonmediationalist. Rejected analytic introspection because there is too much variation in behavior. Little Albert exposure therapy.
Edward Thorndike
Law of Effect
Law of Effect
Behavior responses most closely followed by a satisfying result are more likely to become established patterns that occur again in response to the same stimuli.
BF Skinner
Radical Behaviorism. Operant Conditioning. Empiricist. Determinist. Disagreed with Thorndike. Skinner box.
Radical Behaviorism
Behavior, not mental states, should be the focus of study.
Empiricism
Any behavior can be conditioned
Skinner box (operant conditioning chamber)
Trains animals to look at different stimuli in an environment. A certain amount of food is provided if a button or lever is pressed.
Edward C. Tolman
Challenged stimulus-response model of learning. Cognitive map (rat maze). Latent learning.
Noam Chomsky
Language development. Universal grammar. High-order cognition cannot be learned.
Universal grammar
All babies are born with rules of grammar that are hardwired into their brains.
Neuroplasticity
Ability of neural networks to change and grow through reorganization.
Nerve Net
Early conceptualization of the brain. Big web. Continuous and complex pathways. Ramon and Cajal.
Golgi Staining Method
Silver staining technique used to visualize nervous tissue. First used with brains of newborn animals.
Neuron Doctrine
Cells transmit signals. Cells are separate from one another.
Dendrite
Receives neurotransmitters
Cell body
Receives messages, contains genes, maintains structure
Axon
Transmits signals
Synapse
Small gap between neurons
Edgar Adrian
Recorded electronic signals in frog’s sensory nerves. 1 electrode in axon, other electrode outside. Noted a significant difference between inside and outside. Polarized membrane.