Exam 1 Flashcards
Good science is:
Testable, data driven and public
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction that gives direction to research
What is a null hypothesis?
There is no significant difference between specified populations
What is the function of a dendrite?
To receive incoming signals from other neurons
When you feel no pain after a long painful exercise what chemical in the brain could be responsible?
Endorphins
The reuptake of a neurotransmitter would involve the reabsorption into a what?
The Sending neuron
The most extensive regions of the brain, which enable learning and memory, are called the:
Association areas
An impaired use of language is known as:
Aphasia
What is brain plasticity?
The brains ability to change neural pathways and synapses due to behavior, environment, thinking or bodily injury/surgeries
What nervous system is the somatic nervous system a part of?
Peripheral
What is the somatic nervous system?
Controls voluntary movement
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Controls automatic responses
Fight or flight
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
Often called the rest and digest system.
Helps to control automatic digestion and rest
What are epigenetics?
The study of changes in organism caused by gene expression rather than genetic code
(Genes showing up in one sibling and not the other)
Know CR, CS, UCR, UCS
Conditioned response
Conditioned stimulus
Unconditioned response
Unconditioned stimulus
What is classical conditioning?
An association made between a neutral stimulus and a naturally occurring response that is now invoked by the stimulus
What is operant conditioning?
The probability of a response is increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment
Who did the little Albert study?
Watson
Who highlighted the importance if observational learning?
Bandura
What is the definition of cognition?
The mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating.
What is algorithm in the study of psychology?
Systematically testing every possible solution to a problem
What does heuristic mean?
A thinking strategy that allows us to make judgement and solve problems
What is representativeness Heuristic judgment?
Judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well it is represented compared to our prototype of it
What is Availability Heuristic?
Estimating the likelihood if events based on their availability in our memory
What is the hippocampus?
Located in limbic system
Processes memories for storage
What is semantic encoding?
The processing of information into the memory according to its meaning
What is the Spacing effect?
Ability to have long-term retention in learning things a little bit at a time over a long period
What is it called when you organize information into meaningful units in the brain?
Chunking
What are explicit memories?
Facts, including names, images and events
What is flashbulb memory?
Unusually vivid memory of an emotionally important moment in one’s life
What is Iconic memory?
Visual sensory memory consisting of a photographic memory
What is Long-term potentiation (LTP)?
Believed to be the neural basis for learning and memory
What are Mnemonics?
Memory aids that often use visual imagery
What is Retroactive interference?
The disruptive effect of something recently learned on old knowledge
