Exam 1 Terms to know

Question 1

Analytic introspection

Answer 1

A procedure used by early psychologists in which trained participants described their experiences and thought processes in response to stimuli

Question 2

Behaviorism

Answer 2

Approach to psychology founded by Watson, states that observable behavior provides the only valid data for psychology, consequence: consciousness and unobservable mental processes are not worth being studied by psychologists.

Question 3

Reinforcer

Answer 3

In operant condition, describe any event/stimulus that strengthens the frequency of the behavior that precedes it. A reinforcer increases the likelihood that the specific behavior reoccurs.

Question 4

Neuropsychology

Answer 4

The study of the behavioral effects of brain damage in humans.

Question 5

Axon

Answer 5

Part of the neuron that transmits signals from the cell body to the synapse at the end of the axon.

Question 6

Neuron

Answer 6

Cell that is specialized to receive and transmit information in the nervous system.

Question 7

Neurotransmitters

Answer 7

Chemical that is released at the synapse in response to incoming action potentials.

Question 8

Dendrite

Answer 8

Structures that branch out from the cell body to receive electrical signals from other neurons.

Question 9

Structuralism (/)

Answer 9

An approach to psychology that explained perception as the adding up of small elementary units called sensations.

Question 10

Synapse

Answer 10

Space between the end of an axon and the cell body or dendrite of the next axon.

Question 11

Prosopagnosia

Answer 11

Condition caused by damage to the temporal lobe that is characterized by an inability to recognize faces.

Question 12

(neuronal) firing rate

Answer 12

Rate at which the axon fires with action potentials, depends on the intensity.

Question 13

Unconscious inference

Answer 13

Helmholtz’s idea that some of our perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions that we make about the environment.

Question 14

Semantic(s)

Answer 14

regularities: characteristics associated with the functions carried out in different types of scenes.

Question 15

Environmental regularities

Answer 15

Characteristics of the environment that occur frequently. Ex: blue associated with open sky, landscape often green and smooth, verticals and horizontals often associated with buildings.

Question 16

Bayesian inference

Answer 16

The idea that our estimate of the probability of an outcome is determined by the prior probability (our initial belief) and the likelihood (the extent to which the evidence is consistent with the outcome)

Question 17

Gestalt principles/laws

Answer 17

Principles of perceptual organization, the whole is different than the sum of its parts, principles of good continuation, principle of good figure/simplicity, principle of similarity

Question 18

Action potential (/)

Answer 18

Propagated electrical potential responsible for transmitting neural information and for communication between neurons. Action potentials typically travel down a neuron’s axon.

Question 19

Experience-dependent plasticity

Answer 19

Shaping of neural responding by experience, experience can shape the nervous system. (A mechanism that causes an organism’s neurons to develop so they response best to the type of stimulation to which the organism has been exposed)

Question 20

Dichotic listening paradigm

Answer 20

The procedure of presenting one message to the left ear and a different message to the right ear.

Question 21

Cocktail party effect

Answer 21

The ability to focus on one stimulus while filtering out other stimuli, especially at a party where there are a lot of simultaneous conversations.

Question 22

Stroop effect

Answer 22

An effect originated in the task to respond to one aspect of a stimulus and ignore another aspect. It is difficult for people.

Question 23

Fixations

Answer 23

In problem solving, people’s tendency to focus on a specific characteristic of the problem that keeps them from arriving at a solution. In perception and attention, a pausing of the eyes on places of interest while observing a scene.

Question 24

Saccades

Answer 24

Eye movements from one fixation point to another.

Question 25

Schema

Answer 25

A schema is a cognitive structure that serves as a framework for one’s knowledge about people, places, objects, and events. Schemas help people organize their knowledge of the world and understand new information.