Lab 2 - sensory and motor system integration

Question 1

How are external signals processed?

Answer 1

Sensory receptors (neurons) send sensory information to the CNS for processing.

Question 2

Define: nervous system integration

Answer 2

The generation of a motor output based on the sum of the sensory inputs.

Question 3

Simple (vs complex) reflex arc:

Answer 3

Neuronal circuitry is confined to the spinal cord. Sensory info goes to higher centres, but the brain is not required to perform the reflex.

Question 4

Complex (vs simple) reflex arc:

Answer 4

Involve additional interneurons and more than one population of motor neurons. The more neurons and synapses, the longer the delay between stimulus and response.

Question 5

Ways integration occurs:

Answer 5

Mostly reflex arcs, but also learning.

Question 6

Learning:

Answer 6

Learning can modify motor outputs. Takes place in the brain. Larger brain = learn faster and generate more complex responses. More complex integration patterns are mostly due to more interneurons and neuronal connections.

Question 7

Factors that affect reaction time:

Answer 7

Signal complexity, duration, strength.

Question 8

How does reaction time change with sensory system?

Answer 8

1. Afferent conduction times differ between sensory systems.
2. Some sensory systems change instantly while others change more slowly.
3. Sensitivity differs between sensory systems.

Question 9

Reflex vs reaction:

Answer 9

Reflexes are involuntary and ungoverned by the brain. Reactions are voluntary responses that can be modified through learning.

Question 10

Define: visual motor learning

Answer 10

The process of increasing the accuracy, speed and coordination of tasks involving eye-hand coordination with practice.

Question 11

What actually happened in this lab? Experiment 1: visual vs auditory reaction time.

Answer 11

Subjects pressed event markers in response to a visual or auditory cue.

Question 12

Define: SEM

Answer 12

How much data varies between subjects. (How much the reaction times vary amongst the students.)

How close are the calculated mean and the mean of the population. Small SEM = smaller variation in population.

Question 13

Define: confidence interval

Answer 13

The range of values considered to be normal.

A 95% conf. int. represents the range of values that you can expect to contain the true population mean 95% of the time.

Question 14

Conf int and statistical significance:

Answer 14

Within the conf int = NOT significant

Outside the conf int = significant.

Question 15

SEM bars and significance:

Answer 15

If SEM bars of two groups do not overlap, the data is LIKELY significant, or LIKELY the groups are significantly different.

Question 16

Expected data from experiment 1 (visual vs auditory):

Answer 16

Auditory sensory pathway is less complex, so the reaction time is faster.

Question 17

What actually happened in this lab? Experiment 2: visual motor learning.

Answer 17

Throw at target. Put on prism goggles (left/negative displacement) and throw at target. Take off prism goggles and throw at target.

Question 18

Average reflex time:

Answer 18

300 ms

Question 19

What affects how much a prism bends light?

Answer 19

Index of refraction of the material.

Question 20

Phys sig:

Answer 20

Goggles on - visual motor learning occurs and throwing improves.
Goggles off short - visual motor learning persists and throwing sucks.
Goggles off long - visual motor learning occurs again and throwing improves.