Lectures 1-5

Question 1

What is conditioned suppression?

Answer 1

It is where an instrumental baseline is created, and conditioning is used to suppress the learned behavior. e.g. by using a shock

Question 2

Describe Lamarks main contribution and identify the 2 examples give in the lecture.

Answer 2

First to suggest animals evolved. Proposed the idea that environmental change produces new habits, which produces physical change, and these changes are heritable. giraffe’s long necks, blacksmiths muscles.

Question 3

Darwin =

Answer 3

natural selection

Question 4

Thomas Huxley is a ______, who looked at ______

Answer 4

comparative neuroanatomist, human evolution

Question 5

What role did Wallace play in evolution, and what was his stance on human evolution?

Answer 5

Co-founder. human evolution involved supernatural intervention.

Question 6

What was Darwins eventual stance on human evolution?

Answer 6

Human intellect is not unique –> mental continuity. We just have a unique combination.
sexual selection is a factor.

Question 7

What role did Romanes play in evolution and comparative psychology?

Answer 7

added experimental evidence to darwins theory. work with animal intelligence and said that since animals have CNS then they must be sensitive to past experiences = memory/learning. Said there is a hierarchy for emotional and cognitive processes e.g. lower = pain, higher = shame

Question 8

What did moran criticize Romanes for?

Answer 8

ignoring opportunities for learning
confusing objective and subjective inferences of mental behavior to mental states
explaining animal behavior in a complicated way

Question 9

What scientist worked with trial and error learning?

Answer 9

Morgan and thorndike

Question 10

Describe Morgans Cannon

Answer 10

1. brief observation is not enough to understand the animal mind, systematic study is needed
2. simple psychological processes can interact with environment to produce highly complex behaviour.

Question 11

Latent learning is when:

Answer 11

Learning occurs without reinforcement. reinforcement only provides and incentive.

Question 12

Describe sensory preconditioning and what it indicates

Answer 12

sensory preconditioning: 
stage 1: light - noise
stage 2: noise - food
stage 3: test light alone
result: related response to light implies animal has learned light-noise association 

learning occurs without reinforcement.