Module 2 - 2: The Big Picture

Question 1

What info do systems of neuromodulators carry?

Answer 1

Info about the importance and value of experience (not about the content of the experience).

Question 2

What three neuromodulator chemicals were discussed in this class?

Answer 2

acetylcholine
dopamine
serotonin

Question 3

What do acetylcholine neurons do and what are they important for?

Answer 3

1. Acetylcholine neurons form neuromodulatory connections to the cortex.
2. They are important for focused learning, when paying close attention.
3. They activate circuits that control synaptic plasticity, leading to long term memory.
4. They have a profound impact on your unconscious mind.

Question 4

What does dopamine control and when is it released?

Answer 4

Dopamine controls our motivation. It is released when we receive an unexpected reward. Dopamine signals project widely and have a powerful effect on learning.

Question 5

What system is dopamine part of?

Answer 5

Dopamine is part of the brain system that controls reward learning and in particular the basil ganglia which is above the dopamine neurons and below the cortex.

Question 6

In addition to learning, what does dopamine affect?

Answer 6

Dopamine also affects decision-making and value of sensory inputs.

Question 7

How does dopamine affect the future?

Answer 7

Dopamine also predicts future rewards and can motivate you to do something that is not rewarding now but will be in the future.

Question 8

What happens with the loss of dopamine neurons?

Answer 8

Loss of dopamine neurons leads to lack of motivation and anhedonia.

Question 9

Serotonin is related to -

Answer 9

social life.

Question 10

What is the serotonin activity levels in monkeys?

Answer 10

Alpha males have the highest levels of serotonin and the lowest ranking monkeys have the lowest levels.

Question 11

What is a behavior related to low serotonin?

Answer 11

Risk taking is related to low serotonin and as seen in low ranking monkeys and inmates jailed for violent crimes.

Question 12

What causes Parkinson’s?

Answer 12

Parkinson’s is caused by severe low dopamine and includes resting tremor, slowness, rigidity and ultimately catatonia - complete lack of movement.

Question 13

How do emotions affect learning?

Answer 13

Emotions are intertwined with perception and attention and interact with learning and memory.

Question 14

What is the amygdala and what system is it related to?

Answer 14

The amygdala is

• an almond shaped structure at the base of the brain
• where cognition and emotion are effectively integrated.
• part of the limbic system – – works with the hippocampus for processing memory, decision making and controlling emotional reactions.

Question 15

How do week-long reading periods help innovators like Bill Gates?

Answer 15

Holding many varied ideas in mind at one time while they are fresh allows them to network amongst themselves.

Question 16

How do people enhance knowledge and gain expertise?

Answer 16

Gradually building the number of chunks in their mind and building a large chunk library that helps you more easily solve problems.

Question 17

What is transfer?

Answer 17

When chunks help you understand new concepts by relating to similar chunks in that and other fields.

Question 18

What is the long ribbon analogous of?

Answer 18

Chunking as a way of compressing more and more information compactly and in bigger chunks which are solid and firmly ingrained.

Question 19

How does diffuse mode work with a library of chunks?

Answer 19

Diffuse mode can help you skip to the right solution and connect chunks in novel ways.

Question 20

What do faint jigsaw puzzle sections represent?

Answer 20

Chunks that are not well practiced and ingrained. They remain hard to put together in the bigger picture.

Question 21

In addition to training your brain to recognize specific concepts, what does building a chunked library do?

Answer 21

Trains your brain to recognize different types and classes of concepts so you can quickly solve or handle whatever you encounter. You will start to see patterns that simplify problem solving.

Question 22

What are two ways to solve problems?

Answer 22

1) Sequential step-by-step (uses focused mode)
2) Holistic intuition
(uses diffuse mode)

Question 23

What is the Law of Serendipity?

Answer 23

If you work through concepts or problems one by one each successive one will get somewhat easier. It won’t be a snap but what seemed overwhelming at the beginning will be possible.

Question 24

Overlearning

Answer 24

Continuing to study or practice after you’ve mastered what you can in a session.

Question 25

Positives of Overlearning

Answer 25

• Produce automaticity
• • Valuable for performance (sports, music, public speaking)
• -Helpful if you choke on tests

Question 26

Problems with Overlearning

Answer 26

• Can waste valuable learning time because continuing to hammer away in a single session doesn’t strengthen long term memory
• Can lead to seeing only one way to do something
• Can bring the illusion of competence that you’ve mastered all the material when you’ve really only mastered the easy stuff

Question 27

How can Overlearning be done productively?

Answer 27

Overlearning in subsequent study sessions (not all at once) can strengthen and deepen chunked neuron patterns.

Question 28

Deliberate Practice

Answer 28

Deliberately focusing on the more difficult material instead of just going over the easy stuff repeatedly.

Question 29

Einstellung

Answer 29

German for “mindset”
Refers to the phenomenon of an initial thought or pattern you have in mind and have developed and strengthened preventing a better idea or solution from being found.

Question 30

What is the metaphorical representation of Einstellung?

Answer 30

The pinball machine in focused mode that can only repeat the same ingrained pattern and can’t get to the solution in a different area.

Question 31

How does intuition relate to Einstellung?

Answer 31

Your initial intuition about what is happening and what you need to do may be misleading and then you need to unlearn old erroneous ideas or approaches while learning the correct new ones.

Question 32

What is a common mistake students make referred to as jumping in the water before you swim?

Answer 32

Doing the homework without the reading, lectures, etc. Like randomly allowing a thought to pop off in focus mode without knowing where the solution lies.

Question 33

Why is interleaving important after learning chunks?

Answer 33

Teaches you when and how to select and use different chunks (methods, concepts, etc) and leads to creativity.

Question 34

How do you interleave?

Answer 34

Jump back and forth between problems or situations that require different techniques or strategies, like doing problems from different sets, e.g. at the end of the chapter instead of just in each section.

Question 35

What is the bike analogy for interleaving?

Answer 35

Learning the basic chunks is like riding a bike with training wheels. To take the training wheels off you need to do problems where you need to decide which solution or technique to use.

Question 36

What is the difference between interleaving within a subject and between subjects?

Answer 36

Interleaving within a subject develops your creative power within that subject, interleaving between subjects allows you to make new connections between those areas.

Question 37

What is the trade off with developing expertise in multiple areas?

Answer 37

Might not have as deep of knowledge as a single-discipline expert.

Question 38

What is the trade off with focusing on one discipline?

Answer 38

Expertise in one area may lead to entrenched think and may limit ability to handle new ideas and think creatively.

Question 39

What did Thomas Kuhn discover about paradigm shifts in science?

Answer 39

They are usually brought about by young people or people trained originally in other disciplines - who haven’t developed a einstellung problem in that field.