PSY Exam 2 Flashcards
How does brain activity change from waking states to sleeping states?
The brainwaves in stage 1 sleep are smaller and more uniform than in the awake state, which is referred to as alpha and theta waves.
What state is REM sleep most similar to?
Brain waves during REM sleep are similar to brain waves that occur during wakefulness. In fact, REM sleep is the stage of sleep that most closely resembles being awake.
How do circadian rhythms relate to sleep?
The body’s circadian rhythms control the sleep-wake cycle.
What does sleep have to do with our waking memories?
Lack of sleep affects a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is key for making new memories. You accumulate many memories, moment by moment, while you’re awake. Most will be forgotten during the day.
Why do we dream?
organize knowledge and form brain connections, which helps with memory recall
-Helps you consolidate and analyze memories
What happens to our bodies and our brains when we do not get enough sleep?
Sleep deprivation leaves your brain exhausted, so it can’t perform its duties as well.
What are the clinical sleep-problems?
Insomnia- chronic problems getting adequate sleep
Sleep apnea- breathing problems, usually associated with snoring
Somnambulism- sleep walking
RBD- acting out violent dreams
Describe the theories about dreams.
Freud-Wish fulfillment
-creative thinking /problem solving
-Activation synthesis
What is ‘mind-wandering’ and how often do we do it?
Thinking about something other than the current task & task goals
-Up to 50% of the time (Killingsworth & Gilbert 2010)
In what situations is mind-wandering problematic and when can it be beneficial?
Problematic: slower responses & problem-solving
Beneficial: increased creativity & problem-solving
What is mindfulness and what can it help with?
a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
-Focused attention, Biological changes, cognitive improvement.
Name and describe the three key processes in memory.
Encoding is defined as the initial learning of information;
Storage refers to maintaining information over time
Retrieval is the ability to access information when you need it.
How is selective attention involved in encoding?
Selective attention to a task-relevant stimulus facilitates encoding of that stimulus into a working memory representation.
Name three levels of processing and describe the differences.
Shallow processing (Rehearsal) - Structural encoding: emphasizes the physical structure of the stimulus
Intermediate processing (Chunking, Rhyming) - Phonemic encoding. emphasizes what a word sounds like
Deep processing (Visual Imagery) - Semantic encoding: emphasizes the meaning of verbal input
Define the three types of storage.
Sensory memory- Less than 1 sec., large limit, short term
Short-term memory- Working memory, small limits
Long-term memory- Indefinite time, limits & capacity
Describe the Sperling (1960s) study. What does this tell us about sensory memory?
George Sperling performed experiments designed to demonstrate the existence of visual sensory memory
-Sperling suggested that because the participants were focusing their attention on the indicated row before their visual memory faded, they were able to recall the information.
-Brief display was stored in an iconic memory
What is the capacity of short-term memory according to Miller and Cowen?
Miller: 7 + or - 2
Cowen: 3 + or - 1
What is a chunk? How can chunking information expand the size of short-term memory?
Chunking: grouping related items together
-By separating disparate individual elements into larger blocks, information becomes easier to retain and recall.
What is the Stroop Effect?
the Stroop effect is the delay in reaction time between congruent and incongruent stimuli. The effect has been used to create a psychological test that is widely used in clinical practice and investigation.
Define the working memory and the components of working memory.
Working memory is a limited capacity store for retaining information for a brief period while performing mental operations on that information. Working memory is a multi-component system which includes the central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, phonological loop, and episodic buffer.
Define working memory capacity. Name and define three things linked to working memory capacity.
Working memory capacity is similar to short-term memory
-high-level cognitive abilities, such as reading comprehension, complex reasoning, and intelligence
