psych 101 midterm 1 Flashcards
Define iconic and echoic memory.
Iconic – the visual form of sensory memory (held for about one-half to one second.
Echoic – the auditory form of sensory memory (about fie seconds)
- Describe the function and limitations of sensory memory.
A memory store that accurately holds perceptual information for a very brief amount of time. How brief depends on which (iconic memory, echoic memory) sensory memories disappear faster then an individual can report them.
Describe the function and limitations of short-term memory
Is a memory store with limited with limited capacity and duration. It can rehearse 7 units of information before forgetting something. People can generally remember 7 units of information in their short term memory.
- Describe the function and limitations of long-term memory.
Forgetting
Holds information for extended periods of time, if not permanently – no capacity limitations. All information that undergoes encoding will be entered in the long term memory. Just because information is stored in the LTM doesn’t mean it is always accessible.
- Identify the forgetting that can occur at the various memory stages.
Retrieval: Effective Studying
Sensory memory – the senses momentarily register amazing detail.
Working/ short term memory – a few items are both noticed and encoded
Long term memory – some items are altered or lost
Retrieval from long-term memory – some things get retrieved, some don’t. depending on interferences, retrieval cues, mood, motives.
- Explain the importance of sleep.
Most intuitive explanations for why we sleep. – restore and protect – the idea that the body needs to restore energy levels and repair any wear and tear experienced during the day’s activities.
Preserve and protect hypothesis – suggests that two more adaptive functions of sleep are preserving energy and protecting the organism from harm.
Encoding
the process of storing information in the LTM system.
Sensory memory (sensory register
a memory store that accurately holds perceptual information for a very brief amount of time
Short-term memory (working memory)
a memory store with limited capacity and duration (less than a minute)
Elaborative rehearsal
prolonging exposure to information by thinking about its meaning.
Long-term memory
holds information for extended periods of time, if not permanently.
- Describe the basic model of psychology and the major variables.
X environment (sociocultural – groups, society, culture) - Person (psychodynamic – subconscious forces – cognitive – thought and perception – biological – brain, evolution, genetics) -> behavior (behaviorism – overt responses) -> outcomes
- Describe the ABC’s of psychology.
- affect – feelings / emotions / mood
- behavior – actions / responses / performance
- cognition – thoughts / decisions / attitudes
- Describe the different perspectives and explain their focus on human experience.
- Psychodynamic -
- Behaviorism
- Cognitive
- Biological
- Socio-cultural
- Neuropsychological, evolution, genetics
Describe the goals of science.
- understand
- explain
- predict
- control
Explain the scientific method of refinement
Analyze results -> refine theory -> develop theory -> form hypothesis -> carry out observations.
Describe the criteria of science.
- empirical
- replicable
- falsifiable
Describe and explain correlational and causal relationships among variables.
- Correlation research involves measuring the degree of association between two or more variables
Describe the basic design of Harlow’s research
Monkeys were placed in a cage with 2 pseudo-parents- one parent was a cylinder of mesh wire wrapped with a piece of terry cloth and loosely resembled an adult monkey; the other was an identical cylinder but without the cloth covering. Some monkeys were raised in cages where the wire mothers also had a bottle affixed to her thus was the infants food source and some monkeys were raised in cages where the “cloth mother” was the food provider. – no matter who had the bottle, the baby monkeys spent almost all their time with the cloth mom
- Attachment is based on feeling secure, which is based on physical comfort.
- Describe his results and explain how this refutes the previous theories by demonstrating that attachment is a primary need.
- the infant monkeys identified with the cloth monkey more and went to it for help.
- Emotional attachment is a primary motivational need that serves evolutionary purposes
Explain how his research suggests an evolutionary function for infant attachment.
Infants are genetically programmed to form an attachment with ONE responsive caregiver
- Describe Ainsworth’s research design known as the “strange situation.”
A child is in a room with a stranger and a caregiver. The child is carefully observed while the caregiver and the stranger are in the room together. The child is then carefully observed when the caregiver leaves and then returns to the room.
- Identify and describe the 3 main patterns / styles of attachment.
- Secure
- Ambivalent
- avoidant.
- Describe how each attachment pattern appears in the strange situation.
Secure – the caregiver is the secure base, child turns towards occasionally “checking in”. the child shows some distress when the mother leaves and avoids the stranger. When the mother returns, the child seeks comfort and their distress is relieved.
Insecure attachment – 2 types (anxious/ resistant)
Child depends to strongly on the caregiver, exhibiting “clingy” behavior. The child is very upset when the caregiver leaves the room, and is fearful of the stranger. When the caregiver returns, the child seeks comfort but also resists it pushes away the caregiver, not allowing the distress to be easily alleviated.
Avoidant – child acts as though they do not need the caregiver. Plays in room as though they are oblivious to the caregiver. Child is not upset when the caregiver leaves doesn’t care about the stranger. When the caregiver returns, the child does not seek contact.
