PSYCH 104 Final (Behaviour)

Question 1

What did Wundt believe Psychology was?

Answer 1

Wundt: psychology is the science of conciousness

Question 2

What did Watson believe psychology was?

Answer 2

Watson: psychology is the science of behavior

Question 3

The problem with Likert scales

Answer 3

The problem with Likert scales
- Most statistical procedures assume the measure is like this
○ On a ‘interval’ scale
§ The difference between two values is meaningful
§ A score of 6 is twice as high as a score of 3

Question 4

Likert scales (What are they?)

Answer 4

Scales (1-10 or so) that measure peoples conscious experiences

Question 5

Behaviorism (not the same as school of behaviorism)

Answer 5

Behaviorism
- Basically studying behavior of organisms
- Assumes behavior can be studied for its own sake
- Assumes that the causes of behavior (a natural event) only include natural phenomena
○ Views behavior as a function of evolved genetic and environmental forces
- Its a pragmatic argument about how a science of behavior should be conducted. It is not a metaphysical position about the nature of conciousness or the mind
○ Note: don’t confuse psychology’s behaviorism with the school of thought in philosophy called behaviorism

Question 6

Behaviorism (What is it a result of?)

Answer 6

Behaviorism = f(organism, environment)
- Behaviorism is a result of an organism and its interaction with the environment
- Note:
○ Organism is shorthand way of referring to physiology, genetics, prior learning, etc..
○ Environment refers to current environmental stimuli being encountered

Question 7

Phylogenetic (evolved) behavior (Reflexes)

Answer 7

Phylogenetic (evolved) behavior
- Reflexes
○ A relationship between a specific event and simple response to that event
§ Found in all members of a species
§ Highly stereotypic
§ Human examples:
□ Pupillary reflex, Rooting reflex, Suckling reflex, Salivary reflex, Palmar grasp reflex, Peristalsis, Respitory reflex, Patellar reflex
§ Not all are useful
□ Peanut allergies, flashing lights causing seizures

Question 8

Law of threshold (What is it?)

Answer 8

• Law of threshold
  ○ There is a point (called the threshold) below which no response is elicited and above a response always occurs

Question 9

Law of intensity-magnitude (What is it?)

Answer 9

• Law of intensity-magnitude
  ○ Increases in stimuli intensity (or magnitude), also increase the intensity (or magnitude) of the response

Question 10

Law of latency (What is it?)

Answer 10

• Law of latency
  ○ The more intense a stimuli is, the faster the response is elicited

Question 11

Habituation (What is it?)

Answer 11

Habituation:
- A decrease in the intense or probability of a reflex response resulting from repeated exposure to a stimulus that evokes that response
○ Habituation is perhaps the simplest form of learning
○ (we get less scared as we encounter it over and over again)

Question 12

Phylogenic (evolved) behavior (Fixed action patterns)

Answer 12

Phylogenic (evolved) behavior
- Fixed action patterns
○ A series of related acts found in (nearly) all members of a species
○ Occurs when the appropreate releaser stimulus (or stimuli) is present
○ Also called:
§ Modal action patterns
§ Species specific behavior

Question 13

Phylogenic (evolved) behavior (General behavior traits)

Answer 13

• General behavior traits
  ○ Any general behavioral tendency that is strongly influenced by genes
  § Example: introversion, general anxiety, activity level, aggressiveness, drug abuse, etc.
  § Evidence
  □ Selective breeding
  □ Gene knockout
  □ Twin studies

Question 14

Limits of natural selection: (What is it?)

Answer 14

Limits of natural selection:
- Its very slow