Psych 2 (consciousness, learning) Flashcards
Right hemisphere controls…
Left visual field sight, left side movement
Left hemisphere controls
Right visual field sight, right side movement, speech
Optic chiasm
An area where axons of optic nerves cross over each other. Information is sorted so that info from the right visual field is processed in the left visual cortex, and vice versa
Circadian rhythm
Naturally-occurring 24 hour cycle, regulated by a molecular clock region in the hypothalamus PLUS light cues
Free-running periods
Periods of sleep/wake without light cues. For humans, they are about 25 hours
REM
Rapid Eye Movement. Stage of sleep where dreaming occurs, muscles are paralyzed, unsynchronized neural activity that is similar to waking
Insomnia
A persistent inability to fall or stay asleep
Sleep Apnea
failure to breathe when asleep
Narcolepsy
overpowering urge to fall asleep that may occur while talking or standing up
Night terrors
The sudden arousal from sleep with intense fear accompanied by physiological reactions (rapid heart rate, perspiration) which occur during stage 4 sleep
Sleepwalking
A Stage 4 sleep disorder which is usually harmless and unrecalled the next day
3 Theories of why we dream
Wish fulfillment, information processing, activation-synthesis theory
Psychoactive drugs
Chemicals that alter perceptions and mood (consciousness) or behavior
Stimulants
Increase CNS activity
Depressants
Decrease CNS activity
Opiates
Derived from opium, relieve pain
Hallucinogens
Alter sensation/perception
Learning
the acquisition of a mental representation of past experience
Classical conditioning
pairing two previously unrelated events
Fear conditioning
the association of a neutral stimulus with an aversive stimulus, so that the animal becomes afraid of the conditioned stimulus
Acquisition
The initial learning stage: the association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place
Extinction
When US does not follow the CS, CR begins to decrease and eventually causes extinction. (extinction is new learning, not forgetting)
Spontaneous recovery
after extinction (CS with no US until CR stops), and a period with no CS, another CS can bring back the CR