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MCAT Psychology > Psych Ch. 4: Interacting with the Environment > Flashcards

Psych Ch. 4: Interacting with the Environment Flashcards

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1
Q

Donald Broadbent

A

thought of the brain as a processing system with a limited capacity and sought to map out the steps that went into creating memories from raw sensory data

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2
Q

Broadbent Filter Model of Attention

A
  • Inputs from the environment first enter a sensory buffer
  • One of these inputs is sleeted for and filtered based on physical characteristics of the input (sensory modality)
  • Theoretical filter is design to keep of from becoming overloaded and overwhelmed with info
  • Other sensory info stays in the sensory buffer briefly but quickly decays
  • -> unattended message blocked at sensory filter
  • The info is still raw data that has just been filtered-it has not yet been transformed
  • It is in the next step, when info enters short-term memory (STM) storage, where semantic (meaning-making)p processes occur
  • -> Does NOT account for cocktail party effect
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3
Q

Anne Treisman’s Attenuation Model

A

Tried to account for cocktail party effect
-Rather than a filter, the mind has an attenuator, which works like a volume knob-it “turns down” the unattended sensory input rather than eliminating it

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4
Q

Selective Priming

A

Also tries to explain cocktail party effect

  • Suggests that people can be selectively primed to observe something, either by encountering it frequently or by having an expectation
  • The more something is primed, the more it will be picked up despite distractions
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5
Q

Spotlight Model

A

Explains visual attention; the spotlight is a beam that can shine anywhere within an individual’s visual field
-Beam describes the movement of attention, NOT the movement of the eyes (shifts in attention precede the corresponding eye movement)

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6
Q

Info from visual perception is processed in the brain by:

A

Feature detectors

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7
Q

Binding problem

A

One problem with visual processing; the problem of how all these different aspects are assembled together and related to a single object, rather than something else in the visual field
–> Other features, such as color and shape, are initially encoded together but subsequently analyzed by separate areas of the brain. Despite this separation, in perception the brain must represent which features belong to the same object

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8
Q

Solution to binding problem:

A

Visual attention

  • If our visual attention is on a particular object such as a cup, then the feature detectors’ input of shape, color, etc. will all be related to the object being attended to-the cup
  • -> when people are distracted while viewing 2 items, they may have binding issues, for example, the color of one item may be attributed to the other
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9
Q

Resource Model of Attention

A

We have al limited pool of resources on which to draw when performing tasks, both modality-specific resources and general resources
–> If the resources required to perform multiple tasks simultaneously exceeds the available resources to do so, then the tasks cannot be accomplished at the same time

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10
Q

3 factors are associated with performance on multi-tasking :

A

Task similarity
Task difficulty
Task practice

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11
Q

Ex. of multitasking

A

Easier to listen to classical music and write a paper at the same time than listen to a radio talk show and write a paper because listening to music and writing a paper requires 2 dissimilar tasks: one requires auditory input while the other requires verbal output, instead of requiring verbal input and verbal output

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12
Q

Behaviorism

A

Concerned with the link btw stimulus and response

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13
Q

Information-processing models

A

Focus on what happens btw the ears
A few basic assumptions:
-They assume that info is taken in from the environment and processed through a series of steps including attention, perception, and storage into memory

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14
Q

2 theories of attention and perception:

A

Broadbent Model and Treisman Model

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15
Q

Alan Baddeley’s Model (what did he rename?)

A

Sought to better define short-term memory-which he renamed working memory
In his model, working memory consists of 4 components:
1. a phonological loop
2. a visuospatial sketchpad
3. an episodic buffer
4. a central executive

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16
Q

Phonological Loop

A

Allows us to repeat verbal info to help us remember it

ex. remembering a phone number when you can’t write it down

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17
Q

Visuospatial Sketchpad

A

Serves a similar purpose for visuospatial info through the use of mental images

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18
Q

Episodic Buffer

A

Theorized to integrate info from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad with a sense of time, and to interface with long-term memory stores; responsible for combining info from a variety of sources into coherent episodes
Ex. man sees car like the one his father used to drive, and he is able to make the connection through the interaction btw his memory of his father’s car and his current visual experience in the episodic buffer

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19
Q

Central Executive

A

Overseer of the entire process, and orchestrates the process by shifting and dividing attention

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20
Q

Central executive goes to:

A

Phonological loop, episodic buffer, and visuospatial sketchpad

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21
Q

Phonological loop, episodic buffer, and visuospatial sketchpad go to:

A

Long-term memory stores

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22
Q

Jean Piaget

A
  • One of the first developmental psychologists who studied cognitive development in children; he argued against the belief that children were like min adults in their thought processes and abilities
  • He thought the process of cognitive development involved forming schemas-mental frameworks that shape and are shaped by our experience
  • As we encounter new experiences, Piaget believed that we either assimilate those experiences by conforming them into our existing schemas or we accommodate by adjusting our schemas to take into account the new experiences
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23
Q

Piaget’s Theory has 4 developmental stages:

A
  1. Sensorimotor stage: birth-2
  2. Preoperational Stage: 2-7
  3. Concrete Operational Stage: 7-11
  4. Formal Operational Stage: 12-adulthood
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24
Q

Sensorimotor Stage

A
  • birth-2
  • Babies and young infants experience the world through their senses and movement, such a looking, touching, mouthing, and grasping
  • They learn about object permanence: the understanding that things continue to exist when they are out of sight
  • Demonstrate stranger anxiety: distress when confronted with an unfamiliar person
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25
Q

Preoperational Stage

A
  • 2-7
  • Learn that things can be represented through symbols such as words and images
  • Accompanies their learning through pretend play and development of language, but they still lack logical reasoning
  • They are egocentric, meaning they don’t understand that others have different perspectives
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26
Q

Concrete Operational Stage

A
  • 7-11
  • Learn to think logically about concrete events-this helps them learn the principle of conservation: the idea that quantity remains the same despite change in shape
  • They grasp mathematical concepts
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27
Q

Formal Operational Stage

A
  • 12-adulthood

- People learn abstract reasoning (hypothesizing) and moral reasoning

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28
Q

Cognitive declines after ~age 60:

A
  1. Memory declines in recall while their recognition ability remains relatively intact; real involves retrieving info from memory without any clues, while recognition involves retrieving info from memory with clues
  2. Time-based tasks can be challenging, such as regimen involving taking medication 3 times a day
  3. Older adults have slower information-processing abilities, evidenced by slower reaction times and speech
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29
Q

Noam Chomsky

A

Argued that children could not learn the wealth of vocabulary that they quickly acquire simply through environmental influence; genetics and heredity are also involved

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30
Q

Sensory info provides the raw material for cognitive processes and istrgnsmitted to:

A

The parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes

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31
Q

The frontal lobes play a role in:

A

Executive functions, including planning, organizing, inhibiting impulses, and flexible thinking

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32
Q

Hippocampus has been shown to be involved in:

A

The formation of new memories

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33
Q

Amygdala (and rest of limbic system) manages:

A

Emotional arousal, which is necessary to provide the motivation and alertness necessary to complete tasks

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34
Q

Trial and Error

A

Strategy used to make decisions

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35
Q

Algorithm

A

Step-by-step procedure

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36
Q

Heuristics

A

Mental Shortcuts

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37
Q

Insight

A

Sudden flash of inspiration (usually happens later after you were thinking about something)

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38
Q

Confirmation Bias

A

Tendency to search only for info that confirms our preconceived thinking, rather than info that might not support it

  • -> Can prevent you from approaching a problem from multiple perspectives because you are more likely to view it only one way
  • -> As a result, this bias can lead to faulty decision making; one-sided info may leave you without complete picture of the situation
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39
Q

Fixation

A

The inability to see the problem from a fresh perspective
–> This can result from the existence of a mental set: a tendency to fixate on solutions that worked in the past though they may not apply to the current situation

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40
Q

Functional Fixedness

A

Tendency to perceive the functions of objects as fixed and unchanging

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41
Q

Availability Heuristic

A

When you make a decision about something based on the examples that are most available in your mind
–> Relies more on our memory of specific instances
-Based on how readily particular examples come to mind
Ex. more likely to think Beethoven is better than Joseph Haydn because you have heard about Beethoven more

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42
Q

Representativeness Heuristic

A

Has more to do with our generalizations about people and events
-Based more on generalizations (rather than specific examples)
Ex. developing a generalization that all postal workers are rude

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43
Q

Belief Bias

A

The tendency to judge arguments based on what one believes about their conclusions rather than on whether they use sound logic
–> We tend to accept conclusions that fit with our beliefs and reject assertions that do not fit with our beliefs

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44
Q

Belief Perseverance

A

A tendency to cling to beliefs despite the presence of contrary evidence; once preexisting beliefs are formed, they become resistant to change

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45
Q

Overconfidence

A

An overestimation of the accuracy of knowledge and judgements; use of intuitive heuristics and a tendency to confirm preconceived beliefs

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46
Q

Framing

A

75% lean vs. 25% fat

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47
Q

Consciousness

A

The awareness that we have of ourselves, our internal states, and the environment

  • -> Also important fro reflection and exerts our control by directing our attention
  • -> Always needed to complete novel and complex tasks, but we may perform simple or familiar tasks with little conscious awareness
  • -> We may also be influenced by subconscious cues without them entering our consciousness
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48
Q

Alertness and arousal

A

Involve the ability to remain attentive to what is going on; controlled by structures in the brainstem

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49
Q

Reticular Formation (or RAS)

A

Control alertness and arousal; in the brainstem

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50
Q

Polysomnography (PSG)

A

A multimodal technique to measure physiological processes during sleep
–> Includes EEG (which measures electrical impulses in the brain), EMG (which measures skeletal muscle movements), and EOG (which measures eye movement)

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51
Q

Alpha Waves

A

Shows relaxed state (sleepy but relaxed); has low amplitude and high frequency
–> first indicator that a person is about to fall asleep

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52
Q

Stage 1 Sleep

A

Before non-REM sleep, when sleep begins; EEG shows theta waves-waves of low to moderate intensity and intermediate frequency

  • -> EOG measures slow rolling eye movements and EMG measures moderate activity
  • -> Person becomes less responsive to stimuli and has fleeting thoughts
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53
Q

Stage 2 Sleep

A

Denoted by a change to 2 distinct wave patterns on the EEG; person still experiences theta waves but they are intermixed with K-complexes and sleep spindles
-No eye movement and EMG shows moderate activity; brings increased relaxation to the body, such as decreased heart rate, respiration, and temp

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54
Q

K-Complex

A

Large and slow, duration of half a second, occur as a single wave among theta waves

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55
Q

Sleep Spindles

A

Bursts of waves, moderately intense, also don’t last long

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56
Q

Stage 3 and Stage 4 Sleep

A

Person transitions into slow wave sleep; characterized by delta waves-high amplitude and low frequency and signify the deepest level of sleep

  • -> still NO eye movement and moderate muscle movement
  • -> Heart Rate and digestion slow and growth hormones are secreted
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57
Q

REM Sleep

A

Final stage, characterized by bursts of quick eye movement

  • EEG measures waves that resemble beta waves when people are awake-but the waves in REM sleep are sawtooth with low intensity and variable frequency
  • -> Low/almost no skeletal muscle movement = “paradoxical sleep” - person is “paralyzed” because they appear to be awake but don’t move except for sudden bursts or twitches
  • -> generally when dreams occur
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58
Q

Do sleep stages go in order?

A

They can, but don’t have to; people can jump btw stages; we also complete multiple cycles per night

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59
Q

Average sleep cycle?

A

~90min

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60
Q

Periods of REM sleep are shortest?

A

Early in the night

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61
Q

Periods of REM sleep are longest?

A

As night progresses

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62
Q

Stages 3 & 4 are longest and shortest when?

A

Longest early in night and shorter/ less frequent as night progresses

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63
Q

Who spends most of their time in REM sleep?

A

Infants!

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64
Q

Circadian Rhythms (biological clock)

A

Biological waxing and waning of alertness over the 24hr day
-Most people feel most alert during mid-morning, experience an energy dip in the early afternoon, and then feel alert again in the early evening; later in the evening alertness wanes

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65
Q

Key factor in how sleep is regulated:

A

Exposure to light, which stimulates a nerve pathway from the retina to the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) in the hypothalamus
-The SCN signals other parts of the brain, which regulate body temp and control the production and release of hormones

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66
Q

SCN

A

Our internal clock; it helps regulate the pattern of neurophysiological activities that affect the entire body
–> When exposed to light at the beginning of the day, our body temp rises and hormones (cortisol) are released, which signal that it’s time to get up

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67
Q

Melatonin is secreted by:

A

The pineal gland

68
Q

Darkness causes the SCN to:

A

Signal the pineal gland to start producing and releasing melatonin
–> Melatonin levels stay elevated throughout the night and light causes levels to fall

69
Q

Bright light regulates the function of the ___ and DIRECTLY inhibits the release of ____

A

SCN, melatonin

***Artificial bright light can prevent the release of melatonin

70
Q

Core body temp fluctuates btw ___ and is regulated by ___

A

96.8 and 100.4 degrees F, the hypothalamus

Sleep tends to occur when the core body temp is dropping by the end of the day

71
Q

REM Rebound

A

When you miss REM sleep for one night which results in an increase in REM sleep later to make up for it

72
Q

Lucid Dreams

A

One might be aware that one is dreaming and may have some conscious control of the dreams

73
Q

Manifest Content

A

Plotlines of dreams

74
Q

Latent Content

A

Unconscious drives and wishes that are difficult to express

75
Q

What did Freud believe about dreams?

A

Freud believed that manifest content were symbolic versions of underlying latent content; he believed that dreams are a way of understanding our inner conflicts

76
Q

Activation-Synthesis Theory

A

Suggests that dreams are byproducts of brain activation during REM sleep; this theory allows for the possibility that dreams are far from purposeful

77
Q

Sleep disorders can be subdivided into:

A

Dyssomnias and parasomnias

78
Q

Dyssomnias

A

Abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep, and include insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea

79
Q

Insomnia

A

Most common sleep disorder; difficulty falling or staying asleep; a persistent problem that stems from chronic stress

80
Q

Narcolepsy

A

Experience periodic, overwhelming sleepiness during waking periods that usually last less than 5 minutes; they can occur without warning at dangerous times
–> research suggests that the cause is a dysfunction in the region of the hypothalamus that produces the NT hypocretin (orexin); has been treated with stimulants

81
Q

Sleep Apnea

A

Disorder that causes people to intermittently stop breathing during sleep, which realist in awakening after a minute or so without air; can happen multiple times throughout the night; may or may not know you have it

82
Q

Parasomnias

A

Abnormal behaviors that occur during sleep and include somnambulism (sleep walking) and night terrors

83
Q

Somnambulism

A

Sleep walking, tends to occur during slow wave sleep (stage 3), usually during the first 3rd of the night; may be genetic predispositions

84
Q

Night Terrors

A

Usually occur during stage 3 (**nightmares occur during REM sleep toward morning); person experiencing a night terror may sit up or walk around, babble, and appear terrified, although none of this is recalled the next morning

85
Q

Hypnotism

A

A social interaction in which a hypnotist has a subject focus attention on what is being said, relax and feel tired, “let go,” and accept suggestions easily through the use of vividi imagination
–> Can promote recall of memories by putting someone in a relaxed state, but a patient is also susceptible to constructing false memories

86
Q

False Memories

A

Using imagination to create inaccurate memories

87
Q

How does hypnosis work?

A

NOT by preventing sensory input, but by blocking attention to those sensory inputs
–> Results in changes in brain activity; so it’s an altered state of consciousness

88
Q

2 Theories for how hypnosis works:

A

Dissociation theory and Social Influence theory

89
Q

Dissociation Theory

A

Suggests that hypnotism is an extreme form of divided consciousness
Ex. drove somewhere and didn’t recall anything about the drive-it’s an extended form of this-person is on autopilot and the hypnotist takes over executive control, which directs action

90
Q

Social Influence Theory

A

Suggests that people do and report what’s expected of them; they are not consciously faking it, but are like actors who get caught up in roles and thus behave in ways that fit them

91
Q

Meditation

A

Involves the training of attention; meditators focus intensely on one object of attention, such as breathing, or can broaden their attention and be aware of multiple stimuli, such as anything in the auditory field

92
Q

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

A

A protocol commonly used in the medical setting to help alleviate stress
–> Meditators increase alpha and theta waves while they are meditating, with more experience meditators showing greater improvements

93
Q

3 Main categories of psychoactive drugs:

A

Depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogenics

94
Q

How do psychoactive drugs work?

A

They all alter actions at the neuronal synapses, either enhancing, dampening, or mimicking the activity of the brain’s natural NTs

95
Q

Depressants

A

Include alcohol, barbiturates (tranquilizers), and opiates

96
Q

How do depressants work? (and brain area impacted??)

A

They work by depressing, or slowing down, neural activity
Ex. with alcohol there is slowing of brain activity related to judgement and inhibition in the frontal lobe; larger doses can also lead to deterioration in skilled motor performance, decreased reaction time, and slurring of speech
–> brain area impacted = cerebellum-because it controls motor commands from the primary motor cortex of the frontal lobe
–> Alcohol also suppresses REM sleep

97
Q

Alcohol (what does it do in the brain?)

A

Works by stimulating GABA and dopamine systems; depresses the sympathetic nervous system

98
Q

GABA

A

An inhibitory NT and is associated with the reduced anxiety

99
Q

Dopamine

A

Leads to the feeling of minor euphoria

100
Q

Barbiturates (Tranquilizers)

A

Suppresses the sympathetic nervous system; they are often prescribed as sleep aids
–>Dangerous in combination with alcohol and prone to overdose

101
Q

Opiates

A

Derivatives of opium (morphine and heroin), depress neural functioning, temporarily reduce pain by mimicking the brain’s own pain relievers (NTs known as endorphins)

102
Q

Stimulants include:

A

Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, and amphetamines (“speed”)

103
Q

How do stimulants work?

A

They either increase the release of NT, reduce the reuptake of NT, or both; overall effect is to speed up body functions, resulting in increase energy, respiratory rate, heart rate, and pupil dilation

104
Q

Hallucinogens (psychedelics)

A

LSD and marijuana; distort perceptions in the absence of any sensory input, creating hallucinations

105
Q

Defining feature of drug addiction:

A

A compulsion to use the drug repeatedly

106
Q

Psychological Dependence

A

Pften associated with the use of a drug in response to painful emotions related to depression, anxiety, or trauma

107
Q

Physical Dependence

A

Evidenced by withdrawal-which is an uncomfortable and often physically painful experience without the use of the drug

108
Q

Addiction is ____ based

A

Biologically

109
Q

Nucleus accumbens

A

The “pleasure center” of the brain, where enjoyable behaviors produce activity in dopamine circuits in the brain

110
Q

3 Components of emotion:

A

A physiological (body) component, a behavioral (action) component, and a cognitive (mind) component

111
Q

Physiological Arousal

A

Excitations of the body’s internal state

112
Q

Behavioral aspect of emotion

A

Includes some kind of expressive behavior

113
Q

Cognitive aspect of emotion

A

Involves an appraisal or interpretation of the situation; describes how the situation is interpreted or labeled

114
Q

Darwin assumed that emotions had a strong _____ basis

A

biological

115
Q

6 major universal emotions:

A

happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, and anger

116
Q

Emotions have an innate basis is supported by:

A

Finding that children’s capacities for emotional expression and recognition appear to develop along similar timelines, regardless of their environment

117
Q

People perform best when they are ______ (what level) aroused?

A

Moderately

118
Q

Relationship btw performance and emotional arousal is __-shaped

A

U

119
Q

Yerkes-Dodson Law

A

A student will perform best when neither too complacent nor too overwhelmed, but rather in a “sweet spot” of optimum arousal

120
Q

Other adaptive roles of emotion:

A

Enhances survival by serving as a useful guide for quick decisions, can influence individual behaviors within a social context, in social contexts emotions provide a means for nonverbal communication and empathy, allowing for cooperative interactions

121
Q

Prefrontal Cortex

A

Plays a role in processing emotion

122
Q

3 theories that explain how the components of emotion are interconnected:

A

James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and Schachter-Singer

123
Q

James-Lange Theory

A

1st experience the physiological response and then experience the emotion; suggests that the emotional experience (the brain labeling the situation as fear-inducing) is the result of the physiological response

124
Q

Problems with James-Lange Theory:

A
  1. Assumes that each emotion originates from a distinctive physiological state, but many emotions share similar physiological profiles (ex. fear and sexual arousal have similar pathways)
  2. Assumes that we possess the ability to label these physiological states accurately
125
Q

Cannon-Bard Theory

A

Suggests that after a stimulus, the physiological response and the experience of emotion occur simultaneously and independently of each other
–> Able to explain the overlap in physiological states btw emotions like fear and sexual arousal because the cognitive labeling is independent from the physiological, rather than directly caused by it, BUT struggles to explain phenomena in which controlling the physiological response influences the experience of emotion

126
Q

Schachter-Singer Theory

A

Once we experience physiological arousal, we make a conscious cognitive interpretation based on our circumstances, which allows us to identify the emotion that we are experiencing

  • ->Suggests that each emotional experience begins with an assessment of our physiological reactions, BUT suggests that cognitive label is given based on the situation, rather than being a one to one correlate of the physiological experience
  • ->physiological states can be similar but cognitively labeled differently
  • -> Does NOT explain how physiological responses influence cognitive aspects of emotion
127
Q

Limbic System (where is it?)

A

Collection of brain structures that lies on both sides of the thalamus, and together these structures appear to be primarily responsible for emotional experiences

128
Q

Main structure involved in emotion in the limbic system is:

A

the amygdala: almond-shaped structure deep within the brain, serves as the conductor of an orchestra of our emotional experiences ; communicates with the hypothalamus; plays a key role in the identification and expression of fear and aggression

129
Q

Hypothalamus

A

Brain structure that controls the physiological aspects of emotion, such as sweating and a rain heart; communicates with the prefrontal cortex

130
Q

Prefrontal Cortex

A

Located at the front of the brain, controls approach and avoidance behaviors-the behavioral aspects of emotion; important for temperament and decision making, associated with a reduction in emotional feelings, especially fear and anxiety (calms down the amygdala when it is overly aroused)
***NOT part of the limbic system

131
Q

Hippocampus

A

Plays a key role in forming memories

132
Q

Limbic system includes:

A

Hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, basal ganglia and cingulate gyrus

133
Q

Methods of emotion regulation and stress relief often activate the:

A

prefrontal cortex

134
Q

Executive Functions

A

Prefrontal cortex plays a role in this; higher order thinking processes such as planning, organizing, inhibiting behavior, and decision making
–> Phineas Gage

135
Q

Autonomic Nervous System is responsible for controlling:

A

The activities of most of the organs and glands, and control arousal, answers to the hypothalamus

136
Q

Sympathetic Nervous system provides body with:

A

brief, intense, vigorous responses

137
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous System provides signals to: (and what happens when activated?)

A

the internal organs during a calm resting state when no crisis is present
-when activated, it leads to changes that allow for recovery and the conservation of energy (increase in digestion and repair of body tissues)

138
Q

Increase in physiological functions is associated with the ____ nervous system

A

sympathetic

139
Q

Appraisal

A

How a stressful event is interpreted by an individual; determining the stressful nature of an event

140
Q

3 types of stressors:

A

Catastrophes, significant life changes, and daily hassles

141
Q

Catastrophes

A

Unpredictable, large-scale events that include natural disasters and wartime events, appraised as dangerous and stress-inducing, repercussions felt for years after event, health affects

142
Q

Significant Life Changes

A

Include events such as moving, leaving home, losing a job, marriage, divorce, etc.

143
Q

Daily Hassles

A

Everyday irritations

144
Q

Learned Helplessness

A

A sense of exhaustion and lack of belief in one’s ability to manage situations; when stress is accompanied by perceiving a lack of control

145
Q

Our bodies respond to stress by activating 2 parallel systems:

A

Sympathetic nervous system and a cognitive system initiated by the hypothalamus

146
Q

Sympathetic nervous system responds to ___ stress situations

A

acute; releases epinephrine and norepinephrine into the bloodstream, results in increased heart rate, and directs blood to skeletal muscle instead of digestive system, releases sugar into the bloodstream, and dulls pain
–> fast-acting

147
Q

Hypothalamus releases what hormone?

A

CRH, which stimulates the pituitary gland to release ACTH; ACTH then signals the adrenal glands to release cortisol into the bloodstream

148
Q

Cortisol

A

Glucocorticoid, hormone that shifts the body form using sugar (glucose) as an energy source towards using fat as an energy source

  • -> keeps blood sugar levels high during stress situations, ensuring the brain will have enough fuel to stay active
  • -> slower, triggered during long-term stress
149
Q

The only energy source the brain can use is:

A

Glucose!!!

150
Q

PTSD involves 3 clusters of symptoms:

A
  1. Avoidance: Avoiding circumstances that remind one of the trauma and emotions associated with the trauma
  2. Hyperarousal: heightened sensitivity and hyper vigilance to surroundings due to fear of danger
  3. Re-experiencing: responses to triggers related to the traumatic event
151
Q

Biofeedback

A

A means of recording and feeding back info about subtle autonomic responses in an attempt to train he individual to control those involuntary responses

152
Q

Behaviorist approach

A

They are empiricist in their approach, they believe that language is an example of conditioned behavior, they believe that the study of psychology should focus on directly observable environmental factors as opposed to abstract mental states

153
Q

Nativists

A

Argue that language is a human ability prewired into the brain; rationalist in their approach; hold that certain ideas and capabilities cannot come from experience, and so must be innate

154
Q

Materialsist Approach

A

Grounding work in the belief that all discussion of ideas, linguistic expression, and the like is a set of convenient metaphors for real physical changes in the brain and actions of the body
–> Believe that only grey matter matters and study thoughts and words by looking at what happens in the brain when people think, speak, write, and listen

155
Q

Language Acquisition

A

The way infants learn to understand and speak their native language (usually the language used by their parents)
–> process of language learning in school or that of learning a foreign language

156
Q

B. F. Skinner’s Behaviorist Model of Language Acquisition

A

Infants are trained in language by operant conditioning; argued that language use is a form of behavior like any other is ti is subject to conditioning like other behaviors
ex. using positive reinforcement when baby says the right word/sounds, which conditions the infant to make the sound in association with the stimulus, and encourages imitative behavior, so baby copies sounds made by parent more often

157
Q

Noam Chomsky (“universal grammar”)

A

Suggested that we all possess an innate feature unique to human minds that allows people to gain mastery of language from limited exposure during the sensitive developmental years in early childhood

  • -> Later named “universal grammar”
  • -> Theoretical; he provided no anatomical evidence for the exact location or structure of this drive in the brain
  • -> Humans have an innate ability to make grammatical distinctions and do so naturally when exposed to (not actively taught) language at a young age
  • -> emphasizes the commonality among all human languages
158
Q

1st stage of acquiring language:

A

Immersion in “social speech,” which is analogous to other social phenomena; move gradually to “egocentric speech”

159
Q

2nd stage of acquiring language:

A

Egocentric speech or private speech, where children being talking to themselves, experimenting with language as kind of thinking out loud

160
Q

Final stage of language acquisition:

A

Inner speech, the point at which a child’s understanding of grammar and the relationship btw words and objects is sufficiently advanced to allow him.her to think in words without mouthing them
–> Prior to this, speech and thought are separate activities, but at this point some thought becomes “verbal,” able to be expressed in words and clauses

161
Q

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

A

Asserts that not only do language and thought overlap, but cognition and perception are determined by the language one speaks
–> Focuses on important distinctions among families of languages, and because of these distinctions, native speakers in these language groups conceptualize the world differently]ex. Inuit people have many more words for snow than english speakers

162
Q

Broca’s Area

A

Located in dominant hemisphere (usually left) of the frontal lobe; speech production

163
Q

Broca’s Aphasia

A

Injury to this area leads to people losing the ability to speak; they understand speech but lose the ability to generate fluent speech; speech is simple, single words

164
Q

Wernicke’s Area

A

Located in the posterior section of the temporal lobe in dominant hemisphere; involved in the comprehension of speech and written language; damage entails that speech production retains a natural sounding rhythm and syntax but is completely meaningless

165
Q

Wernicke’s Aphasia

A

Do not have a problem producing speech, but are incapable of producing intelligible, meaningful language; have a great difficulty understanding speech and are unaware of their mistakes
–> No body weakness or movement issues because injury is not near parts of brain that control movement

MCAT Psychology (7 decks)

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