psychology - MCAT hero -making sense of environment Flashcards
sensorimotor stage
0-2
using sense to pricier the world
learn object permanence
preoperational
2-7
objects and ideas can be expressed using symbols - images and words, egocentric
concrete operation stage
7-11
principle of conservation - this logically
formal operation
12+
- reason based on morals, abstract thinking
Adults over the age of 60 have delayed reaction times and slowed speech because their
information-processing cap have become slower
after 60 what happens to ability to recall and ability to recognize?
recal- decline
recognize- mostly intact
fixation
failure to see a new perspective
- either metal set or functional fixedness
mental set
the inclination to fixate on answers that have been successful in the past - even if unrellevant to solving the current problem
representative heuristic
we have a tendency to make judgments based on the probability of something happening based on our typical idea of a particular event. For example, we believe we will receive a cake rather than a salad when it is our birthday. This is because cakes are typically more representative of a birthday than a salad.
8 types of intelligence
nature, linguistic, interpersonal, interpersonal, math, spatial , musical , bodily
what isn’t included in the 8 types that I would assume would be
emotional
triarchic theory of intelligence - Robert sternberg (3)
experiential (creative) intelligence, componential intelligence (analytical) and contextual intelligence (practical- street smarts)
experiential intelligence
creative - familiarize oneself with new concepts- move to country and learn new language
componential intelligence
analytical - logical thinking and reasoning, abstract thinking - the tradition view of intelligence - communicate and math preformance
contextual intelligence
practical intelligence- apply ones knowledge to the world around them
primary mental abilities
the belief that we are born with 7 primary mental abilities: reasoning, numerical, associative, spatial, word fluency, perceptual speed, verbal comprehension
savant syndrome= extreme talent in one area
IQ scores (low, average, high)
average is 100
low = 70, high = 130
PSG
is a test used to test measure physiological processes during sleep. The test includes a series of smaller tests, including:
Electrooculogram (EOG)- measures movements of the eyes during sleep.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)- measures the electrical impulses of the brain, these high frequencies and low amplitudes are known as alpha waves (collectively referred to as neural synchrony).
Electromyogram (EMG)- measures musculoskeletal movements.
EOG vs EEG vs EMG
EOG= eye movement during sleep
EEG= electrical impulses
EMG = muscuskeletal movment
stage 1 sleep
theta waves
stage 2 sleep
k-complex and sleep spindles
- decrease respiration, HR and body temp
stage 3 and 4
deepest sleep - slow sleep wave - delta waves- low frequency, high amp, no eye movement, growth hormones are secreted
REM
low intensity waves and erratic- look like someone who is awake- no muscle movement - motionless sleep, dreaming
average sleep cycle
90 mins
as sleep cycle continues?
more time in REM less in deep sleep
activation-synthesis theory
- his theory of dreaming was first proposed by Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley in 1977. According to the theory of activation synthesis, circuits in the brain are activated during REM sleep. … All of this internal activity is synthesized and interpreted by the brain. The signals are then given meaning via dream states.
- that physiological processes happening in the brain create dreams
- The brain synthesizes and interprets this internal activity and attempts create meaning from these signals, which results in dreaming.
parasomnias vs dyssomnia vs insomnia
parasomnias- abnormal actions during sleep - somnambulism (sleepwalking), night terrors
dyssomnia- interruption in quality, timing of sleep –> sleep apnea, narcolepsy
insomnia- can’t sleep
irregular sleep wake syndrome
person only needs 1-4 hours of sleep per 24 hours- and can function normally
hypnosis
an induced state of consciousness in which the patient is in a state of being open to the hypnotists’ suggestion(s). It is thought to work by blocking information being received by sensory neurons
dissociative theory of hypnosis
Theory states that the hypnosis patient is experiencing a divided state of consciousness. It is thought that if the patient alters their focus and tunes-out their everyday state of consciousness, they will be able to focus on another more specific and directed state of consciousness.
social influence theory of hypnosis
The Social Influence Theory says that people under hypnosis are highly vulnerable to social influences. This means that the hypnosis patient may do and say what the hypnotist expects of them without even meaning to.
depressants role on dopamine and GABA
increase dopamine, and GABA (feeling relaxed)
compare opiates, benzodiazepines and barbiturates
opiates (morphine, heroin)- same as our endorphins - relax and joy- receive pain
barbiturates (tranquilizers) - aid sleep, slow HR, weakness, receive anxiety and seizures
benzodiazepines - to alliveate severe anxiety, stimulations GABA
what to treat ADD and ADHD
stimulant (seems counterproductive )
- Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.
4 types of encoding
semantic - specific relevance- does not use sensory input such as sound, taste ect
acoustic- use echoic memory (encoding sounds)
tactile- how we recall how smith feels
visual - encoding sights - uses iconic memory
process of encoding information
hippocampus (in temporal lobe) receive info from cortex, leads back to primary cortex- recording and linking associations with memories
describe the brain lobes and locations
temporal by ears
frontal - front
pariental - top back
occipital - back behind
temporal lobe
your thumb, can come detached, at the tip is the limbic system, it is for talking and speech and understanding sounds- its by our ears
parietal
integrate sensory info - space, navigation and touch, primary motor cortex
occipital lobe
at the back of brain - hit back of head- see stars, area for visual information
serial position effect
says we are least likely to remember the middle part
primacy effect vs recency effect
primacy - likler to remember beginning part
recency- likler to remember the end part
how long is short term mem
20 seconds - just able to type address into GPS
nodes
the specific idea or event that we remember, various associations connect nodes
example: a tiger is a node, association is large animals - leads to another node of a lion
Korsakoff syndrome
chronic memory disorder caused by thiamine B1 def
huntingtons disease
fatal genetic condition with no cure - memory loss and dementia, involuntary movement of limbs - caused by neurons that are genetically programmed to degenerate over time
positive transfer
old info helps with new info
theories of language learning
nativist- innate ability
interactionist - dependent on usage and experience , interaction ( based on social-cognitive model)
source monitoring error
the the source of info is forgotten
four types of neural plasticity
compensatory masquerade
cross-modal reassignment
map expansion
homologous area adaptation
compensatory masquerade
when the brain finds another way to accomplish smth when the first way is ineffictive
map expansion
Map expansion is the enlargement of a functional brain region on the basis of performance.
the area that deals with math, becomes heightened after taking a calculus class
heightened after frequent exposure
cross- modal reassignment
Cross-modal reassignment occurs when structures previously devoted to processing a particular kind of sensory input now accepts input from a new sensory method.
is the adaptive reorganization of neurons to integrate the function of two or more sensory systems. Cross modal plasticity is a type of neuroplasticity and often occurs after sensory deprivation due to disease or brain damage. The reorganization of the neural network is greatest following long-term sensory deprivation, such as congenital blindness or pre-lingual deafness. In these instances, cross modal plasticity can strengthen other sensory systems to compensate for the lack of vision or hearing.
homologous area adaptation
-Homologous area adaptation is the assumption of a particular cognitive process by a homologous region in the opposite hemisphere.
if the brain suffers damage to particular regions, sometimes it can shift the responsibilities of that area of the brain to another, undamaged area. This adaption is most active during the early stages of development.
