SAFMED Flashcards
A procedure by which a previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response after it is paired with a stimulus that automatically elicits that response
Classical conditioning
The process of teaching a new behaviour by reinforcing closer and closer approximations of the desired response
Shaping
The process by which our behaviours transfer to new situations or stimuli that we did not directly learn about
Generalisation
Specialized cells in the nervous system that support the integrity of neurons
Glia
A factor that varies systematically between experimental conditions, but is not the variable of interest
Confound
An experimental design where each participant only takes part in a single experimental condition
Between-subjects design
Chemicals secreted by neurons allowing information to be transmitted between cells
Neurotransmitter
Brain structures located in the lower side portion of the cortex that are important in audition (hearing) and language
Temporal lobes
An extension of the spinal cord, essential to life, controlling vital physiological functions such as heartbeat, circulation, and respiration
Medulla
A branch of the autonomic nervous system, typically activated in response to threats to the organisms, which readies the body for ‘fight-or-flight’ reactions
Sympathetic nervous system
The ability to remember facts and experiences for longer than a minute
Long-term memory
A technique for studying electrical activity occurring in the brain that involves placing electrodes on the scalp
Electrocephalography (EEG)
A set of principles that describe how sensory inputs are organised into meaningful patterns
Gestalt laws
Visual features of the environment that are used to make inferences about depth
Monocular cues
The organisation of changing sensory inputs into percepts that are relatively stable in size, shape and colour
Perceptual constancy
The conscious “work-space” used for processing, retrieving, and manipulating information
Working memory
Better memory for information that is presented at the beginning and end of a sequence
Serial-position effects
A network of brain structures that is active when we are engaged in our own thoughts and reflections
Default mode network
The tendency to seek out information that confirms one’s preconceptions
Confirmation bias
Those mental processes we engage when deciding how to act in a complex or novel situation where there might be significant immediate rewards or punishments
Hot cognitive control