Test 2 Terms Flashcards
Transduction
The process of converting basic sensory info into neural activity that the brain can interpret
What did Johannes muller study in 1826
Doctrine of specific nerve energy - the idea that different brain areas are specialized for different sensory input
Orientating response
Occurs when surprising new events capture our attention
Sensory adaptation
We are set up to devote less attention to firmiliar stimulae -experienced as boredom
Absolute threshold
The minimum amount of energy/stimulus that we can detect atleast 50% of the time
Difference threshold
The smallest difference between stimuli that we can detect atleast 50% of the time
Structuralism
Focused on the elementary units of perception
Gestalt psychology
Insisted that perception is far more than simply the consonants that go into it
Figure ground principal
We use the features of objects to determine what is the object and what is the background
Law of similarity
Grouping objects together because of their features
Law of continuity
Need to figure this out
Law of closure
Need to figure this out
Bottom up processing
Perception from sensory input
Top down processing
Perception from our prior experience
Innatentional blindness
Failure to perceive visual events when focusing on another task
Cones and rods
Cones see colour rods help vision in low light situation
Circadian Rhythems
Biological rhythms over 24 hour cycle (sleep/wake cycle)
Melatonin
Excreted by pineal gland - makes us sleepy
Entrainment
The synchronization of biological rhythms with external cues such as light / temp
Endogenous rhythms
Biological rhythms that to not depend on external cues
Polysomnography
Machine that can see your sleep patterns
Electroencephalogram
Measures frequency and amplitude of eeg waves
(Amplitude : the distance and high in eeg wave form)
(Frequency: the rate of up and down shifts in eeg wave form)
Preserve and protect hypothesis
The idea that sleep surves the function of conserving our energy and keeping us out of trouble at night
Sleep displacement
When we are unable to sleep at our usual time
Classical / Pavlovian conditioning
Jim making Dwight salavate with the computer sound
Reinforcer
Any positive result of a behaviour that increases the likelyhood of repeating the behaviour
Primary & secondary reinforcements
Primary: things we can’t live without
Secondary: things that lead to primary eg money a job etc
Discriminative stimulus
Behaviour that is only supported in a certain environment (cheering at a game) behaviour is rewarded in one situation and not in another
Stimulus generalization
Generalizing a behaviour from one situation to another
Extinction
Decline in frequency of previously reinforced behaviour after removal of inforcer
Delayed reinforcements
As more time seporates behaviour and reinforcer the less strong the inforcemant will work
Reward devaluation
Sometimes you want reward more than others ( don’t want treat after eating)
Shaping training
Training a skill step by step
Chaining
Trainers reinforce animal to link 2 or more shapes behaviours together into sequence
Continuous & partial reinforcements
Continuous: reward follows everytime
Partial: reward follows behaviour sometimes
Prosopagnosia
Face blindness
Multimodal integration
The ability to combine sensation from different senses (hear a cat meow see cats mouth move know cat made the sound)
