Test rote learning Flashcards
Experiment designs: Pros and cons
Pros - can make causal claims, high internal validity
Limitations - random assignment sometimes impossible, sometimes unethical, can be low external validity
Internal validity
Shows whether a study accurately measures a causal relationship
External validity
Focuses on whether the findings can be applied to a broader population
Correlational research designs
Correlation research examines the degree to which two variables are related. A correlation is when changes in one variable are accompanied by changes in another variable
Correlational design pros and cons
Pros: Help us predict behaviours/outcomes
Could suggest a potential cause and effect relationship
Can allow researchers to examine relationships among variables that cannot be investigated by experimental research.
Reveals naturally occurring relationships
Cons: Cannot infer cause and effect and why
Descriptive/observational research methods
Observing and describing subjects behaviours, beliefs, health and abilities as they naturally occur
e.g Surveys & interviews, naturalistic and laboratory observations, clinical case study, biological & neurobiological techniques
Naturalistic observations
Observe behaviour in its natural setting, attempt to avoid influencing or controlling it.
Pros and cons of naturalistic
Pros - High external validity, collect realistic picture, generate new ideas
Cons - Must wait for behaviour to occur naturally, usually small scale, may not be representative, low internal validity, cause and effect difficult to establish
Laboratory/clinic observation Pros/cons
Strengths - better control of potential confounds in environment, specialised equipment for precise measurement, can find associations
Cons - surroundings (lab clinic) may affect results, difficult to infer cause and effect
Case studies
Observe one or a very few subjects in great depth, usually over a long period of time
Case studies pros and cons
Pros - only method appropriate for very unusual case, provide insight for future research
Cons - problems with generalising the results - anecdotal, difficult to infer cause and effect
Surveys and interview Pros/cons
Pros - can collect wide range of info that researches cannot observe e.g attitudes, beliefs, behaviours
Cons - subjects may forget or lack insight, multiple informants or methods often used to combat this, essential that sample is representative of population
Longitudinal design pros and cons
Pros - can examine change over time, can examine associations between early experiences and later behaviour/development
Cons - time, expense, attrition
Cross-sectional study- Pros/cons
Pros - quick & inexpensive to carry out
Limitations - cannot detect changes within an individual, correlations hard to interpret.
Te Ara Tika components
Tika - research design - validity, centering
Whakapapa - relationships
Manaakitanga - cultural & social responsibility
Mana - Justice & Equity
Correlation research pros and cons
Pros - high external validity, often fast and cost effective, establishes direction and strength of relationship, allows for examination of relationships
Cons - low internal validity, lack of control over variable, can’t predict why an association or relationship exists
What is the function of Broca’s area?
Broca’s area is vital for the formation of speech.
What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Wernicke’s area interprets spoken and written language.
What is the role of the hippocampus, and how is it related to depression?
The hippocampus is involved in memory formation and spatial navigation. It tends to be smaller in individuals with depression, and more severe depression is often linked to a smaller hippocampus.
What is the amygdala’s function and its relationship with depression?
The amygdala is involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure. In depression, the amygdala shows higher activity, which may contribute to the heightened emotional responses seen in the disorder.
What role does serotonin play in relation to depression?
Serotonin regulates sleep, aggression, eating, sexual behavior, and mood. A decrease in serotonin levels is associated with depression and an increased risk of suicide.
What is the function of norepinephrine in relation to stress and anxiety?
Norepinephrine is related to the body’s stress response and is known to trigger anxiety.
What is the role of acetylcholine in the brain?
Acetylcholine is crucial for memory, learning, and recall.
How do levels of estrogen influence mood?
Estrogen levels can alter the activity of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, which are involved in mood regulation.
What is the role of the limbic system, and when does it develop?
The limbic system is responsible for emotional regulation and develops over the first three years of life.
What is the major structures in the limbic system
Hippocampus and amygdala
When does the prefrontal cortex develop, and what functions does it control?
The prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions like decision-making and planning, continues to develop from middle childhood into adulthood.
What are the primitive areas of the brain responsible for, and when do they develop?
The primitive areas of the brain control basic body functions and sleep cycles. These areas develop early in brain development.
What is the role of the limbic system, and when does it develop?
The limbic system is responsible for emotional regulation and develops over the first three years of life.
What is occasional inattention, and how does it affect a child’s development?
Occasional inattention involves intermittent, diminished attention in an otherwise responsive environment. It can be growth-promoting if the child is in a caring, supportive environment.
What is chronic under-stimulation, and what are its effects on a child?
Chronic under-stimulation refers to ongoing, diminished levels of child-focused responsiveness and developmental enrichment. It often leads to developmental delays and can be caused by various factors.
What are the effects of cortisol release on other systems, and how does early life stress affect cortisol levels?
When cortisol is released to deal with threats, it dampens other systems, such as the hippocampus (memory) and the immune system. Children exposed to maternal depression or maltreatment often have persistently high cortisol levels later in life.
How does “toxic” stress affect cortisol levels and brain development in children?
When children experience “toxic” stress, their cortisol levels remain elevated for prolonged periods, which can alter neural systems and change the architecture of brain regions essential for learning, memory, behavior, and long-term health.
What are the three main features of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)?
1) Growth deficiency, 2) Facial abnormalities, 3) Organic brain damage.
What mechanisms are involved in how prenatal maternal chronic stress affects offspring?
The mechanisms include neuroendocrine, vascular, and immune factors.
What are the sentinel facial features of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)?
1) Smooth philtrum (the area between the nose and upper lip), 2) Thin upper lip, 3) Small palpebral fissures (short eye openings).
At what age does the brain begin to improve functions like planning and impulse control?
From around age 10 and above, the brain begins to improve functions like planning and impulse control, leading to more sophisticated and versatile thinking.
What significant brain development occurs around age 17?
Around age 17, the brain goes through a second growth spurt where the frontal lobes increase in size, and more synaptic connections are made. The final adult brain weight of 1300-1400 grams is reached in the late teens.
What happens to the brain by age 18 in terms of synapses?
By age 18, through a process called “pruning,” the brain sheds weak connections between neurons, reducing the number of synapses from 1000 trillion to 500 trillion—the same number as that of an 8-month-old baby.
What is the role of the cingulate cortex in the limbic system?
The cingulate cortex is the primary cortical component of the limbic system, involved in emotional and cognitive processing.
Reward Pathway of the brain
Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA): Produces dopamine, sends it to the nucleus accumbens.
Nucleus Accumbens: Receives dopamine, triggers pleasure, reinforces behavior.
Prefrontal Cortex: Evaluates rewards, helps decide actions based on value.
These three areas work together to motivate and guide decision-making based on rewards.
Cocaine and the Reward Pathway
Action: Cocaine blocks the reuptake of dopamine in the brain, leading to increased dopamine levels in the synapse.
Effect on Reward Pathway:
VTA: Increases dopamine release.
Nucleus Accumbens: Heightened pleasure and reinforcement due to excess dopamine.
Prefrontal Cortex: Intensifies focus on rewarding stimuli, potentially altering decision-making and behavior.
Result: Intense euphoria followed by depressive lows, leading to a high potential for addiction.
THC and the Reward Pathway
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol):
Action: Binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain.
Effect on Reward Pathway:
VTA: Increases dopamine release indirectly through cannabinoid receptor activation.
Nucleus Accumbens: Enhances pleasure and reward sensation.
Prefrontal Cortex: Alters decision-making and perception of reward.
Result: Euphoria, altered sensory perception, and potential impact on motivation and cognition.
Opiates and the Reward Pathway
Opiates (e.g., Heroin, Morphine):
Action: Bind to opioid receptors in the brain.
Effect on Reward Pathway:
VTA: Increases dopamine release indirectly by modulating neurotransmitter systems.
Nucleus Accumbens: Enhances pleasure and reward sensation, reduces pain.
Prefrontal Cortex: Alters mood and perception of reward, affecting decision-making.
Result: Euphoria, pain relief, and strong potential for addiction with intense withdrawal symptoms.
Vestibular Sense
Definition: Inner ear senses balance and spatial orientation.
Function: Determines how the body is oriented with respect to gravity.
Touch conditions
Neuropathy: Reduced sensitivity or pain in extremities.
Allodynia: Pain from stimuli that don’t usually cause pain.
Tactile Defensiveness: Overreaction to touch, often seen in sensory processing disorders.
Hearing conditions
Hearing Loss: Difficulty hearing sounds at certain frequencies or volumes.
Tinnitus: Ringing or buzzing in the ears.
Auditory Processing Disorder: Difficulty in processing and interpreting auditory information.
Sight conditions
Myopia: Nearsightedness; difficulty seeing distant objects.
Hyperopia: Farsightedness; difficulty seeing close objects.
Macular Degeneration: Loss of central vision.
Color Blindness: Difficulty distinguishing between certain colors.
Smell conditions
Anosmia: Loss of the sense of smell.
Hyposmia: Reduced sense of smell.
Parosmia: Distorted sense of smell, where familiar smells are perceived differently.
Taste conditions
Ageusia: Loss of the sense of taste.
Hypogeusia: Reduced sense of taste.
Dysgeusia: Distorted taste perception, often described as metallic or sour.
Hearing at Birth
Presence: Babies can hear before birth.
Preferences:
Mother’s Voice: Preference for mother’s voice over unfamiliar voices.
Complex Sounds: Preference for complex sounds (voices and noises) vs. pure tones.
Development:
Sound Organization: Infants organize sounds into complex patterns, distinguishing human speech from non-speech sounds.
Language Sensitivity: Sensitivity to non-native language sounds decreases over time.
Early Vision
Faces: Newborns show a preference for faces overall.
Contrast Sensitivity: Prefer high contrast and contour.
Movement: Attracted to movement.
Patterns: As they get older, prefer complex patterns over simple ones.
Do Babies Feel Pain?
Yes!
CNS Immaturity: Babies may feel pain more intensely due to the immaturity of their central nervous system.
Pain Relief:
Breast Milk: Can provide soothing relief.
Sugar Solution: Helps reduce pain.
Comfort from Holding: Physical contact can alleviate pain.
Distraction: Engaging the baby in other activities can help manage pain.
Vision difficulties
Presbyopia: Harder to focus on nearby objects due to aging.
Impaired Eyesight:
Reduction in Light: Less light reaches the retina.
Lens Changes: Yellowing and thickening of the lens.
Pupil Changes: Shrinking of the pupil.
Vitreous Changes: Clouding of the vitreous body.
Light Scattering: Causes light to scatter, leading to:
Increased sensitivity to glare.
Harder to perceive color.
Harder to see in dim light.
Binocular Vision: Declines, making depth perception less reliable.
Form Perception
Definition: Organizes sensory information into meaningful shapes and patterns.
Perceptual Set: Formed when our expectations or context influence our perception.
Figure-Ground Organization:
Figure: The prominent stimuli or object that we focus on.
Ground: The background against which the figure is perceived.
Monocular Cues
Description: Use visual input from one eye.
Examples:
Relative Size: Objects that appear larger are perceived as closer.
Interposition: Objects blocking others are seen as closer.
Linear Perspective: Parallel lines appear to converge in the distance.
Texture Gradient: Texture becomes finer as distance increases.
Binocular Cues
Description: Use visual input integrated from both eyes.
Examples:
Binocular Disparity: Slight difference in images from each eye helps gauge distance.
Convergence: Eye muscles adjust to focus on close objects, providing depth information.
Perceptual Constancy
The ability to maintain a stable perception of an object despite changes in its retinal image.
Size Constancy
Perceiving an object as having a constant size regardless of changes in its distance from the observer.
Shape Constancy
Perceiving an object as having a constant shape despite changes in its orientation or angle
Color Constancy
Perceiving an object as having a consistent color despite changes in lighting conditions.
Selective attention
process of selecting one
sensory channel and
ignoring/minimizing
others
Inattentional blindness
failure to perceive a prominent object because
attention is on another task
Change blindness
failure to perceive changes in a scene when there is a
momentary interruption to views of that scene
Primary Needs
Definition: Biological necessities essential for survival.
Examples: Food, water, shelter, sleep.