Unit 3 - Chapter 8 - Physiology & Psychophysics

Question 1

Describe the Bell-Magendie law of neural transmission and explain its significance.

Answer 1

States there are two types of nerves:

1) sensory nerves carrying impulses from sense receptors to the brain

2) motor nerves carrying impulses from the brain to muscles and glands.

Significance → specific mental functions are mediated by different structures.

Question 2

Describe the Doctrine of Specific Nerve Energies and its significance.

Answer 2

Each sensory nerve releases an energy specific to that nerve.

significance –> central nervous systems determines our sensations.

• Muller

Question 3

Briefly describe the work of Johannes Muller (1801–1858) with respect to adequate stimulation (or specific irritability)

Answer 3

each type of sense organ is sensitive to a certain type of stimulation.

ex: eye stimulated by light waves

Question 4

Briefly describe the work of Johannes Muller (1801–1858) with respect to the relationship between consciousness and sensations and reality.

Answer 4

physical objects –> nervous system & sensory impulses –> consciousness.

Question 5

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to vitalism

Answer 5

rejected vitalism

accepted mechanistic-materiliast viewpoint

Question 6

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to the principle of conservation of energy

Answer 6

energy is never created or lost, just transfered

Question 7

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to the rate of neural conduction

Answer 7

research showed that nerve impulses are measurable and relatively slow.

Question 8

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to the theory of perception (including his notion of unconscious inference)

Answer 8

memories of previous learning experiences must interact with current sensations

unconscious inference –> remnants of past experience + sensations = perceptions.

Question 9

Sensations

Answer 9

sense receptors are stimulated by an environmental stimulus.

Question 10

What did Helmholtz and Kant agree on?

Answer 10

the perceiver transforms what the senses provide.

Question 11

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to the theory of colour vision

Answer 11

young-helmholtz theory of color vision: there are three different cone systems in the eye that perceive blue, green and red

• non primary colours stimulate various subjective combinations
• helpful in explaining forms of color blindness
• address lack of correspondence between the physical stimuli and sensations.

Question 12

Describe Hermann von Helmholtz’s positions and theories with respect to the theory of auditory perception.

Answer 12

tiny fibers on the basilar membrane of the inner ear are stimulated by different frequencies of sound.

shorter the fiber = the higher the frequency

Question 13

Describe Ewald Hering’s views concerning spatial perception

Answer 13

• is a priori
• each point on the retina automatically provides height, left-right position, and depth of the stimulus.

Question 14

Describe Ewald Hering’s views concerning his theory of colour vision.

Answer 14

There are 3 types of receptors on the retina;
- red-green, yellow-blue, black-white.

Question 15

Catabolic process

Answer 15

tearing down

-red, yellow and white

Question 16

Anabolic process

Answer 16

building up

• green, blue, and black

Question 17

What did Hering say could not be explained by Young-Helmholtz theory?

Answer 17

1) the sensation of gray.

2) afterimages

3) people who cant tell difference between red and green can still see yellow.

Question 18

Gray occurs when …

Answer 18

catabolic and anabolic processes are canceled out.

Question 19

Describe Christine Ladd-Franklin’s theory of colour vision.

Answer 19

assumed that color vision evolved in 3 stages;

1) achromatic vision → most difficult to disrupt.

2) blue-yellow sensitivity → less frequent, less likely to be defective.

3) red-green sensitivity

Question 20

According to Ladd-Franklin, the most highly evolved part of the eye is the

Answer 20

fovea (provided by cones)

Question 21

Night vision and movement perception are better in the

Answer 21

periphery of the retina (provided by rods) because it is primitive & crucial for survival

Question 22

Physiognomy

Answer 22

belief that a persons character could be determined by analyzing their facial features, body structure, etc.

• ex: phrenology

Question 23

Franz Joesph Gall

Answer 23

made three claims that changed the history of faculty psychology;

1) mental faculties are unique in all humans.

2) faculties are in specific areas of the brain.

3) developed faculty = bump, undevelopped faculty = a hollow.

Question 24

Phrenology

Answer 24

belief that the magnitude of ones faculties could be determined by examining the bumps and depressions on ones skull.

• Gall

Question 25

First to distinguish the functions of gray matter and white matter in the brain.

Answer 25

Franz Gall

Question 26

Found that larger cortices were associated with more intelligent behavior.

Answer 26

Franz Gall

Question 27

First to suggest a relationship between cortical development and mental functioning.

Answer 27

Franz Gall

Question 28

Influence of phrenology on education

Answer 28

formal discipline –> mental muscle approach to education

Question 29

Briefly describe the life and work of Pierre Flourens in relation to the phrenologists.

Answer 29

Used method of ablation in brain research.

Found that the cortical hemispheres function as a unit.

Question 30

Paul Broca

Answer 30

• said brain is larger in eminent men, supposed superior races, men & mature adults
• brocas area: left cortical hemisphere, speech articulation or production.

Question 31

Wernicke’s area

Answer 31

left temporal lobe of the cortex

responsible for speech comprehension.

Question 32

Briefly describe the work of Gustav Fritsch & Eduard Hitzig and their work with electrophysiology.

Answer 32

found that when a certain area of the cortex is stimulated, there are muscular movements on opposite side of the body.

Question 33

Briefly describe David Ferrier’s work with electrophysiology.

Answer 33

mapped cortical regions corresponding to senses

Question 34

Briefly describe the work of Ernst Heinrich Weber especially with respect to touch and kinesthesis

Answer 34

first to demonstrate that the sense of touch is several senses (2 point threshold, involves JND)

• kinesthesis: sensations caused by muscular activity.

Question 35

Briefly describe the work of Ernst Heinrich Weber with respect to the relative versus absolute nature of psychophysical judgments (including Weber’s law).

Answer 35

weber’s law states that JND corresponds to a constant proportion/ratio of a standard stimulus.

considered first quantitative law in psychology’s history.

Question 36

believed that consciousness cannot be separated from physical things → reflects panpsychism

Answer 36

Fechner

Question 37

Describe Gustav Fechner’s other half, Dr. Mises

Answer 37

• pseudonym used to talk about views incompatible to science

Question 38

Describe Gustav Fechner’s work in psychophysics & use of the jnd as a unit of sensation

Answer 38

as a stimulus gets larger, the magnitude of the change must get greater = differential threshold.

• proposed absolute (lowest intensity) threshold

Question 39

Describe Gustav Fechner’s three methods for determining thresholds.

Answer 39

1) method of limits = JND

2) method of a constant stimuli

3) method of adjustment = average error

Question 40

Describe Fechner’s contributions to the development of psychology.

Answer 40

• creation of psychophysics
• book launched psychology as experimental science