psych quiz wk10 prep

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Questions and Answers

What is the main function of sleep according to the restoration theory?

To replenish bodily chemicals and repair cellular damage. (correct)

To adapt sleep patterns based on predator activity.

To enhance creative thinking processes.

To regulate emotional responses during waking hours.

Which of the following best describes the impact of short-term sleep deprivation?

Deterioration in attention, concentration, and creativity. (correct)

Improved emotional stability and mood regulation.

Increased immunity and cognitive flexibility.

Enhanced memory consolidation and creative thinking.

In the context of sleep patterns, what does the adaptive theory propose?

Sleep patterns evolved to maximize growth hormone production.

Species developed specific sleep patterns for protection against predators. (correct)

Sleep is necessary for brain plasticity and memory improvement.

Sleep helps consolidate and strengthen memories gained throughout the day.

Which physiological risk is associated with long-term sleep deprivation?

Increased likelihood of diabetes and heart disease. Signup and view all the answers

How does sleep support growth, particularly during deep sleep?

By releasing growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately describes pseudoscience in psychology?

Pseudoscience often promises quick fixes to complex problems. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a valid practice in psychology?

Numerology as a method of self-understanding. Signup and view all the answers

What is often a characteristic of 'pop psychology'?

It can mislead the public with superficial insights. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'psychobabble' refer to?

Using psychological jargon inaccurately and superficially. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects a common misconception about psychological research?

Research findings can contradict popular societal beliefs. Signup and view all the answers

What is a critical difference between psychology and astrology?

Psychology bases conclusions on rigorous evidence while astrology does not. Signup and view all the answers

How do psychological researchers differ from public perceptions influenced by media?

Researchers seek to deepen understanding through rigorous study. Signup and view all the answers

What is a main criticism of self-help books in the field of psychology?

They often lack backings from rigorous research. Signup and view all the answers

Which gland is responsible for regulating sleep and biological rhythms?

Pineal gland Signup and view all the answers

What type of brain mapping uses an X-ray to create images of brain structures?

Computed Tomography (CT) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of stimulation uses magnetic impulses for brain enhancement?

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Signup and view all the answers

The human growth hormone is secreted by which gland?

Pituitary gland Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for essential life functions?

Hindbrain Signup and view all the answers

Which type of brain mapping tracks changes in blood oxygen levels?

Functional MRI (fMRI) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the adrenal glands?

Controlling stress reactions Signup and view all the answers

Which structure connects the hindbrain and forebrain and is important for sensory and motor functions?

Midbrain Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is NOT typically associated with social influence?

Independence from social norms Signup and view all the answers

In the context of social behavior, what role do dispositions play?

They shape behavior but can also be shaped by external factors. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the classic Line Experiment by Asch is accurate?

The last participant was consistently influenced by the incorrect choices of others. Signup and view all the answers

What can be inferred about social intuitions based on the content?

They are powerful influences that can sometimes lead to negative outcomes. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is a core concept of social influence?

Social influence can occur intentionally or unintentionally. Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon involves the improvement of memory recall due to being in a similar location as when the memory was formed?

Context-dependent memory Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory retrieval is exemplified by recalling facts for an essay exam?

Recall Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the tendency to remember the first and last items in a list more easily?

Serial position effect Signup and view all the answers

Which memory condition is characterized by the inability to form new memories following an injury?

Anterograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

What is the misinformation effect?

The alteration of a memory by misleading information Signup and view all the answers

What does psychogenic amnesia primarily result from?

A traumatic event Signup and view all the answers

Which nutrient is specifically mentioned as beneficial for memory cells?

Omega-3 fatty acids Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of behaviourist learning theories?

Observable behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which term represents the awareness of knowing something but being unable to retrieve it at that moment?

Tip of the tongue Signup and view all the answers

What type of conditioning involves linking a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that triggers a response?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What psychological phenomenon describes the tendency to believe one would have foreseen an outcome after learning it?

Hindsight bias Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Alzheimer's disease is accurate?

It begins as anterograde amnesia. Signup and view all the answers

What is a basic definition of learning in psychological terms?

The process of acquiring new behaviors or information from experience Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

What Psychology Is NOT

Psychology is not simplistic or superficial beliefs about psychology, often popularized by certain personalities, magazine articles, television shows, advice columns, or the like, that influence the general public.
Pop psychology is often found in talk shows and self-help books.
Pseudoscience uses psychological jargon and buzzwords without accuracy or relevance, heavily based on experience instead of well-known science.
Pseudoscience promises quick fixes to life’s problems
Psychology is complex, informative, and helpful as based on rigorous research & empirical evidence (careful observation, experimentation & measurement).
Non-scientific practices include numerology, astrology, graphology, and fortune-telling.
Astrologers and psychics make predictions that are so vague they are meaningless and cannot be tested.
Common sense about psychological phenomena often contradicts psychological research findings.
Psychological researchers strive not only to discover new phenomena and correct mistaken ideas, but also deepen our understanding of an already familiar world

What Is Psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes, including thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Endocrine Glands & Hormones

The pituitary gland is located in the brain and secretes human growth hormone.
The pineal gland is located near the base of the cerebrum and secretes melatonin, which regulates biological rhythms and sleep.
The thyroid gland is found in the neck and secretes thyroxin, which is involved in growth and metabolism.
The pancreas controls the levels of sugar in the blood and secretes insulin and glucagon.
The gonads, located in ovaries and testes, regulate sexual behavior and reproduction.
The adrenal glands, located at the top of each kidney, secrete over 30 hormones, including corticosteroids and steroids, which control stress reactions.

Mapping the Brain

Lesioning Studies involve examining brain areas that are damaged in animals and people.
Brain Stimulation involves using electrical stimulation to disrupt or enhance brain areas.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) involves stimulating the brain from the inside (invasive).
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) involves stimulating the brain from the outside with magnetic impulses (non-invasive).
Computed Tomography (CT) uses X-rays to map brain "slices" (tumours, stroke damage, metal).
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields and radio receivers for detailed (and 3D) imaging of brain tissue.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) amplifies recordings of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task.
Functional MRI (fMRI) tracks changes in blood oxygen levels to study brain activity linked with specific thoughts and behavior.

Brain Structures

The brain is divided into the hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain.
The hindbrain is responsible for functions essential to maintain life.
The midbrain connects the hindbrain and forebrain and is important for sensory and motor functions.
The forebrain is responsible for higher functioning, such as thinking and decision-making.

Hindbrain

The brain stem is the oldest and innermost region and is an extension of the spinal cord.

Why do we need sleep?

Sleep is necessary for bodily restoration and for normal mental functioning.
Sleep patterns evolved to avoid predators by sleeping when predators were most active.
Sleep is vital to the physical health of the body.
Sleep restores the immune system, repairs cellular damage, and releases growth hormone for muscle development during deep sleep.
Sleep helps consolidate and strengthen memories of day’s experiences.
Sleep helps boost thinking and learning.

Sleep Deprivation

Short-term sleep deprivation leads to decreased attention and concentration, mental flexibility, creativity, and emotional symptoms (irritable, depressed mood).
Long-term sleep deprivation leads to cognitive (hallucinations and delusions), emotional (mood disorders), and physiological (risk of diabetes & heart disease) consequences.

Why do we need sleep? (continued)

The Semantic Network Model suggests that information is stored in a connected fashion (related concepts are closely located).
The Parallel Distributed Processing Model suggests that information is simultaneously accessed across multiple networks.

Retrieval

Retrieval is the process of accessing information stored in long-term memory.
Retrieval cues are prompts to remember stored information.
Priming is the activation (often unconsciously) of particular associations in memory.
Context-dependent memory improves due to being in a location similar to when the memory was formed.
State-dependent memory improves due to being in a mood/state similar to when the memory was formed.
There are two types of retrieval: recall and recognition.

Recall

Recall is retrieving information not currently in conscious awareness but learned previously.
Tip of the tongue phenomenon is the experience of being aware of knowing something but not being able to retrieve it at that point in time.
The serial position effect is the tendency when learning a long list of information to recall more easily the first items (primacy effect) and last items (recency effect).

Recognition

Recognition is identifying items previously learned from a list.
False positives is the experience of falsely recognizing some stimulus that is not actually in memory.

LTM Reconstruction

Memory is not a recording but rather a constructive process.
Constructive processing involves retrieving memories that are altered, revised, or influenced by newer information.
Repetition increases the vividness of constructive memories.
Hindsight bias is the tendency to believe after learning an outcome that one would have foreseen it.
The misinformation effect is the incorporation of inaccurate information into actual memory.
False Memory Syndrome is the creation of inaccurate memories usually through suggestion of others.

Memory Conditions

Organic Amnesia is physical damage to the brain causing memory loss.
Retrograde Amnesia is the loss of memory for events that occurred before the injury.
Anterograde Amnesia is the inability to form new memories after the injury.
Alzheimer's Disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills.
Infantile amnesia is the inability to remember clearly or accurately the first years of life.
Psychogenic amnesia is the loss of memory and important personal information due to a traumatic event.

Healthy Memory

Sleep deprivation severely interferes with hippocampal function and memory.
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin B helps memory cells communicate.
Exercise improves learning and mental performance and helps prevent and treat dementia, Alzheimer's and brain aging.
Behavioural techniques include rehearsal, testing, making material meaningful, activating retrieval cues, using mnemonics, minimizing interference, and interleaving.

The Brain and the Mind

The brain and mind are intricately linked.

Learning and Conditioning

Learning is the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviour, including behaviour change, resulting from experience or practice.
Behaviourism states that learning is the result of observable acts and events, excluding mental processes.
Social Cognition states that learning includes not only changes in behaviour but also changes in thoughts, expectations and knowledge, that in turn influence behaviour in a reciprocal process.
Conditioning is a theory that states behaviour can be modified or learned based on a stimulus and a response.
Conditioning is the process of learning associations, linking events that occur close together.
Two types of conditioning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a previously neutral stimulus paired with a stimulus that triggers a response and, in turn, acquires the capacity to trigger a similar or related response.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): a stimulus that triggers a response without additional learning
Unconditioned Response (UR): response triggered by an US without additional learning
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): an initially neutral stimulus that triggers a CR when paired with an US
Conditioned Response (CR): response triggered by CS
Pavlov’s experiments involved pairing a neutral stimulus (metronome, bell, buzzer, etc.) with food (US) and measuring the dog's salivation.
For classical conditioning to take place, the CS must consistently precede the US, and the two stimuli must be paired multiple times.

Classical Conditioning Applications

Classical conditioning plays a role in many aspects of human life, including phobias, taste aversions, and advertising.
Phobias can sometimes be developed through classical conditioning.
Taste aversions are a type of learning in which an animal or person avoids a food that has previously made them sick.
Advertisers use classical conditioning to associate their products with positive emotions.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning proposes that behaviour is modified or learned based on its consequences.
Operant conditioning explains learning through rewards and punishments.
Operant conditioning uses positive and negative reinforcement and punishment to modify behavior.

Different Types of Reinforcement and Punishment

Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Positive Punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
Negative Punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Operant Conditioning Applications

Operant conditioning is used in many settings, including schools, workplaces, and homes.
Operant conditioning can be used to teach new skills, modify undesirable behaviors, and improve performance.

Challenges of Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning can be used to manipulate behavior, but it is important to use it ethically.
It is also important to design effective reinforcement and punishment schedules to avoid unintended consequences.

Cognitive Learning Theories

Cognitive learning theories emphasize the role of mental processes in learning.
Observational Learning: learning through watching and imitating others (e.g., Bandura's Bobo doll experiment).
Social Cognitive Learning: learning through social interaction and observation.
Cognitive learning theories have implications for education, therapy, and other areas.
Insight Learning: learning by using existing knowledge and understanding to solve a problem.

Key Influences for Learning

Learning is influenced by multiple factors, including motivation, attention, and memory.

Social Influence is the effect others have on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour.
Conformity is complying with social pressures: changing one’s opinions to match that of other people.
The Asch Line Experiment: a classic study of conformity, in which participants were asked to judge the length of lines.
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when group members prioritize consensus over critical thinking.
The Janis Groupthink Model: a model that describes the conditions that lead to groupthink.
Compliance is engaging in a behaviour at the request of another.
Obedience is engaging in a behaviour at the request of an authority figure.
The Milgram Experiment: a classic study of obedience, in which participants were instructed to deliver electric shocks to another person.

Social Psychology explores how people think, feel, and behave in social situations.

Social psychology suggests that humans are social creatures who are influenced by others.
Social psychology provides tools for understanding and navigating complex social interactions.
The Social Construction of Reality: states that how we construct our social reality influences our behaviour.
Social Intuitions: are powerful, sometimes perilous.
Social Influence: shapes behaviour.
Dispositions: shape behaviour.
Social Behaviour is also Biological Behaviour: our feelings and actions toward people are sometimes negative and sometimes positive.
Social Psychology Principles: are applicable to everyday life.

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