Psychology and the Nervous System Overview

The study of mental processes, including perception, attention, memory, language, and thought.

The network of nerve cells that transmits information throughout the body, responsible for processing and responding to stimuli.

The brain and spinal cord, responsible for processing information and sending commands.

All nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.

The function of the nervous system is to receive and process information, make decisions, and send commands back to the body.

The four main goals of psychology are to explain, predict, describe, and improve human behavior and experiences.

It involves mapping how eLearning behaviors and experiences relate to learning outcomes.

Using insights from psychology to enhance the design, delivery, and effectiveness of eLearning.

How an organism learns from its experiences in the environment, leading to a consistent and lasting change in behavior or potential behavior.

A school of thought in psychology that emphasizes observable behavior and rejects introspection as a method of studying the mind.

A key principle of learning where an organism learns to associate two stimuli, one neutral and the other eliciting a response.

A learning process where the consequences of a behavior determine the likelihood of its repetition.

Learning through observation and imitation of others' behaviors, often influenced by social factors.

The process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information gained through experience.

The act of transforming sensory information into a form that can be stored and processed in the brain.

The process of maintaining encoded information in our brains over time, allowing us to retrieve it later.

The process of learning through associating behaviors with their consequences, where actions are more likely to be repeated if they lead to positive outcomes and less likely if they lead to negative outcomes.

A controlled environment used by B. F. Skinner to investigate the effects of reinforcement on animal behavior.

A stimulus that increases the probability of a behavior occurring again in the future.

A type of reinforcement where a pleasant stimulus is presented after a desired behavior, making it more likely to occur again.

A type of reinforcement where an aversive stimulus is removed after a desired behavior, increasing the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

A stimulus that decreases the probability of a behavior occurring again.

A type of punishment where an aversive stimulus is applied after an undesired behavior, making it less likely to occur again.

A type of punishment where a pleasant stimulus is removed after an undesired behavior, decreasing the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Simple rules of thumb used to make quick judgments and decisions, often based on limited information. They help simplify complex problems but can lead to systematic errors.

The tendency to overemphasize the first piece of information encountered, making it more influential in judgment.

The tendency to give more weight to the most recent information presented, even if it contradicts earlier information.

A heuristic where a judgment is made based on how easily examples come to mind. If something is easily recalled, it's assumed to be more common or probable.

A heuristic that makes judgments based on how well something fits a prototype or a previously formed mental representation.

A heuristic that uses the first piece of information encountered as an anchor, adjusting from it, even if the anchor is inaccurate.

A heuristic strongly influenced by the outcome of past events. This can distort our understanding of the likelihood of future events.

A heuristic that overestimates one's knowledge or ability to predict accurately.

The part of the brain responsible for higher cognitive functions like planning, decision-making, and language. It also controls voluntary movements.

Processes sensations like touch, pain, and temperature. It also plays a role in spatial awareness and navigation.

Responsible for processing visual information from the eyes, helping us see the world around us.

Processes auditory information, including speech, music, and other sounds. Plays a crucial role in language comprehension.

The nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord, responsible for sending signals throughout the body.

Controls voluntary movements, like walking or writing, by sending signals from the brain to skeletal muscles.

Regulates unconscious bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It operates automatically without conscious effort.

The part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the "fight or flight" response. It kicks in during stressful situations, increasing heart rate, breathing, and adrenaline.

The part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for "rest and digest" functions. It slows down heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and promotes relaxation.

Learning by observing the behavior of another person being reinforced or punished without personally performing the action.

A classic experiment by Bandura that demonstrated how children can learn aggressive behaviors by observing an adult model.

The influence of a model's behavior on an observer's behavior is greater when the observed action leads to perceived rewards.

People are more likely to imitate a model they perceive as positive, popular or respected.

People are more prone to mimic the behaviors of models they perceive as similar to themselves in terms of traits or characteristics.

Learning in a social context occurs when individuals observe others being rewarded or punished for their behavior. This influences the observer's future actions.

Traditional conditioning theories do not account for learning that occurs through observation without direct reinforcement or active learner responses.

The expectation of receiving a reinforcement or avoiding punishment by mimicking the observed behavior plays a crucial role in social learning.