Psychology Concepts: Functions & Conditioning

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What impact does damage to the frontal cortex have on behavior choices?

It leads to better risk assessment.

It improves judgment regarding consequences.

It enhances decision-making abilities.

It results in poor judgment of consequences. (correct)

What phenomenon occurs when individuals see drug-associated cues?

They start craving the drug. (correct)

They forget about the drug.

They feel indifferent to the cues.

They develop a resistance to drugs.

How is swearing physiologically distinct in the brain compared to regular language?

It engages areas linked to memory recall.

It activates the left hemisphere only.

It does not evoke any emotions.

It elicits activity in the right hemisphere. (correct)

Which of the following correctly categorizes a characteristic of the lexicon in different languages?

Languages vary in how their lexicon describes the world. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common misconception about the communication abilities of animals compared to humans?

Humans are the only species with true language. Signup and view all the answers

What emotional response is often evoked by swearing, particularly in social contexts?

Disgust and contempt. Signup and view all the answers

In what context can the phrase 'beware of safety' lead to misunderstanding?

It may misinterpret the need for caution. Signup and view all the answers

What does selective attention allow a person to do?

Concentrate on specific information while ignoring others Signup and view all the answers

Which type of processing involves analyzing stimuli based on previous experiences?

Top down processing Signup and view all the answers

What phenomenon illustrates how attention limits can lead to missing information?

Change blindness Signup and view all the answers

What does vigilance refer to in the context of attention?

Duration for which attention can be maintained Signup and view all the answers

What is the main effect of focused attention?

Allows for selection and understanding of unattended stimuli Signup and view all the answers

The process of extracting information from the environment is fundamentally linked to which aspect of attention?

Alertness arousal Signup and view all the answers

How do bottom up and top down processing interact during attention?

They create a dynamic feedback system that influences attention Signup and view all the answers

What does divided attention refer to?

Allocating attention to multiple stimuli at the same time Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is most likely to be missed due to attention limitations?

Minor details in ongoing tasks Signup and view all the answers

What central tendency does the concept of attention represent?

A balance between focus and distraction Signup and view all the answers

What process is primarily involved in the storage of memories through neural changes?

Consolidation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about in-group and out-group categorization is false?

Out-group members are often perceived with positive attitudes. Signup and view all the answers

What effect increases the likelihood of memory retention errors as the retention interval period grows longer?

Misinformation effect Signup and view all the answers

In the context of forming impressions of others, what differentiates a dispositional attribution from a situational attribution?

Situational attributes relate to specific instances. Signup and view all the answers

What role does retrieval practice play in the learning process?

It ensures long-term retention by combining input and output. Signup and view all the answers

Which concept is primarily involved in the process of categorization that helps make predictions about group members?

Prototypes Signup and view all the answers

What impact does collaborative testing have on durable learning?

The active role in groups enhances learning retention. Signup and view all the answers

Which category level typically allows for the fastest response in category verification?

Basic level Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant finding regarding the effectiveness of successive relearning?

Successive relearning enhances performance when practiced repeatedly. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the ability to form categories and concepts vital for navigation in the world?

It aids in efficiently processing information. Signup and view all the answers

What is suggested about learners’ preferences for studying methods?

They usually prefer cramming over practice testing. Signup and view all the answers

What does implementing frequent testing with feedback promote?

Long-term retention of information. Signup and view all the answers

How does expertise influence category verification speed?

Expertise enhances speed primarily at the basic level. Signup and view all the answers

What type of approach should be taken for effective learning strategies?

Combine both input and output methods in learning. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of attention in the context of memory?

It acts as a filter for sensory information. Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon illustrates the tendency to remember incorrect details about an event?

The Mandela Effect Signup and view all the answers

What impact does divided attention have on object tracking?

It reveals limits in the ability to track multiple objects. Signup and view all the answers

How can eyewitness confidence be optimally managed during a lineup?

Eyewitnesses should first assess their confidence before receiving any feedback. Signup and view all the answers

What does poor meta-cognitive awareness lead to regarding memory?

Overconfidence in the accuracy of memories. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of conjunctive search, what role does attention play?

It serves as the 'glue' that binds features together for processing. Signup and view all the answers

Which guideline can help reduce errors or accidents in work settings?

Implementing regular breaks to enhance focus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of incorrectly recalling features of objects, such as Pikachu's tail?

It highlights the reconstructive nature of memory. Signup and view all the answers

What is one condition that may reduce alertness in a work environment?

High levels of stimulation and noise. Signup and view all the answers

What best describes the process of memory being a 'reconstructive' process?

Memory is influenced by prior knowledge and experiences. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Normative and Informational Functions

Normative function involves conforming due to the fear of rejection
Informational function involves conforming due to a lack of knowledge about how to act
Asch's line study demonstrates normative function
Sherif's auto-kinetic effect demonstrates informational function

Bystander Effect

Bystanders fail to respond due to pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility
Potential emergency? (yes/no)
Group present? (yes/no)
Group reacts? (yes/no)
Skilled people present? (yes/no)
Possible responses: no response, pluralistic ignorance, diffusion of responsibility

Classical Conditioning

Learning is a relatively enduring change in behavior due to experience
Pavlov's study involved reflexive responses associating with cues
Watson studied the interaction between environment and associated effects
Skinner focused on predicting and controlling behavior
Habituation is a decrease in behavioral response to repeated stimuli
Sensitization is an increase in behavioral response to repeated stimuli
Classical conditioning involves learning that two stimuli go together
Operant conditioning involves learning that behavior leads to a particular outcome

Relapse Rates & Vietnam War Vets

General heroin relapse rate is 0.3%
Heroin addiction relapse rate among Vietnam War veterans was 20%.
First step towards recovery was detoxification before returning home

Learning, Language and Communication

Language is a form of communication
Humans are the only ones with true language
Animals have forms of communication, but not language
Languages differ in how their lexicon describes the world
Grammar includes syntax & morphology
Changing cultural views shift towards more individualized culture.

Swearing and Emotional Responses

Basal ganglia activates when swearing
Amygdala activates when other people swear
Swearing can evoke emotions including awe, fear, disgust, emotions linked to body effluvia (shit, piss, asshole)
Swearing can evoke emotions related to illness, diseases and death
Swearing can evoke feelings related to sexuality
Swearing includes words associated with family/heritage

Science of Learning

Perspective of a question affects the answer given to it
Pre-checklist for surgeons can be preventative
Humans make poor cognitive decisions regarding learning
Highlighting & rereading notes has low utility in learning
Mario using a rusty saw blade shows that understanding the goal can be helpful
Durable learning is important in academia

Short-Term Cramming & Learning Strategies

Short-term cramming is ineffective for long-term learning
Students need to practice retrieving information, rather than simply relearning it several times.

Memory, Categorization, and Learning

Rerdading has similar outcome to doing input and output
Repeated testing is better than study
Frequency of testing promotes long term learning
Active vs passive learning methods affect learning outcomes
Successive learning improves knowledge retention
Categorization skills & concepts allow for effective world navigation
Basic level categorization is used often in identifying objects

Attention

Attention impacts acquiring information from the environment
Alertness & arousal allows for information extraction
Focus is the ability to choose relevant stimuli
Vigilance is sustained attention
The attention captures a portion of the external world to the internal mind
Attention processes occur in concert with bottom-up methods and top-down methods
Focused attention involves the process of selection and results in what happens to unattended stimuli

Memory, and Encoding Errors

Attention is a gateway to memory
Incorrect recall of detail
Memory is a reconstructive process; it is not always accurate.
Memory is vulnerable to mistakes
Encoding interacts with attention to select items for memory

Forming Impressions

Categorization of people as in-group or out-group members can lead to positive or negative stereotypes
Out-group individuals are seen as a homogenous set of similar individuals, while in-group members are associated with heterogeneity

Intergroup Bias

Stereotypes are beliefs and perceptions about group characteristics
Prejudice is a negative attitude towards a specific group
Discrimination is negative behaviors directed towards a group member
Individuals can identify with multiple groups

Security and Conventions

Security cameras
Frame of reference biases human actions
Conformity

Bystander Effect & Prosocial Behavior

Pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility lead to bystander effect (Kitty Genovese)
Groups can display prosocial effects
Positive psychology focuses on groups and positivity
Overview effect reflects feelings about space on return from space

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore key psychology concepts including normative and informational functions of conformity, the bystander effect, and classical conditioning. This quiz will test your understanding of these foundational topics and related studies. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their knowledge in psychology.