Chris Arellano 's Blog

Chapter 4 - Sensation and Perception

difference between sensation and perception
Sensation is automatic. Perception is the interpretation of the sensations.
parts of the eye and their function
Retina contains rods and cones and is on the back of the eye. Rods gather grey information and work in dark. Cones gather color and work best in bright light.
Cornea is protective tissue, iris is muscle directly behind the cornea and provides color to the eye.
Pupil is the opening behind the iris. The lens is an additional focusing mechanism complimentary to the cornea.
difference between the cones and rods
Rods are grey. Cones see color in bright light
parts of the ear and their function
Pinnna is the external ear that we see. Next is the auditory canal which is where qtips clean. Next is the eardrum aka Tympanic Membrane. The vibrating eardrum causes the three tiniest bones in the human body to vibrate. They are the hammer, anvil and stirrup. The three bones together are known as the ossicles. The stirrup bone presses on a membrane called the oval window which also vibrates. This causes waves in the fluid that fills the cochlea. The cochlea is a snail shaped structure that contains the basilar membrane with receptors for hearing. The receptors are known as hair cells. The mechanical motion of the hair cells is transduced into electrochemical impulses that are carried by the auditory nerve to the brain.
amplitude and frequency
Amplitude = height of sound waves and controls loudness. Frequency is how close the waves of sound are together and determines the pitch of the sound.
parts of the nose and its function
Smell is a chemical sense which is sensitive to certain chemical molecules.The receptors are locagted in the olfactory epithelium which are covered in mucus. When chemicals contact them they send a neural impulse that travels to the olfactory bulb which is located in the brain.
tactile perception
Includes the skin senses, vestibular sense and kinesthesia. Skin senses register touch, temperature and pain. Vestibular sense is body orientation with respect to gravity and 3d space. This sense is located in the inner ear. Kinesthesia is the sense from muscles, joints and tendons.
taste and taste receptors
Food runs over the papillae (bumps) and into the pores to the taste buds which contain receptors.
Gestalt principle of figure and ground
Gestalt means "whole" or "pattern". Basic gestalt principle is the tendency to separate figure from ground.
binocular and monocular depth cues
Binocular cues include retinal disparity (different views because eyes are 2.5" apart), convergence (going crossed eyed to see close objects),
Monocular cues are Linear perspective (line convergence), interposition((close objects block distant objects), relative size(close objects are bigger), texture gradient(details in texture), aerial perspective(far objects are hazy and blurred), light and shadow depth cues(brighter is closer).
what is transduction
Converting a stimulus from a receptor to a neural impulse. Stimulus can be light, touch, smell, sound, taste.
absolute threshold and difference threshold
Absolute threshold is minimum sensory input that is noticeable. Difference threshold is the lowest detectible change in sensory input.
sensory adaptation
Repeated stimulation decreases the number of sensory messages sent to the brain which causes decreased sensation. Putting on shoes is sensitive to feet but walking is not.

Chapter 6 - Learning

Definition of learning
A relatively permanent change is behavior or mental processes resulting from practice or experience.
Pavlov's experiment with dogs
Classical conditioning NS becomes paired with a UCS to elicit a CS.
Unconditioned and conditioned stimulus
Stimulus that elicits and unconditioned response without previous conditioning.
Conditioned stimulus is a previous neutral stimulus that has become paired with an unconditioned stimulus and now causes a conditioned response.
unconditioned and conditioned response
Unconditioned is automatic and usually biological (knee jerk). Conditioned response is learned after pairing.
extinction, generalization and discrimination
Extinction is a learned response that slowly disappears. Generalization is generalizing like stimulus.
The little Albert experiment described in the text
CER Conditioned emotional response. Loud noise plus white rat.
Schedules of reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement is every correct response is reinforced. Partial reinforcement is some but not all are reinforced. Interval is TIME based. Ratio is RESPONSE based.
Thorndikes law of effect
Positive consequences increase the chances of a behavior. Negative decreases.
Skinner believed that environment causes behavior
definition of operant conditioning
Learning in which voluntary responses are controlled by their consequences. Dog/kid training
positive and negative reinforcement
Postive Adding a stimulus which strengthens a response and makes it more likely to occur. (good grades increase studying)
Negative Subtracting a stimulus which strengthens a response and makes it more likely to occur.(alcoholism is negatively reinforced because painful stimulus is removed.
punishment
Weakens a repsponse and makes it less likely to occur. Only effective when punisher is present.