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276 Cards in this Set

  • Front
  • Back
learning
some experience that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner
habituation
a general process in which repeated or prolonged exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in responding
habituation experiment
rats startled with loud tones w/in 5 min, vs over 11days, quick habituation but startled the next day vs slow habituation
classical conditioning
when a neutral stimulus evokes a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally evokes a response (Pavlov)
unconditioned stimulus (US)
something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism
unconditioned response (UR)
a reflexive reaction that is reliably elicited by an unconditioned stimulus
conditioned stimulus (CS)
a stimulus that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism
conditioned response (CR)
a reaction that resembles an unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus
acquisition
the phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are presented together
second-order conditioning
conditioning where the US is a stimulus that acquired its ability to produce learning from an earlier procedure in which it was used as a CS (black square with tone = salivation, despite no food)
extinction
gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the US is no longer presented
spontaneous recovery
the tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period
savings
conditioned learning revived very quickly, no matter how much extinction is done
generalization
CT is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition (use to show animals detect octaves b/c generalize better)
discrimination
capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli
Watson and Rayner with little albert
9-month old, loud noise paired with rat, then rabbit, santa claus mask also produce fear, shows that emotions (not just hunger) can be conditioned
amygdala (central nucleus)
plays central role for emotional conditioning, esp fear
Rescorla-Wagner model
conditioning is easier when the CS is an unfamiliar event
food aversion
much more quickly learned conditioning (evolution advantage)
biological preparedness
a propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others (heights, food etc)
operant conditioning
a type of learning in which the consequences of an organism's behavior determine whether it will be repeatedin the future
Thorndike's puzzle box
for cats, concealed lever=> food (Law of effect)
law of effect
behaviors that are followed by a "satisfying state of affairs" tend to be repeated and those that produce an "unpleasant state of affairs" are less likely to be repeated
operant behavior
behavior that an organism produces that has some impact on the environment
skinner box
rats, pigeons
reinforcer
any stimulus or event that functions to increase the likelihood of the behavior that led to it
punisher
any stimulus or event that functions to decrease the likelihood of the behavior that led to it
primary vs secondary reinforcers
primary are needs based (Food, comfort, shelter, warmth) vs secondary are based on primary thorugh conditioning (money)
premack principle
reinforcer is the preferred activity
overjustification effect
when external rewards can undermine intrinsic satisfaction for performing a behavior (eg drawing)
context
matters for learning (pigeons pecking to Monet vs picasso)
fixed interval schedule (FI)
reinforcements are presented at fixed time periods, provided that the appropriate response is made
variable interval schedule (VI)
behavior is reinforced based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforcement
fixed ratio schedule (FR)
reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been made
variable ratio schedule (VR)
the delivery of reinforcement is based on a particular average number of responses
intermittent reinforcement
when only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement
intermittent-reinforcement effect
the fact hat operant behaviors are maintained under intermittent reinforcement schedules resist extinction better than those maintained under continuous reinforcement
shaping
learning that results from the reinforcement of successive approximations to a final desired behavior
superstitions
behavior that has been accidentally reinforced
dopamine
neurotramsitter associated with pleasure, probable neural cause of operant conditioning
cognitive elements of operant conditioning
produces expectation which produces behavior (rats run faster if small reward, then big reward)
latent learning
something is learned but is not manifested as a behavioral change until sometime in the future (rats who are left in maze for week, then given reward do the same as rats with reward all along)
cognitive map
mental representation of the physical features of the environment (tolman's rats navigate new maze with same placement of end goal)
Breland's pigs and raccoons
associate coin with food => treat the coin like food
observational learning
learning takes place by watching the actions of others (even things like fear)
Bandura experiment with Bobo doll
child toys, but observe adult playing violently with bobo, then can play with bobo => will imitate adult
mirror neurons
fire when you perform the action and when you watch it performed
implicit learning
learning that takes place largely independent of awareness of both the process and the products of information acquisition
experiment about implicit learning
artificial grammar in a string of letters, learn those faster than nongrammatical, changes little over life-time, not affected by IQ, dot structure constellations can be processed equally by explicit and implicit learning
consciousness
person's subjective experience of the world and the mind
cartesian theater
a mental screen or stage on which things appear to be presented for viewing by your mind's eye
phenomenology
how things seem to the conscious person
problem of other minds
the fundamental difficulty we have in perceiving the consciousness of others
mind/body problem
the issue of how the mind is related to the brain and body
timing of conscious will
brain activity begins => conscious wish to act => finger movement
4 basic properties of consciousness
intentionality (it's about something), unity of consciousness (no multi-tasking), selectivity of consciousness, transience of consciousness
dichotic listening
in which people wearing headphones are presented with different messages in each ear (repeat aloud one ear, tune out other ear)
cocktail party phenomenon
people tune in one message even while they filter out others nearby
minimal consciousness
consciousness that occurs when the mind inputs sensations and may output behavior
full consciousness
know and are able to report your mental state
self-conscious
the person's attention is drawn to the self as an object (depression, looking into a mirror)
Gallup experiment (chimps)
see self-consciousness of chimps with red dye over eyebrow, will wipe off in mirror
mental control
the attempt to change conscious states of mind
thought suppression
conscious avoidance of a thought
rebound effect of thought suppression
the tendency of a thought to return to consciousness with greater frequency following suppression
ironic processes of mental control
ironic errors occur because the mental processs that monitors errors can itself produce them
dynamic unconscious (Freud)
an active system encompassing a lifetime of hidden memories, the person's deepest instincts and desires, and the person's inner struggle to control these forces (where simple answers come from)
repression
a mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and memories from consciousness
freudian slips
what is on your mind, defeat repression! "shad bock" => "bad shock"
unconscious decisions can be better
as in the roommate question, though maybe not with "enemy loses"
cognitive unconsicious
the mental processes that give rise to the person's thoughts, choices, emotions, and behavior even though they are not experienced by the person
subliminal perception
a thought or behavior that is influenced by stimuli that a person cannot consciously report perceiving
Bargh's study
complete sentences with age-related words, then walk more slowly down the hall
altered state of consciousness
a form of experience that departs significantly fromt he normal subjective experience of the world and the mind
hypnagogic state
hypnic jerk, presleep consciousness
circadian rhythm
a naturally occurring 24-hour cycle (well, 25.1)
REM sleep
a stage o sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and a high level of brain activity (like beta waves of awake), dream time (occurs in real time)
electrooculograph (EOG)
a ddevice to measure eye movements
Sleep deprivation
record is 264hours in humans, rats die in 21 days, need REM sleep (aggression, memory problems, more REM the next night), slow wave sleep = physical exhaustion
insomnia
difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep (best to give up trying so hard. or sleep pills)
sleep apnea
a disorder in which the person stops breathing for brief periods while asleep (usually snores)
somnambulism
a person arises and walks around while asleep (more common in children)
narcolepsy
a disorder in which sudden sleep attack occur in the middle of waking activities (REM) probably genetic
sleep paralysis
the experience of waking up unable to move
night terrors
abrupt awakenings with panic and intense emotional arousal
5 aspects that make dream different from awake
emotion (intense), thought is illogical, sensation is fully formed, critical acceptance, difficulty of remembering afterwards
manifest content
a dream's apparent topic or superficial meaning
latent content
a dream's true underlying meaning (when asked to not think about a person before bed, dream more about them)
activation-synthesis model
dreams are produced when the mind attempts to make sense of random neural activity that occurs in the brain during sleep
psychoactive drugs
chemicals that influence consciousness or behavior by altering the brain's chemical message system
drug tolerance
the tendency for larger drug doses to be required over time to acheive the same effect
depressants
substances that reduce the activity of the central nervous system (eg alcohol, barbiturates etc)
expectancy theory
alcohol effects are produced by people's expectations of how alcohol will influence them in particular situations
balanced placebo design
behavior is observed following the presence or absence of an actual and placebo stimulus (which they perceive to be actual and or placebo)
alcohol myopia
alcohol hampers attention, leading people to respond in simple ways to complex situations
stimulants
substances that excite the central nervous system, heightening arousal and activity levels (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine and ecstasy), heighten dopamine and norepinephrine levels
narcotics/opiates
drugs derived from opium (poppy seeds) that are capable of relieving pain
endorphins or endogenous opiates
neurotransmitters that are closely related to opiates (role in coping with pain and stress)
harm reduction approach
a response to high-risk behaviors that focuses on reducing the harm such behaviors have on people's lives
hallucinogens
drugs that alter sensation and perception, often causing hallucinations (lsd, mescaline, pcp, etc)
hypnosis
an altered state of consciousness characterized by suggestibility and the feelign taht one's actions are occurring involuntarily
posthypnotic amnesia
the failure to retrieve memories following hypnotic suggestions to forget
hypnotic analgesia
the reduction of pain through hypnosis in people who are hypnotically susceptible (more effective than drugs or anasthesia)
meditation
the practice of intentional contemplation
stressors
specific events or chronic pressures that place demands on a person or threaten the person's well-being
stress
the physical and psychological response to internal or external stressors
chronic stressors
sources of stress that occur continuously or repeatedly
perceived control
good way to manage stress
catecholamines
biochemicals indicating the activation of emotional systems
fight-or-flight response
an emotional and physiological reaction to an emergency that increases readiness for action (Cannon)
HPA axis
hair stands on end, hypothalamus => pituatary gland => adreneocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) => adrenal glands on the kidneys => catecholamines => increase sympathetic nervous system
general adaption syndrome (GAS)
three-stage physiological response that appears regardless of the stressor that is encountered (alarm, resistance, exhaustion) (probably glucocorticoids)
immune system
complex response system that protects the body from bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances
lymphocytes
cells that produce antibodies that fight infection
studies showing stress-weakened immune system
Alzheimer's caretakers less immune to flu shots, medical student volunteers with cuts on their mouth heal more slowly during exams, catch a cold
Type A behavior pattern
tendency toward easily aroused hostility, impatience, a sense of time urgency, and competitive achievement strivings (2/3 had heart attacks
stress interpretation
primary appraisal (stress ---yes/no), secondary appraisal (do I have control?)
Posttraumatic stress disorder
chronic physiological arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma and avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind
Gilbertson on PTSD
twin study, vietnam vets, brother without combat also has a smaller hippocampus
burnout
a state fo physical, emotional and metnal exhaustion created by longterm involvement in an emotionally demanding situation and accompanied by lowered performance and motivation
repressive coping
avoiding situations or thoughts that are reminders of a stressor and maintaining an artificially positive viewpoint
rational coping
facing the stressor and working to overcome it (acceptance, exposure, understanding)
reframing
finding a new or creative way to think about a stressor that reduces its threat
stress inoculation training (SIT)
helps people cope with stressful situations by developing positive ways to think about the situation
self-disclosure writing
helps reduce stress (in college students)
relaxation therapy
a technique for reducing tension by consciously relaxing muscles of the body (just thinking about an actions causes muscle tension, EMG)
relaxation response
a condition of reduced muscle tension, cortical activity, heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure
biofeedback
the use of an external monitoring device to obtain information about a bodily function and possibly gain control over that function (can control temp etc)
aerobic exercise as a depression treatment
worked for mildly depressed college women
social support
aid gained through interacting with others (eg macaque monkeys in unstable social groups have immune suppression
tend and befriend
women release oxytocin, not as much flight or fight, but rather social response
humor's effect on health
short term helpful, long term die younger
Pennebaker and coughs
occur in more boring lectures, one triggers others
placebo effect
clinically significant psychological or physiological response to a therapeutically inert substance or procedure (portions of the brain normally activated in pain are not, possibly release of endorphins)
psychosomatic illness
interaction between mind and body that can produce illness
somatofrom disorders
the patient displays physical symptoms not fully explained by a general medical condition
hypochondriasis
a psychological disorder in which a person is preoccupied with minor symptoms and develops an exaggerated belief that the symptoms signify a life-threatening illness
somatization disorder
combinations of multiple physical complaints that have no medical explanation
conversion disorder
a disorder characterized by apparently debilitating physical symptoms that appear to be voluntary--but that the person experiences as involuntary
sick role
a socially recognized set of rights and obligations linked with illness (malingering)
optimism and hardiness
are good for you
self-regulation
the exercise of voluntary control over the self to bring the self into line with preferred standards (may have a finite amount, so choose battles and eat cookies)
ice cream study
when asked to perform a stressful task, dieters ate more ice cream in a taste test than non-dieters
selectivity study
Feingold, "would you go out tonight" or "would you go to bed with me?" 1/2 agree to go out, no women bed, 3/4 men bed, also cultures with lower costs of sex => women are less selective (birth control, collective child rearing etc)
mere exposure effect
tendency for liking to increase with the frequency of exposure
secret relationships
perversely special
passionate love
an experience involving feelings of euphoria, intimacy and intense sexual attraction
companionate love
an experience involving affection, trust and concern for a partner's well-being
social exchange
hypothesis that people remain in relationships only as long as they perceive a favorable ratio of costs to benefits
comparison level
the cost-benefit ratio that people believe they deserve or could attain in another relationship
equity
a state of affairs in which the cost-benefit ratios of two partners are roughly equal
psychological or mental disorders
symptoms reflecting abnormalities of the mind
medical model
the conceptualization of psychological abnormalities as diseases that, like biological diseases, have symptoms and causes and possible cures
DSM-IV-TR
(diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) a classification system that describes the features used to diagnose each recognized mental disorder and indicates how the disorder can be distinguished from other, similar problems (strives for observable behavior instead of interpretation-based criteria)
key elements that must be present for a mental disorder
disturbances in behavior, thoughts or emotions
comorbidity
the co-occorrence of two or more disorders in a single individual
diathesis-stress model
a person may be predisposed for a mental disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress
intervention-causation fallacy
if a treatment is effective it must address teh cause of the problem
anxiety disorders
the class of mental disorder in which anxiety is the predominant feature
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms
phobic disorders
disorders characterized by marked, persistent and excessive fear and avoidance of specific objects, activities or situations
specific phobia
a disorder that involves an irrational fear of a particular object or situation that markedly interferes with an individual's ability to function
social phobia
irrational fear of being publicly humiliated or embarrassed
preparedness theory
people are instinctively predisposed toward certain fears (toy rabbits are much more difficult than spiders, also heritable)
panic disorder
the sudden occurrence of multiple psychological and physiological symptoms that contribute to a feeling of stark terror (possibly due to sodium lactate....fear of fear)
agoraphobia
extreme fear of venturing into public places
OCD
disorder in which repetitive, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) designed to fend off those thoughts interfere significantly with an individual's functioning (preparedness theory--often tied to germs etc)
dissociative disorder
a condition in which normal cognitive processes are severely disjointed and fragmented, creating significant disruptions in memory, awareness or personality that can very in length from a matter of minutes to many years
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)
the presence within an individual of two or more distinct identities that at different times take control of the individual's behavior (host personality and alters, usually occurs with severe childhood abuse/trauma)
dissociative amnesia
the sudden loss of memory for significant personal information
dissociative fugue
the sudden loss of memory for one's personal history, accompanied by an abrupt departure from home and the assumption fo a new identity
mood disorders
mental disorders that have mood disturbance as their predominant feature
major depressive disorder
severely depressed mood that lasts 2 or more weeks and is accompanied by feelings of worthlessness and lack of pleasure, lethargy and sleep and appetite disturbances (norepinephrine and serotonin, genetics the more severe it is)
dysthymia
the same cognitive and bodily problems as in depression are present, but they are less severe and last longer, persisting for at least 2 years
double depression
moderately depressed mood that persists for at least 2 years and is punctuated by periods of major depression
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
recurrent depressive episodes in a seasonal patternsness theory
bipolar disorder
an unstable emotional condition characterized by cycles of abnormal, persistent high mood (mania) and low mood (depression) (sig minority highly creative)
schizophrenia
a disorder characterized by the profound disruption of basic psychological processes
delusion
patently false belief system, often bizarre and grandiose, that is maintained in spite of its irrationality
hallucination
a false perceptual experience that has a compelling sense of being real despite the absence of external stimulation (often auditory)
disorganized speech
severe disruption of verbal communication in which ideas shift rapidly and incoherently from one to another unrelated topic
grossly disorganized behavior
behavior that is inappropriate for the situation or ineffective in attaining goals, often with specific motor disturbances
catatonic behavior
marked decrease in all movement or an increase in muscular rigidity and overactivity
negative symptoms
emotional and social withdrawal
dopamine hypothesis
idea that schizophrenia involves an excess of dopamine activity (probably not...)
expressed emotion
emotional overinvolvement (intrusiveness) and excessive criticism directed toward the former patient by his or her family (causes relapses)
personality disorders
characterized by deeply ingrained, inflexible patterns of thinking, feeling, or relating to others or controlling impulses that cause distress or impaired functioning (best diagnosed through peer nominations)
antisocial personality disorder (APD)
pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood
evolutionary psychology
the brain, mind and behavior are all products of evolution and natural selection
variation
individuals within a population vary
heritability
pass on adaptive traits to the next generation
adaptation
inherited characteristic passed down through natural selection because it helped to solve a problem of survival or reproduction
parental investment theory
the sex that invests greater resources in offspring will evolve to be more discriminating in selecting a mate

the other sex will evolve to be more competitive with its own sex for access to the high-investing sex
polygyny
high female, low male involvement
mammals
sexual dimorphism
males taller
sexual dimorphism
expensive for survival, good for reproductive success

eg peacocks, deer antlers
monogomy
equivalent male/female investment
birds, foxes, coyotes, some rodents
little difference in size
Prairie vs meadow voles
shows diff between monogamous and polyagamous
monogomous prairie have smaller hippocampus, worse spatial abilities
polyandry
high male/low female
some fish, insects
females are larger, more active, aggressive, stronger
polugynandry
parental investment in the group
chimps and bonobos
paternity confusion
harmonious
humans look for ____ in a mate:
good financial prospect (women more than men)

good looks (males slightly more)
naturalistic fallacy
just because it's natural, doesn't mean it's right
Hume, GE Moore
theory of evolution describes what "is" not what "ought to"
no ethical justification
women like men who are (physically):
tall+good abs
(upside down triangle)
men like women who are (physically):
skin + hip to waist ratio
hourglass
attractive facial features:
perceptions of beauty are to some extent innate and universal across cultures

symmetry, avg of population's faces (but some are more attractive, so the avg of the most beautiful is more beautiful than avg of everyone)
in general prefer a feminized face (ovulation=masculinized)
gay/lesbian preferences
gay men: similar to straight men, with even more emphasis on youth and physical attractiveness

lesbian: similar to heterosexual women, but care less about youth and physical attractiveness
closing time phenomenon
rating of attractiveness goes up as the evening goes on, especially in males
touching and sexual advances
women do much more touching when ovulating
classical conditioning
associating stimuli
acquisition => extinction=> spontaneous recovery
operant conditioning
associating behavior and consequence
instrumental conditioning
the process of changing behavior by following a response with a reinforcement
the subject's behavior determines an outcome and is affected by that outcome
eg Thorndike's box, skinner's box
Pavlov's dogs
salivate at the metronome/tone
ex of classical conditioning
unconditioned stimulus (food) => unconditioned response (salivate)
associate unconditioned stimulus with conditioned stimulus, then => conditioned response (salivate)
Dwight on The Office
Universal disgust
probably learned: babies play with feces
Watson experiment (fear conditioning)
baby with a rat + gong => fear
contextual fear
contextual fear
conditioning is hippocampus and amygdala dependent
eg rats only shocked in a certain sort of cage
extinction
only after conditioned stimulus is repeatedly given without unconditioned stimulus

most effective if you present unconditioned stimulus briefly on the second day
spontaneous recovery
temporary return of an extinguished response
stimulus generalization
extension of a conditioned response from the training stimulus to similar stimuli
(eg baby fears rabbits too)
behaviorism
only study observable, measurable behaviors, not mental processes
deterministic
a universe of identifiable cause-and-effect
if you know about the individual's past experiences, current influences, and genetics, you can predict that individual's behavior
***environment's role in behavior
our environment selects and perpetuates successful behaviors
***Thorndike's law of effect
responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation (and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur in that situation)
Thorndike's box
operant conditioning
cats learn how to open it, then can open it very quickly (trial and error, replicate success)
Skinner's box
schedules of reinforcement
hungry birds and rats
taught to "read"
chaining behavior
behaviors are reinforced by opportunities to engage in the next behavior
remote controlled rats
awesome
unconditioned reinforcers
meet primary biological needs
universal
conditioned reinforcers
are effective because they have come to be associated with unconditioned reinforcers
Schedules of Reinforcement
continuous reinforcement: provides reinforcement every time a response occurs
intermittent reinforcement:
ratio: Reinforcement depends on the number of responses
given by the individual.
interval: Reinforcement depends on the amount of time that has passed since the last reinforcement.
variable ratio schedule
provides reinforcement after a variable number of correct responses, usually an avg % in the long run (slot machines)
fixed ratio schedule
provides reinforcement only after a fixed number of correct responses have been made
variable interval schedule
provides reinforcement after a variable amount of time has passed
fixed interval schedule
provides reinforcement after a specific time interval
studies associating sleep with good things:
Kripke et al: neither too little nor too much is good for death rate
Sadeh: reaction time, memory, responsiveness better with 1 more hour of sleep (in kids)
electroencephalogram (EEG)
measures brain waves, we can see sleep cycles
Stages of sleep
4 of them
REM + slow wave are most important
restoration theory
slow wave allows the body to recover from the day
eg after running a marathon you have more slow wave for a few days
preservation theory
after basic needs are fulfilled (eat, mate etc) preserve energy and safety
20hr for bats down to 2.9hrs for horse: depends on food (nutritional value: bugs vs grass) and predators (mallard keeps half brain awake if sleeping on the end)
circadian rhythms
cycles of activity and inactivity usually lasting about 25.1 hours
synchronized by light
easier to travel East=> West
monday morning brain fog = jet lag
REM sleep
body paralyzed, brain active
deprivation makes one irritable, anxious and distracted
when deprived, brains will produce (proportionately) more of it
infants > children > adults
time of vivid dreams
Freud's theory of dreams
reveal the dreamer's unconscious thoughts and motivations
dream images: symbolic expressions of powerful, unconscious, repressed wishes, censored by defense mechanisms
problems: subjective and not falsifiable
latent content
hidden content, represented only in symbols (of a dream)
manifest content
the surface content (of a dream according to Freud)
neural exercise theory of dreams
activation preserves circuitry to prevent neuronal degeneration
dreams are side effect of the brain trying to make sense of this random activity
memory consolidation theory of dreams
eg: study ability to learn task (detect letter and orientation in briefly flashed image) much better after sleeping (other wise, no improvement), also more sleep the better although even 30 min nap gave a dramatic improvement
What do MIT rats dream of?
mazes
(hippocampal patterns similar)
Yerkes-Dodson law
optimal level of "arousal", overly motivated is fine on the easy stuff, but in difficult tasks harms performance
choking
caused by: high anxiety, overattending
prevent: perform for yourself, set realistic goals, positive self-talk, imagery/meditation/prayer/relaxation techniques
meditation: afterwards you respond to stimuli better
Sterberg's Triangular theory (of love)
Intimacy: feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bonding (comes from sharing things you wouldn't with other people)
passion: drive that leads to romance, physical attraction and sex
commitment: the decision that one loves another and the commitment (often in public) to maintain the love
types of love
non-love, liking (casual friend), infatuated love (love at first sight), empty love (arranged marriage or stale marriage), romantic love (friends with benefits), companionate love (best friend), fatuous love, consumate love (see chart in lecture slides)
the big three reasons for love
proximity: study in Manhattan (closer apartments=more love) + distance between doors on campus
similarity
familiarity: words you've seen before (in a new language), you are more likely to like
the more interesting four reasons for love
competence (but pratfall effect!)
physical attractiveness
gain-loss effect
misattribution of arousal
classic pratfall effect experiment
U of Texas, also Santa Cruise: listen to a student interview for a game show, perfect person vs mediocre candidate
when they spill coffee on a new suit, it polarizes (like the perfect candidate more, the mediocre guy less)
Minnesota blind date computer dance
computer sets up couples randomly
knew how they rated their date on warmth, sensitivity, intelligence, compassion, good looks
only good looks was a predictor of calling for a second date
"Frizzy wig" experiment
confederate who is made either attractive or not (frizzy wig)
grad students interviewing for a study: do you want feedback?
beautiful: liked when she said good things, didn't like when she said bad things (but more likely to follow up)
ugly: didn't care what she said
gain-loss effect
more sensitive to changing states
first derivative of view is more important than the view itself
misattribution of arousal
coffee!
"rickity bridge" experiment: content of story scored for romantic content, rickity bridge is more romantic than stable bridge (but! selection bias)

"painful shock" experiment: "wait here for the electric shock experiment" , fill out a questionnaire while you wait...how attractive is the research assistant?

"running-in-place" experiment: wait for the experiment vs hop on the treadmill

"playboy centerfold" experiment
frat boys judge attractiveness of centerfolds for the last 5 years
told that amplify sound of own heart through headphones
actually listening to the sound of a tape-recorded heart, speed it up at certain intervals
why do people stay in abusive relationships?
mostly trapped (eco, soc)
some is misattribution of arousal
health-enhancing behaviors
surveillance, diet, exercise, seeking care
health-impairing behaviors
smoking, drugs, unprotected sex
socio-eco status and health
more likely to die earlier or get diseases if you are lower in socio-eco status
social ties and susceptibility to the common cold
those who participate in more diversified social networks live longer (marriage, family interactions, friends, neighbors, fellow workers, social and religious groups)

the more social, the less susceptible to the cold
type A personality
a tendency towards easily arouse hostility, impatience, a sense of time urgency and competitive achievement strivings
higher risk of disease: but only with hostility not necessarily time urgency
test of working memory
monkeys, look at center, hold peripheral dot's location in mind = higher spatially specific neural activity
stress interferes with working memory because:
causes release of norepinephrine, an activator of protein kinase C (PKC)
high levels of PKC, which regulates neuron excitability, disrupts working memory in the prefrontal cortex
(blocking PKC stopped the effect)
how to cope with stress
achieve (feeling of) control
repressive coping
rational coping
reframing
repressive coping
avoidance, artificially positive view point (not the best)
rational coping
facing the stressor and working to overcome it
reframing
finding a new or creative way to think about the stressor
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
obsession: intrusive disturbing, unwelcome stream of thought
compulsion: repetitive, almost irresistible actions
2-3% at some point suffer
exposure therapy
heightened activity in the caudate nucleus (habitat learning mechanism?)
drug therapy that increases seratonin levels reduces caudate nucleus activity
obsession
intrusive, disturbing, unwelcome stream of thought
compulsion
repetitive, almost irresistible actions
specific phobias
treat if it affects your everyday life or work
intense, *irrational* fear
most fears are learned, either directly or through observation
treatment for phobias
behavior therapy: if behavior is learned, it can be unlearned
-use learning to achieve clearly set goals
-flooding or implosion: expose to the most extreme form of the phobia
-systematic desensitization: reduce fear by gradually exposing people to the object of their fear

medication
mental disorders
like any other illness (possibly more stigma)

biological perspective: genetic factors, brain chemistry, hormones, infectious disease
sociocultural perspective: product of larger culture
psychological perspective:
-psychodynamic theories: unresolved mental conflicts
-cognitive and behavioral theories: learned, maladaptive habits of thinking and behavior
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal
smaller hippocampus => more likely to get PTSD (twin bros of Iraqi soldiers with PTSD had smaller hippocampi than normal soldier twins), also hippocampus shrinks in rats
symptoms of PTSD
re-experiencing symptoms (recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma)
hyperarousal (chronic, persistent arousal, "on edge", sleeping problems)
avoidance of things that call the event to mind, emotional detachment, numbness
help PTSD by:
being a good listener
positive distractions
therapist/doctor
gradual improvement