Psychology Exam 2

Front 1

What is the Rooting Reflex

Back 1

Infant reflex where babies turn their face toward stimulus and make sucking motions.

Front 2

What does Maturation mean?

Back 2

It is a biological growth process in children and infants that enables orderly changes in behavior. Is relatively uninfluenced by experience.

Front 3

What is imprinting?

Back 3

The process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life.

Front 4

A human sperm cell contains what?

Back 4

DNA, Chromosomes

Front 5

How do we get identical twins?

Back 5

A single zygote splits into two.

Front 6

What is a mutation?

Back 6

A random error in gene replication that leads to genetic variation – adaptive & maladaptive

Front 7

Gender differences in terms of casual sex and affection

Back 7

Not Sure

Front 8

Difference between sensation and perception

Back 8

Sensation is the process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

Perception is the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

Front 9

Difference between absolute threshold and difference threshold

Back 9

Absolute threshold is the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time.
The difference threshold is the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time. We experience the difference threshold as a just noticeable difference or jnd.

Front 10

What is sensory adaptation?

Back 10

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation

Front 11

Short Wavelength
Long Wavelength
Great Amplitude
Small Amplitude

Back 11

Short Wavelength - High frequency
Long Wavelength - Low Frequency
Great Amplitude - Bright and Loud
Small Amplitude - Dull and Soft

Front 12

Why do we have a blind spot?

Back 12

Is created by the point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye. No receptor cells are located there

Front 13

Rods vs Cones

Back 13

Rods detect black and white and are necessary for peripheral vision
Cones are concentrated near the center of the retina and function in daylight. Can see fine detail and color.

We have more rods

Front 14

Trichromatic (three color) Theory developed by Young and Helmholtz.

Opponent-Process Theory

Back 14

Trichromatic - Red, green, blue

Opponent-Process Theory – After leaving the retina opposing processes characterize color visiona.
Red vs. Green
Blue vs. Yellow
Black vs. White

Front 15

Middle Ear

Back 15

Contains three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup). They concentrate vibrations of the eardrum onto the cochlea’s oval window.

Front 16

Inner Ear

Back 16

Innermost part of the ear, contains the cochlea, semicircular canals, and vestibular sacs.

Front 17

Cochlea

Back 17

Coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear through which vibrations are turned into neural impulses.

Front 18

How do we hear?

Back 18

The strength, or amplitude, of sound waves determines their loudness.

Frequency dictates pitch. Long waves have low frequency and low pitch.

Front 19

What is the auditory equivalent of rods and cones.

Back 19

The hair cells in the cochlea which respond to sound.

Front 20

Classically, what 4 tastes can we differentiate?

Back 20

Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter

Front 21

Monocular Cues

Back 21

Monocular Cues

Relative Height - Things that are higher in our field of vision appear farther.
Relative size - If we assume two objects are similar in size, most people perceive the one that casts the smaller retinal image as farther away.
Interposition - If one object partially blocks our view of another, we perceive it as closer.
Linear perspective - The more parallel lines converge, the greater the perceived distance.
Relative motion -
Light and shadow - Dimmer objects appear farther. Shading also produces a sense of depth consistent with our assumption that light comes from above.

Front 22

What is the visual cliff?

Back 22

Experiment where infants were placed at the edge of a safe canyon and coaxed to crawl across. Most did not, proving they could perceive depth.

Front 23

Binocular Cues

Back 23

Retinal disparity - Our brain's comparison of the two images from both eyes to create depth.

Front 24

Classical Conditioning

Back 24

A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.
It involves respondent behavior, actions that are automatic responses to a stimulus.

Ivan Pavlov

Front 25

Operant Conditioning

Back 25

Organisms associate their own actions with consequences. Behavior that operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli.

Skinner

Front 26

Spontaneous Recovery

Back 26

The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.