Special Topics

Question 1

What is cog psych’s role in abnormal psych

Answer 1

identify’s differences in abnormal v. normal, does not say how impairment occurred

Question 2

What is cog psych’s role in abnormal psych

Answer 2

identify’s differences in abnormal v. normal, does not say how impairment occurred

Question 3

Define schizophrenia physical symptoms v. cog symptoms (NOT CAUSES)

Answer 3

Partial cause= physical: widening of vesicles in brain atrophies portions of PFC; Cog symptom: impaired executive functioning/attention

Question 4

Define RSVP

Answer 4

Rapid serial visual presentation; stimuli appear in a stream in one location very quickly; used to study visual attention

Question 5

Define attentional blink

Answer 5

when something captures our attention, we unintentionally focus on it (miss things that happen directly after); normally 200-500 ms (less for video game players)

Question 6

Who studied the attentional blink for phobias

Answer 6

Farshid et al. (2013)

Question 7

How long is a phobia related attentional blink?

Answer 7

200-800 ms

Question 8

What does a phobic attentional blink imply?

Answer 8

people with phobias cannot disengage from phobia-specific info

Question 9

How many objects can people usually remember in change detection?

Answer 9

4 objects

Question 10

When phobic item on screen, how many objects can phobic people remember in change detection?

Question 11

Why are phobias formed?

Answer 11

classical conditioning

Question 12

What is the critical factor to maintaining a phobia?

Answer 12

attention

Question 13

after 1970s, what do therapists used for anxiety disorders?

Answer 13

Cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT); attempts to treat the simple/complex associations while also addressing attention, thoughts, and emotional processing

Question 14

Define schizophrenia physical symptoms v. cog symptoms (NOT CAUSES)

Answer 14

Partial cause= physical: widening of vesicles in brain atrophies portions of PFC; Cog symptom: impaired executive functioning/attention

Question 15

Define RSVP

Answer 15

Rapid serial visual presentation; stimuli appear in a stream in one location very quickly; used to study visual attention

Question 16

Define attentional blink

Answer 16

when something captures our attention, we unintentionally focus on it (miss things that happen directly after); normally 200-500 ms (less for video game players)

Question 17

Who studied the attentional blink for phobias

Answer 17

Farshid et al. (2013)

Question 18

How long is a phobia related attentional blink?

Answer 18

200-800 ms

Question 19

what does the WAIS test provide?

Answer 19

insights into learning strengths/weaknesses when processing information

Question 20

How many objects can people usually remember in change detection?

Answer 20

4 objects

Question 21

When phobic item on screen, how many objects can phobic people remember in change detection?

Question 22

Why are phobias formed?

Answer 22

classical conditioning

Question 23

What are treatments for phobias

Answer 23

flooding/systematic desensitization

Question 24

What is the critical factor to maintaining a phobia?

Answer 24

attention

Question 25

after 1970s, what do therapists used for anxiety disorders?

Answer 25

Cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT); attempts to treat the simple/complex associations while also addressing attention, thoughts, and emotional processing

Question 26

define PTSD

Answer 26

traumatic event causes psychopathology via: fear conditioning and subsequent generalization; distortion of beliefs related to safety, blame, etc

Question 27

what are some symptoms of PTSD?

Answer 27

intrusive memories, avoidance of specific thoughts/feelings, negative alterations in cognition/mood, alterations in arousal/reactivity

Question 28

What tests are used to study PTSD?

Answer 28

Emotional stroop, emotional counting stroop

Question 29

what are neurocognitive findings of ECS?

Answer 29

Threat words are associated with less recruitment of neural networks known to be associated with attentional control among those with PTSD and other anxiety disorders

Question 30

What parts of the brain are associated with PTSD

Answer 30

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC); dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Question 31

what does the WAIS test provide?

Answer 31

insights into learning strengths/weaknesses when processing information

Question 32

What is the underlying principle of Comparative Cognition?

Answer 32

C. Darwin's The Decent of Man; behavior across species is on a spectrum

Question 33

What is the function of dreams

Answer 33

long term memory consolidation

Question 34

Define activation synthesis

Answer 34

the brain tries to make sense of random activity that occurs throughout sleep