Week 2

Question 1

Evidence for constructivism

Answer 1

We do not directly or completely perceive reality, our senses are selective, we perceive things that don’t exist, perceptions are context dependent, and our brains are always guessing

Question 2

Psychophysics

Answer 2

Study of the relation between variations in aspects of external and people’s perceptions of these variations

Question 3

Evolutionary selection pressure

Answer 3

Natural selection

Question 4

Epigenetic

Answer 4

Developmental plasticity, experience during certain developmental stages needed for NS to develop properly. Brain micro architecture influenced by experience. Certain kinds of experiences can affect gene expression through chemical pathways

Question 5

Learning

Answer 5

Individual experience affects expectations

Question 6

Implications

Answer 6

No direct perception
Predictably inaccurate
Bottom up vs top down processing

Question 7

Psychophysics

Answer 7

Study of relation between real physical stimulus and persons perception of that stimulus

Question 8

4 basic questions

Answer 8

Detection: is anything there?
Recognition: what is it?
Discrimination: is it different from another stimulus?
Magnitude estimation: how much is there?

Question 9

Detection

Answer 9

What is the Minimum amount of energy in a stimulus needed for an observer to just barely detect it?

Question 10

Classical threshold theory

Answer 10

As stimulus increases from 0, there should be a point at which observer always reports detection

Question 11

Absolute threshold

Answer 11

Detected 50% of the time

Question 12

Method of limits

Answer 12

Stimulus magnitude gradually increases from 0 or decreases from well-above threshold.

Question 13

Method of adjustment

Answer 13

Gradual increase/decrease controlled by observer

Question 14

Method of adaptive testing

Answer 14

Reverse direction after incorrect response

Question 15

Method of constant stimuli

Answer 15

Constant stimuli that straddle supposed threshold, presented in random order, random order of presentation

Question 16

Subliminal perception

Answer 16

Stimuli that do not register consciously may still affect brain activity and influence behavior

Question 17

Signal detection theory

Answer 17

Both sensory and psychological factors influence performance on threshold tests, no fixed threshold

Question 18

Catch trials

Answer 18

Trials on which no stimulus is present. But the experiment or acts like there is, catches bias

Question 19

Signal detection experiment

Answer 19

Holds signal constant and mix in catch trials

Question 20

Contructivism

Answer 20

Distinction between external reality (electromagnetic radiation) and internal reality (color; sound). There is a true external reality upon which we base our internal reality but not 1:1.