Edward Thorndike:
1. Explain Thorndike's puzzle-box experiment.
A=/ Thorndike puts cat in a puzzle box and observed the cat trying to get out. The cat had to figure out how to get out. Each time a cat gets out, the process started again. Each time the cat gets out more quickly than the previous trial.
2. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Effect".
A=/If the response comes familiar with the situation, then its likely to be done again through a reward.
3. Explain Thorndike's "Law of Exercise".
A=/ The more you make practice by associations, the more success it has to perform well.
B.F. Skinner:
1. Explain Skinner's concept of Operant Conditioning
A=/ Behavior's effects based on an action made due to the particular behavior, whether a reinforcement or a punishment comes out.
2. What does reinforcement always do?
A=/To fortify a behavior done.
3. What does a punishment alsways do?
A=/To decrease or halt a behavior done.
4. Explain the difference between "postive" and "negative" as they are used in opernat conditioning.
A=/The action has reinforcing (something is given), or receives a punsishment(something is taken away).
Works Cited
-www.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/wasserman/.../Puzzle.html
-www.britannica.com/.../Thorndikes-law-of-effect
-psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/a/introopcond.html
-www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/proj/nru/opcond.html
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Classical Conditioning and Behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov:
1. What was Pavlov actually studying when he developed his theory of classical conditioning?
A=/ He was studying digestion. Then he realized that there was conditioning in the digestive system.
2. Explain (in detail) how Pavlov's experiment was conducted.
A=/ Pavlov brought food, then the dog salivated as it saw the food. After a few times doing that the dog started salivating even before the plate was presented, it salivated by sensing Pavlov coming. Then he made the dog relate noise with the food
3. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Pavlov's experiment.
A=/ Conditioned stimulus would be the bell, the unconditioned is obviously the food, response is the dog's salivation.
4. Explain what extinction means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ When the conditioned stimulus disappears since it is not presented with the unconditioned one more than once.
5. Explain what stimulus generalization means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ Stimulus generalization is the tendency for the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses after the response has been conditioned.
6. Explain what stimulus discrimination means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ respond only to a stimulus that is the same as the original conditional stimulus.
7. Explain at least two limitations of this experiment.
A=/ -Pavlov made tube routes for the saliva to drip.
-He only used 2 dogs.
8. Explain what Pavlov theorized about how we learn.
A=/ Respondent Condiditioning. Conditioned-something learned. Unconditioned-innate
John B. Watson:
1. Explain (in detail) how Watson's "Little Albert" study was conducted.
A=/ Albert was exposed to be furry animals. Albert did not showed any fear towards the things. Then they showed the furry animals and stuff with a loud noise, and made Albert cry. Then he developed a fear on furry things.
2. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Watson's study
A=/ Conditioned stimulus are the furry animals. The unconditioned is the loud noise made. The response is the fear to furry things.
3. Explain at least two limitations of this study.
A=/ He only used one child on the experiment. Also it is unethical, which means that it cannot be replicated.
4. Explain Watson's law of frequency.
A=/ The more the stimulus with a response is done multiple times, the more powerful is the association.
5. Explain Watson's law of recency.
A=/ The recent response occurred from a stimulus, which is associated with it.
6. Explain the basic assumptions of behaviorism according to Watson.
A=/ Behaviorism is behavior made from the environment. It can be studied rather than mental process, since mental process cannot be observed like behavior.
Works Cited
-psychology.about.com/od/.../a/classcond.htm
-nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html
-http://www.gerardkeegan.co.uk/glossary/gloss_s.htm
-psychology.about.com/od/sindex/g/stimgen.htm
-education.stateuniversity.com/.../Watson-John-B-1878-1958.html
-www.psywww.com/.../watson_and_behaviorism.html
1. What was Pavlov actually studying when he developed his theory of classical conditioning?
A=/ He was studying digestion. Then he realized that there was conditioning in the digestive system.
2. Explain (in detail) how Pavlov's experiment was conducted.
A=/ Pavlov brought food, then the dog salivated as it saw the food. After a few times doing that the dog started salivating even before the plate was presented, it salivated by sensing Pavlov coming. Then he made the dog relate noise with the food
3. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Pavlov's experiment.
A=/ Conditioned stimulus would be the bell, the unconditioned is obviously the food, response is the dog's salivation.
4. Explain what extinction means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ When the conditioned stimulus disappears since it is not presented with the unconditioned one more than once.
5. Explain what stimulus generalization means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ Stimulus generalization is the tendency for the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses after the response has been conditioned.
6. Explain what stimulus discrimination means in relation to classical conditioning.
A=/ respond only to a stimulus that is the same as the original conditional stimulus.
7. Explain at least two limitations of this experiment.
A=/ -Pavlov made tube routes for the saliva to drip.
-He only used 2 dogs.
8. Explain what Pavlov theorized about how we learn.
A=/ Respondent Condiditioning. Conditioned-something learned. Unconditioned-innate
John B. Watson:
1. Explain (in detail) how Watson's "Little Albert" study was conducted.
A=/ Albert was exposed to be furry animals. Albert did not showed any fear towards the things. Then they showed the furry animals and stuff with a loud noise, and made Albert cry. Then he developed a fear on furry things.
2. Identify the conditioned stimulus, the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response from Watson's study
A=/ Conditioned stimulus are the furry animals. The unconditioned is the loud noise made. The response is the fear to furry things.
3. Explain at least two limitations of this study.
A=/ He only used one child on the experiment. Also it is unethical, which means that it cannot be replicated.
4. Explain Watson's law of frequency.
A=/ The more the stimulus with a response is done multiple times, the more powerful is the association.
5. Explain Watson's law of recency.
A=/ The recent response occurred from a stimulus, which is associated with it.
6. Explain the basic assumptions of behaviorism according to Watson.
A=/ Behaviorism is behavior made from the environment. It can be studied rather than mental process, since mental process cannot be observed like behavior.
Works Cited
-psychology.about.com/od/.../a/classcond.htm
-nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html
-http://www.gerardkeegan.co.uk/glossary/gloss_s.htm
-psychology.about.com/od/sindex/g/stimgen.htm
-education.stateuniversity.com/.../Watson-John-B-1878-1958.html
-www.psywww.com/.../watson_and_behaviorism.html
Article Summaries
Article #3 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100705190532.htm
This article is about students' sleep prior to arrive at school. The ones in charge of the experiment were Judith A. Owens and colleagues, whom studied 201 students in grades 9-12 attending an independent high school in Rhode Island. For the purposes of the study, class start time was delayed 30 minutes, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Additionally, students were required to complete an online survey before and after the change in school start time.
At least eight hours of sleep increased from 16.4% to 54.7%.
Students rating themselves as unhappy or depressed decreased significantly from 65.8% to 45.1%
Students visiting the Health Center for fatigue-related symptoms before the delayed start time was 15.3%versus 4.6%.
I believe that delaying start time in school is a big step towards having more sleep. The problem is that we would get out of school at a uncomfortable hour. In the case of Tegucigalpa, we leave home near the traffic hours. If time delayed, this would be dissolved, but we would get out of classes near the afternoon's traffic hours.
The study was made on 89 students between 17-20 years old preparing to begin freshman year and 34 of those students as they completed their freshman year at a liberal arts college.
I think that sleeping less makes the student lower his/her grades, because it disturbs the focus they have in class. Nevertheless, I have slightly bad sleep habits than last year, which is sleeping 6-7 hours most weekdays, but this year my average was way better than 8th and 9th grade.
Article #6 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025161023.htm
This article is about students' sleep prior to arrive at school. The ones in charge of the experiment were Judith A. Owens and colleagues, whom studied 201 students in grades 9-12 attending an independent high school in Rhode Island. For the purposes of the study, class start time was delayed 30 minutes, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Additionally, students were required to complete an online survey before and after the change in school start time.
According to the study, after the delayed start time, "students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue and depressed mood had reduced." It was also correlated with a significant increase in sleep duration on school nights of 45 minutes as well as a reduction in weekend oversleep.
Results: Students getting less than 7 hours of sleep decreased by 79.4%At least eight hours of sleep increased from 16.4% to 54.7%.
Students rating themselves as unhappy or depressed decreased significantly from 65.8% to 45.1%
Students visiting the Health Center for fatigue-related symptoms before the delayed start time was 15.3%versus 4.6%.
I believe that delaying start time in school is a big step towards having more sleep. The problem is that we would get out of school at a uncomfortable hour. In the case of Tegucigalpa, we leave home near the traffic hours. If time delayed, this would be dissolved, but we would get out of classes near the afternoon's traffic hours.
 |
| http://dropmeoffinharlem.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-hate-you-830-am.html |
This article is about how lack of sleep is a factor to low a student's GPA. The ones who was in charge
is Jennifer Peszka, PhD, psychology department chair at Hendrix College. The study was made on 89 students between 17-20 years old preparing to begin freshman year and 34 of those students as they completed their freshman year at a liberal arts college.
There was a resulting decline in the GPA during the transition from high school to college.
Results indicate that evening types had significantly lower first year college GPA (2.84) than morning and intermediate types (3.18). These evening-type students showed a greater decrease in their GPA during the transition from high school to college than their peers; their grades dropped by .98 GPA points, while others only dropped by .69 GPA points. These evening types also slept on average 41 minutes less than other students on school nights.I think that sleeping less makes the student lower his/her grades, because it disturbs the focus they have in class. Nevertheless, I have slightly bad sleep habits than last year, which is sleeping 6-7 hours most weekdays, but this year my average was way better than 8th and 9th grade.
 |
| http://www.quebecsorbonnenouvelle.org/ |
Article #6 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025161023.htm
This article is about that people have different sleeping manners due genes stuff. There is a gene variant correlated to sleeping disorder narcolepsy, but some people with this gene don't have this disorder and some people without the gene can still have narcolepsy. The one in charge of the experiment wasNamni Goel, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, with support from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, and the National Center for Research Resources.
The study was with 92 adults without the gene variant, and compared to 37 adults who had the gene variant but did not have any sleep disorders. All of these adults were in a sleeping lab.The first two nights, they spent 10 hours in bed and were fully rested. The next five nights had chronic partial sleep deprivation, also known as sleep restriction, where they were allowed four hours in bed per night. During the remaining time, lights were kept on and participants could read, play games, or watch movies to stay awake.
Results: the people with the gene variant were sleepier and more fatigued while both fully rested and sleep deprived. Those with the gene variant woke up on average almost four times during the 5th night of sleep deprivation, compared to those without the gene variant, who woke up on average twice. Those with the gene variant also had a lower sleep drive, or desire to sleep, during the fully rested nights. Those with the gene variant also spent less time in deep sleep than those without the variant, during both the fully rested and sleep deprivation nights. During the 2nd fully rested night, those with the variant had an average of 34 minutes in Stage 3 sleep, compared to 43 minutes for those without it. During the 5th night of sleep deprivation, those with the variant spent an average of 29 minutes in Stage 3 sleep, compared to 35 minutes for those without it.
I think that the gene variant is somehow affecting people who have it, even though some don't have narcolepsy. With the gene variant, it makes people wake up more times and be more exhausted and with more sleep desire. |
| http://www.canada.com/Health/Sleep+deprivation+tied+weight+gain/1686030/story.html |
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The Teenage Brain
What I learned and think about the teenage brain is that their brain passing through a process of making what the teen will be in the future. During this stage, teens want to make risky actions, and also to make insane and hobbies only youth people would do, like skating. They also don’t obey and get tired of rules set by their elders. Teens also face an ambitious habit of wanting all things, like the newest electronic device or the best thing to happen to them. For a moment they think and rather believe that the world is spinning around them, when that is not the case. During the ages 15 and 16 years old, teens can’t make decisions well. Sometimes it happens to me, but I of course don’t choose a really awful decision. The thing is that I make a decision, and suddenly I regret of making it and wanting the other that I got proposed. This makes me think that I should always think more than twice before making the decision. It really makes me uncomfortable when these situations show up to me. I also think that adults sometimes they don’t take heed towards teens and sometimes they say things that show that they didn’t knew in their teenage phase what they faced. Some adults do and comprehend, but also teens should take in consideration an adult’s advices towards them, since they have more life experience.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
How Our Brains Work
1. What does the word "hemisphere" refer to when talking about the brain?
The word "hemishpere" means divided into two when referring to the brain. There is the right and the left hemisphere.
2. What are the major differences between the left and right sides of the brain?
The left side of the brain is the one of analytical thought, logic, math or science stuff,etc. The right part is the holistic one, focusing on intuiton, creativity, art and music, etc.
3. What is the corpus collasum?
Fibres that connect both sides of the brain. They carry messages for both sides to coordinate both sides' functions.
4. Explain the study performed by Paul Broca in which he discovered "Broca's Area."
Broca studied cases from people with speech problems, where he later saw that a part of the brain focuses on that area.
5. Explain the study conducted by Roger Sperry in regard to "split brain."
Sperry saw that some people have certain problems related to the brain. His study then arrived to the idea that there are people who don't have coordination on both sides of the brain. Patients could no communicate from one hemisphere to the other.
6. Explain the study conducted by Karl Wernicke which led to the discovery of Wernicke's Area."
Wernicke's study gave him the idea that all speech and language problems were not all because of damage on Broca's area. He found out that another part was focus on language comprehension.
7. Which lobe is most responsible for vision?
Occipital Lobe.
8. Which lobe is most responsible for hearing and language?
Temporal Lobe.
9. Which lobe is most responsible for performing math calculations?
Parietal Lobe.
10. Which lobe is most responsible for judgment, reasoning and impulse control?
Frontal Lobe.
The word "hemishpere" means divided into two when referring to the brain. There is the right and the left hemisphere.
2. What are the major differences between the left and right sides of the brain?
The left side of the brain is the one of analytical thought, logic, math or science stuff,etc. The right part is the holistic one, focusing on intuiton, creativity, art and music, etc.
3. What is the corpus collasum?
Fibres that connect both sides of the brain. They carry messages for both sides to coordinate both sides' functions.
4. Explain the study performed by Paul Broca in which he discovered "Broca's Area."
Broca studied cases from people with speech problems, where he later saw that a part of the brain focuses on that area.
5. Explain the study conducted by Roger Sperry in regard to "split brain."
Sperry saw that some people have certain problems related to the brain. His study then arrived to the idea that there are people who don't have coordination on both sides of the brain. Patients could no communicate from one hemisphere to the other.
6. Explain the study conducted by Karl Wernicke which led to the discovery of Wernicke's Area."
Wernicke's study gave him the idea that all speech and language problems were not all because of damage on Broca's area. He found out that another part was focus on language comprehension.
7. Which lobe is most responsible for vision?
Occipital Lobe.
8. Which lobe is most responsible for hearing and language?
Temporal Lobe.
9. Which lobe is most responsible for performing math calculations?
Parietal Lobe.
10. Which lobe is most responsible for judgment, reasoning and impulse control?
Frontal Lobe.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage was a foreman who contructed railroads. He is famous later when he died because of the tremendous accident he survived. He was with an iron rod pushing soil to dynamite inside of a rock so that there was more pressure to make sure the dynamite breaks the rock into pieces. As he was with the rod, it sparkled by having contact with the dynamite's lit, causing an explosion that pushed the rod away, and Gage was on its way. The rod passed through Gage's left brain side, causing loss of the left eye and brain damage on part of the brain. As a result, Gage was now an angry man that could not work with others. This means that his behavior and personality changed dramatically, even though he didn't look like when the accident happened. This abiding mood made others not to work, even talk, with Phineas Gage.
Brain Localization is the term used to say that a specific part of the brain is for a specific function. We can see the vision function is at the occipital lobe, the auditory function is at the top part of the temporal lobe, the speech production is at the Broca area, and the rest of the parts have a respective function.
Brain Lateralization is the term that talks about the left and right part of the brain. The left part of the brain is the one that controls your right side of the body, and is the one that focuses on knowledge, reasoning, planning, etc. Basically is analytical the part in which is all of our education system process. In the other hand, the right part of the brain controls the left side of our body, and the side in which develops creativity, intuition, emotions, etc. Basically it is a holistic way of perception.
Works Cited
Friday, September 10, 2010
Athletes: Born to Succeed? Or Developed to Thrive?
When we talk about athletic ability, if it is nature or nurture, it is difficult to determine whether it is biological or it is made up in the environment. Why some athletes are taller than others? That is because of nature and biological traits. Why are some athletes stronger or more technical than others? Here is where it comes from the environment the athlete comes from. I believe that athletic ability of a person has both nature and nurture. We can never say that it is completely one, since analyzing deeply would change our perspective.
We talk about biological characteristics, where we might say it is about the parent’s traits passed to their offspring. Javier Hernandez is a Mexican football player, who is young and with a great caliber. His father was a good football player also. Here we think that this topic could be biological one. Also we can see that traits like height are a major factor in athletic ability. That is for certain nature side. Psychologists have done twin studies to determine not also personality or behavior, but also athletic ability. We can see results that one is a good athlete and the other might not be. Could that be because the one who isn’t didn’t inherit the proper genes we must have had? Well, twin studies aren’t like proper studies to study athletic ability. The only thing nature has to contribute to athletic ability are characteristics such as height.
On the other hand, studies on athletes are shown to have the major factor of the environment. We can see that when it comes to swimming, an African man would hardly win the competition. The reason is because their environment in which they grew, which is the African continent, had less resources to develop a strong and well-toned body to render more effort on the competition. Therefore, they cannot compete fairly against someone stronger since their bones and muscles are pretty weak compared to the rest of the swimmers who grew on a comfortable environment. Now think about sprinting. We can see on tracks that the black people win without any doubt. The reason could be since they had a childhood where they ran a lot. That is why they have a better capability to break records when it comes to running. We can see that the environment is a powerful cause to make athletes the way there are and be better. Football player Lionel Messi had leg problems since little. Now we see he is a top football player in the whole world. So, why there are good athletes when their family aren’t very agile in sports? It is because of the environment in which they develop, in other words, nurture.
As a conclusion, we can say that nurture contributes more than nature. We can say that nature is about 30% and nurture could be approximately on the 70% of athletic ability. The most logical reason could be that nurture is throughout peoples’ lives, while nature is just the moment you were born. As final comment, nurture is the dominant side of this topic and throughout the athlete’s life, it makes him used to a certain environment and much capable on the sport he/she dedicates to.
We talk about biological characteristics, where we might say it is about the parent’s traits passed to their offspring. Javier Hernandez is a Mexican football player, who is young and with a great caliber. His father was a good football player also. Here we think that this topic could be biological one. Also we can see that traits like height are a major factor in athletic ability. That is for certain nature side. Psychologists have done twin studies to determine not also personality or behavior, but also athletic ability. We can see results that one is a good athlete and the other might not be. Could that be because the one who isn’t didn’t inherit the proper genes we must have had? Well, twin studies aren’t like proper studies to study athletic ability. The only thing nature has to contribute to athletic ability are characteristics such as height.
On the other hand, studies on athletes are shown to have the major factor of the environment. We can see that when it comes to swimming, an African man would hardly win the competition. The reason is because their environment in which they grew, which is the African continent, had less resources to develop a strong and well-toned body to render more effort on the competition. Therefore, they cannot compete fairly against someone stronger since their bones and muscles are pretty weak compared to the rest of the swimmers who grew on a comfortable environment. Now think about sprinting. We can see on tracks that the black people win without any doubt. The reason could be since they had a childhood where they ran a lot. That is why they have a better capability to break records when it comes to running. We can see that the environment is a powerful cause to make athletes the way there are and be better. Football player Lionel Messi had leg problems since little. Now we see he is a top football player in the whole world. So, why there are good athletes when their family aren’t very agile in sports? It is because of the environment in which they develop, in other words, nurture.As a conclusion, we can say that nurture contributes more than nature. We can say that nature is about 30% and nurture could be approximately on the 70% of athletic ability. The most logical reason could be that nurture is throughout peoples’ lives, while nature is just the moment you were born. As final comment, nurture is the dominant side of this topic and throughout the athlete’s life, it makes him used to a certain environment and much capable on the sport he/she dedicates to.
Works Cited
-expertfootball.com/training/naturevsnurture
-www.athleticsnews.net/nature-vs-nurture/
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