PSYC 387 Final Prep Athabasca University
Who originally said that change is the only constant?
Roman philosopher Lucretius 2,000 years ago
Why did McGeoch say that forgetting is not due to time
time is not something that actually occurs. It is an invention.
When was Darwin's Origin of Species written?
1859
Describe Darwin's theory of natural selection.
There is, he argued, tremendous variation among the members of any given species.
Some of these variations are well suited to current conditions; others are not. Individuals with favorable variations are
more likely to survive and reproduce, so succeeding generations are more likely to show helpful characteristics. Thus,
features that contribute to survival are "selected" by the environment, a process Darwin called natural selection.
Was Darwin aware of the genetic basis for evolution by natural selection?
no
Who was the first person to understand the role of genetics?
Gregor Mendel (father of genetics) published his work in 1866.
Although Darwin did not understand the genetic basis for evolution, he was aware that _____ (2 things)
variation within a species was common
selective breeding of farm animals with a specific variation often resulted in offspring with that characteristic.
What did Dawkin's pebbly beach analogy illustrate about natural selection?
pebbles arrange themselves based on the flow of water and density and size of the rocks.
Intelligent direction isn't required. The environment "selects" desirable characteristics and spurns undesirable ones.
What are mutations?
Abrupt changes in genes.
What can cause a mutation?
Can be caused by exposure to radiation and certain chemicals and perhaps by viral infections.
In what case will mutation be passed on to the next generation?
when mutations occur in genes of reproductive cells (sperm or ova)
,Can mutations occur in any cell of the body?
yes
Will offspring with mutated genes necessarily display the mutation?
no
Are mutations always detrimental to survival?
Many of these changes are simply of no consequence, one way or the other
Occasionally can be useful to survival. (new horn mutation useful for defense)
What is a reflex?
A reflex is a relationship between a specific event and a simple response to that event. A reflex is a relationship
between certain kinds of events.
Give an example of a reflex.
Food in the mouth elicits the salivary reflex, the flow of saliva that begins the process of digestion.
What is reflex failure? When can it occur?
Reflex failure is when a reflex fails to function properly.
This can happen as a result of:
-allergic reaction to medication
-injury or disease.
-excessive alcohol or other drugs that depress the central nervous system.
Reflexes are highly ___________
stereotypic
That is, they are remarkably consistent in form, frequency, strength, and time of appearance during development.
What is sensitization? Give an example.
Eliciting a reflex response can increase the intensity or probability of the response to stimuli.
Hearing a loud noise that makes you jump can make you more sensitive to noises that aren't as loud.
What happened when Kelly Powell and Stephen Holtzman (2001) gave rats morphine for one to four days and then
tested their reaction to the drug after a period of abstinence?
The rats showed an increased response to morphine (i.e., sensitization) for up to three months after their last dose.
What is habituation? Give an example.
Repeatedly evoking a given reflex response will result in a reduction in the intensity or probability of the response.
Cats slowly become used to a loud noise when exposed to it multiple times.
, Define a FAP. Give an example.
A series of interrelated acts found in all or nearly all members of a species.
When confronted by a threatening dog, the house cat arches its back, hisses, growls, and flicks its tail. These acts
make the cat appear larger and more formidable than it really is and may therefore serve to put off an attacker.
What were FAP called in the past?
Instincts
What is a releaser?
An event that triggers a fixed action pattern.
red is a releaser for the stickleback fish.
What did Wilson claim were humans FAP?
Biophelia and aversion to incest
Define a general behavior trait.
Include activity level, aggression, introversion, anxiety, hoarding (of food, for example), and sexual practices, among
others. Some behavior traits are strongly influenced by genes.
How do FAPs and behavior traits differ?
FAP are elicited by fairly specific events (releasers). Behavior traits occur in a wide variety of situations.
Do behavior traits have a genetic influence?
yes even though they are more variable. Dog-like traits in foxes were bred through a number of generations.
Define learning.
Learning is a change in behavior due to experience.
Learning is a product of natural selection.
evolved modifiability
Learning does not give the species the tendency to behave a certain way in a new situation; rather, it gives the
individual the tendency to modify its behavior to suit that situation.
Russell's views about human superiority over other species.
One by one, the characteristics that we have held to be uniquely human have been found in other species.
Perhaps the only uniquely human characteristic is this: So far as we know, we are the only creature that spends time
trying to prove its superiority over other creatures.
Betty Hart and Todd did a longitudinal study of the verbal environment provided by parents with different educational
backgrounds. . What did they find?
Those children whose parents talked to them a lot (providing lengthy explanations and lots of positive feedback, for
example) later scored higher on intelligence and vocabulary tests than those children whose parents were more
reticent.
How long has Learning been the subject of scientific analysis?
about 100 years
What is constructivism?
There is a school of thought, popular in university social science departments and in colleges of education, that says
the scientific method that has served the world so well for 400 years is now outmoded, that science is just a debate
about an unknowable reality.
What is an operational definition
For research purposes, behavior must be defined in terms of its measurement. Because the operation used to
measure behavior defines it, this is called an operational definition.
Who originally said that change is the only constant?
Roman philosopher Lucretius 2,000 years ago
Why did McGeoch say that forgetting is not due to time
time is not something that actually occurs. It is an invention.
When was Darwin's Origin of Species written?
1859
Describe Darwin's theory of natural selection.
There is, he argued, tremendous variation among the members of any given species.
Some of these variations are well suited to current conditions; others are not. Individuals with favorable variations are
more likely to survive and reproduce, so succeeding generations are more likely to show helpful characteristics. Thus,
features that contribute to survival are "selected" by the environment, a process Darwin called natural selection.
Was Darwin aware of the genetic basis for evolution by natural selection?
no
Who was the first person to understand the role of genetics?
Gregor Mendel (father of genetics) published his work in 1866.
Although Darwin did not understand the genetic basis for evolution, he was aware that _____ (2 things)
variation within a species was common
selective breeding of farm animals with a specific variation often resulted in offspring with that characteristic.
What did Dawkin's pebbly beach analogy illustrate about natural selection?
pebbles arrange themselves based on the flow of water and density and size of the rocks.
Intelligent direction isn't required. The environment "selects" desirable characteristics and spurns undesirable ones.
What are mutations?
Abrupt changes in genes.
What can cause a mutation?
Can be caused by exposure to radiation and certain chemicals and perhaps by viral infections.
In what case will mutation be passed on to the next generation?
when mutations occur in genes of reproductive cells (sperm or ova)
,Can mutations occur in any cell of the body?
yes
Will offspring with mutated genes necessarily display the mutation?
no
Are mutations always detrimental to survival?
Many of these changes are simply of no consequence, one way or the other
Occasionally can be useful to survival. (new horn mutation useful for defense)
What is a reflex?
A reflex is a relationship between a specific event and a simple response to that event. A reflex is a relationship
between certain kinds of events.
Give an example of a reflex.
Food in the mouth elicits the salivary reflex, the flow of saliva that begins the process of digestion.
What is reflex failure? When can it occur?
Reflex failure is when a reflex fails to function properly.
This can happen as a result of:
-allergic reaction to medication
-injury or disease.
-excessive alcohol or other drugs that depress the central nervous system.
Reflexes are highly ___________
stereotypic
That is, they are remarkably consistent in form, frequency, strength, and time of appearance during development.
What is sensitization? Give an example.
Eliciting a reflex response can increase the intensity or probability of the response to stimuli.
Hearing a loud noise that makes you jump can make you more sensitive to noises that aren't as loud.
What happened when Kelly Powell and Stephen Holtzman (2001) gave rats morphine for one to four days and then
tested their reaction to the drug after a period of abstinence?
The rats showed an increased response to morphine (i.e., sensitization) for up to three months after their last dose.
What is habituation? Give an example.
Repeatedly evoking a given reflex response will result in a reduction in the intensity or probability of the response.
Cats slowly become used to a loud noise when exposed to it multiple times.
, Define a FAP. Give an example.
A series of interrelated acts found in all or nearly all members of a species.
When confronted by a threatening dog, the house cat arches its back, hisses, growls, and flicks its tail. These acts
make the cat appear larger and more formidable than it really is and may therefore serve to put off an attacker.
What were FAP called in the past?
Instincts
What is a releaser?
An event that triggers a fixed action pattern.
red is a releaser for the stickleback fish.
What did Wilson claim were humans FAP?
Biophelia and aversion to incest
Define a general behavior trait.
Include activity level, aggression, introversion, anxiety, hoarding (of food, for example), and sexual practices, among
others. Some behavior traits are strongly influenced by genes.
How do FAPs and behavior traits differ?
FAP are elicited by fairly specific events (releasers). Behavior traits occur in a wide variety of situations.
Do behavior traits have a genetic influence?
yes even though they are more variable. Dog-like traits in foxes were bred through a number of generations.
Define learning.
Learning is a change in behavior due to experience.
Learning is a product of natural selection.
evolved modifiability
Learning does not give the species the tendency to behave a certain way in a new situation; rather, it gives the
individual the tendency to modify its behavior to suit that situation.
Russell's views about human superiority over other species.
One by one, the characteristics that we have held to be uniquely human have been found in other species.
Perhaps the only uniquely human characteristic is this: So far as we know, we are the only creature that spends time
trying to prove its superiority over other creatures.
Betty Hart and Todd did a longitudinal study of the verbal environment provided by parents with different educational
backgrounds. . What did they find?
Those children whose parents talked to them a lot (providing lengthy explanations and lots of positive feedback, for
example) later scored higher on intelligence and vocabulary tests than those children whose parents were more
reticent.
How long has Learning been the subject of scientific analysis?
about 100 years
What is constructivism?
There is a school of thought, popular in university social science departments and in colleges of education, that says
the scientific method that has served the world so well for 400 years is now outmoded, that science is just a debate
about an unknowable reality.
What is an operational definition
For research purposes, behavior must be defined in terms of its measurement. Because the operation used to
measure behavior defines it, this is called an operational definition.
