PSYC 356 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Classical Conditioning, Reinforcement, Test Cricket
Document Summary
Learning - a biological process that facilitates adaptations to one"s environment. Basic physiological functions (ie. breathing, digestion) are accomplished without. Adaptive functions (ie. predator evasion, finding food, mating) require behavior much environmental interaction adjustments over time. Pre- descartes, all human behavior was considered free will. Unable to abandon free will, he maintained some behaviors were voluntary. Reflex : involuntary behaviors that consist of automatic reactions to external stimuli. Thus, the sensory input is reflected in the response. Descartes suggested most behavior consists of mental reflexes (fig) Descartes" reflex arc: most behaviors consist of automatic mental reactions that reflect sensory input. Took umbrage with the concept of free will . Believed all ideas were acquired through experience after birth ( tabula rasa - clean slate) Accepted voluntary vs involuntary, but believed that the mind operated predictably. Hedonism - the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Empiricists believed all ideas originate from sense experiences.
