Psychology 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Tabula Rasa, Neural Adaptation, Habituation

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 1000
• Professor: Mark Holden

Document Summary

The organism is a tabula rasa (blank slate) There are universal laws of learning: so, focus on how experiences influence behaviour, if laws are universal, we can just study animals, in highly controlled laboratory settings. Sensory adaptation: gradual decline in sensitivity to a stimulus over prolonged stimulation: e. g. swimming pool, perfume smell, is the result of sensory neurons firing less and less. Can"t force yourself to feel cold" in the water again. Habituation: decreased response to a repeated stimulus: e. g. ticking of clock, feel of clothing, is the result of simple learning processes in the cns (not. Like selective attention helps focus on important the sensory neurons, which are in the pns) Habituation: decrease in the strength of response to a repeated: e. g. ticking of clock, feel of clothing. Sensitization: increase in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus stimulus: e. g. electric shock, mmm-kay , basically the opposite of habituation.