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Author Topic: VCE Psychology Question Thread!  (Read 469830 times)  Share 

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dribeiro

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #420 on: May 06, 2017, 10:26:39 am »
+2
does anyone know if action potential refers to the electrochemical message travelling through neurons and synapses OR is it just referring to the electrical impulse travelling through a neuron?

Great question. The action potential is the electrochemical message which travels through neurons. When this action potential reaches the axon terminal, it stimulates the events which ultimately lead to the release of neurotransmitters across the synaptic cleft to the post-synaptic neuron which could then stimulate an action potential in that neuron, and so on. So to answer your question - the action potential does not refer to the message travelling across the synapse, only the electrochemical message travelling through neurons.

howey

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #421 on: May 07, 2017, 12:27:51 pm »
+4
Hello :)

Could someone explain why/how Alzheimer's disease isn't reversible?

Thanks so much

Basically, Alzheimer's disease involves the death or degeneration of neurons, which is why it isn't reversible. And, as driberio spoke about above, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles both form (let me know if you need more info about what these actually are). Alzheimer's disease also results in the brain shrinking in size, due to the death of neurons in the brain.

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

howey

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #422 on: May 07, 2017, 12:29:06 pm »
+2
Great question. The action potential is the electrochemical message which travels through neurons. When this action potential reaches the axon terminal, it stimulates the events which ultimately lead to the release of neurotransmitters across the synaptic cleft to the post-synaptic neuron which could then stimulate an action potential in that neuron, and so on. So to answer your question - the action potential does not refer to the message travelling across the synapse, only the electrochemical message travelling through neurons.

Awesome, that's what I thought - but you put it into words so much more nicely than I did :)

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

psychologie

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #423 on: May 14, 2017, 07:06:46 am »
0
-what is the difference between memory encoding and memory consolidation; if any? In the textbook they are used interchangeably
eg. Reconsolidation: Re-encoding a memory that has been retrieved from LTM to STM, back into LTM; possibility of altering memories as we integrate the memory with new information

-in reconsolidation, does the memory ALWAYS change or does it have the possibility of changing? (see my def above)

Thank you in advance :))

psychologie

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #424 on: May 14, 2017, 07:18:41 am »
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what is meant by firing of a neuron? is it the entire electrochemical message sent through the neurons and synaptic gap? or just the electrical image. I found this def quite confusing:

Firing: When an electrical impulse travels through a neuron, is released from the presynaptic neuron and is transmitted to the postsynaptic neuron

psychologie

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #425 on: May 14, 2017, 07:25:41 am »
0
what areas of the brain are the most 'plastic'? in some textbooks it says motor and sensory cortices, some say association areas, some say:

Location of LTP: hippocampus; motor, visual and auditory cortices of cerebral cortex (associated with memory and learning)

Which one is right? Its soo frustrating having different sources say different things!

howey

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #426 on: May 14, 2017, 10:36:24 am »
+2
-what is the difference between memory encoding and memory consolidation; if any? In the textbook they are used interchangeably
eg. Reconsolidation: Re-encoding a memory that has been retrieved from LTM to STM, back into LTM; possibility of altering memories as we integrate the memory with new information

They're basically the same thing for VCE Psych, and you'll quite often see them used interchangeably.

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-in reconsolidation, does the memory ALWAYS change or does it have the possibility of changing? (see my def above)

Memories can be changed during reconsolidation (e.g. if new info is learnt or leading questions are presented), but aren't guaranteed to change. 

Quote
What is meant by firing of a neuron? is it the entire electrochemical message sent through the neurons and synaptic gap? or just the electrical image. I found this def quite confusing:

Firing: When an electrical impulse travels through a neuron, is released from the presynaptic neuron and is transmitted to the postsynaptic neuron

Again, in VCE Psych, you might see 'firing' refer to the entire process of information sent through the neurons and synaptic gap, or just the electrical impulse travelling through the neuron. In my personal opinion, firing refers to the entire process of information transmission through a neuron and being passed to another neuron, but it could be used for either.

Quote
what areas of the brain are the most 'plastic'? in some textbooks it says motor and sensory cortices, some say association areas, some say:

Location of LTP: hippocampus; motor, visual and auditory cortices of cerebral cortex (associated with memory and learning)

Which one is right? Its soo frustrating having different sources say different things!

Yeah, conflicting sources can be a very common source of frustration in Psych - I feel you :( My understanding is that it is sensory and motor areas in the cerebral cortex, although I am basing that knowledge off the Grivas textbook.

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

psychologie

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #427 on: May 17, 2017, 10:48:35 am »
+1
1. what is the difference between synaptic, neural and adaptive plasticity, if any? This is what i have:
Synaptic plasticity: The ability of the synapse to change over time through use or disuse
Neural plasticity: The ability of the brain’s neural structures or functions to be changed by experience throughout the lifespan
Adaptive plasticity: the ability of the adult brain to change, adapt and grow throughout life in response to interaction with the environment and stimulating experiences

They seem the same to me...

2. When asked for examples of stimulus generalisation, discrimination, etc. is it ok to use pavlov's experiments?

3. if students are allocated into groups, say the teacher walks around and points to each person in line and goes 'group 1,group 2, group 3, group 4' thats NOT random allocation right? cause where they sit impacts results?

4. is there a difference between observational learning and vicarious conditoning? My defs:
Vicarious conditioning: When someone observes a model’s behaviour being reinforced or punished, and later behaves in the same/similar way or refrains from doing so as a result of the observation
Observational learning: Occurs when someone uses observation of a model’s actions and the consequences of those actions to guide their future actions. Also called modelling, social learning theory or social cognitive theory.

5. In the key processes of observational learning (attention, retention...) when is the behaviour actually shown (at which stage)?

6. What is an operant and could you provide an example? I dont understand this:
Operant: any voluntary response (without any stimulus) that acts on the environment in the same way each time to produce some kind of consequence

7. Don't remember where this sentence was from, i think Jacaranda TB, but is this true?
‘Spontaneous recovery is often stronger when it occurs after a lengthy period following extinction of the response than when it occurs relatively soon after extinction’ cause i thought that over time it should weaken rather than strengthen

8. What are the similarities/differences between: operant, classical conditioning and observational learning

Thank you so much :)





howey

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #428 on: May 21, 2017, 10:44:18 am »
+2
1. what is the difference between synaptic, neural and adaptive plasticity, if any? This is what i have:
Synaptic plasticity: The ability of the synapse to change over time through use or disuse
Neural plasticity: The ability of the brain’s neural structures or functions to be changed by experience throughout the lifespan
Adaptive plasticity: the ability of the adult brain to change, adapt and grow throughout life in response to interaction with the environment and stimulating experiences

For this study design in VCE Psych, I would consider them all to mean basically the same thing. Often you will see them used interchangeably in resources, so don't let this confuse you too much :)

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2. When asked for examples of stimulus generalisation, discrimination, etc. is it ok to use pavlov's experiments?

Yeah, absolutely I would think it is ok, unless the questions says specifically not to.

Quote
3. if students are allocated into groups, say the teacher walks around and points to each person in line and goes 'group 1,group 2, group 3, group 4' thats NOT random allocation right? cause where they sit impacts results?

You're right, technically no, this isn't random allocation, as there could be bias and where people sit impact results. If this were me, I would check with your teacher if possible, as I'm guessing this is for a SAC, and write whatever she wants you too :)

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4. is there a difference between observational learning and vicarious conditoning? My defs:
Vicarious conditioning: When someone observes a model’s behaviour being reinforced or punished, and later behaves in the same/similar way or refrains from doing so as a result of the observation
Observational learning: Occurs when someone uses observation of a model’s actions and the consequences of those actions to guide their future actions. Also called modelling, social learning theory or social cognitive theory.

No, basically vicarious conditioning is just a key part of how observational learning works, as it refers to learning through the actions of others.

Quote
5. In the key processes of observational learning (attention, retention...) when is the behaviour actually shown (at which stage)?

The observer actually performs the behaviour at the reproduction stage :) If you are referring to the model, then they would perform the behaviour during the attention stage, I believe.

Quote
6. What is an operant and could you provide an example? I dont understand this:
Operant: any voluntary response (without any stimulus) that acts on the environment in the same way each time to produce some kind of consequence

The operant is simply the behaviour that an individual performs during the process of operant conditioning. For example, pointing a TV remote at the TV and pressing the power button would be an operant. This acts on the environment as it causes the TV to turn on - which would mean that you are more likely to use the remote again in the future. But basically, operant is just another term for behaviour or response (in terms of operant conditioning) :)

Quote
7. Don't remember where this sentence was from, i think Jacaranda TB, but is this true?
‘Spontaneous recovery is often stronger when it occurs after a lengthy period following extinction of the response than when it occurs relatively soon after extinction’ cause i thought that over time it should weaken rather than strengthen

Yes, that is in the Jacaranda textbook. To my understanding, spontaneous recovery does get stronger if there is a longer rest break following extinction, rather than if it was only a few hours after extinction, for example. However, if there are multiple spontaneous recoveries, they tend to get weaker each time.

Quote
8. What are the similarities/differences between: operant, classical conditioning and observational learning

This is quite a big question, so I'll just touch on a few:

- In operant conditioning the learner is active, while in classical conditioning the learner is passive
- In operant conditioning the behaviour is voluntary, while in classical conditioning it is involuntary/reflexive
- In both operant conditioning and observational learning, the likelihood of a behaviour being performed again depends on the consequences of the behaviour
- In operant conditioning, an individual performs the behaviour themselves, whereas in observational learning, an individual observes a model performing a behaviour

I hope this is useful!!

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

Novashock

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #429 on: May 21, 2017, 07:36:28 pm »
0
Hey,
So I was doing some questions, and I came across this:

Sensory Memory:
 a) is known as working memory
 b) is a limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for up to about 20 seconds.
 c) preserves information in its original form for less than a few seconds.
 d) is an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthly periods of time.

I know that the first two are referring to the short term memory, and sensory memory has a duration of .2-4 seconds. So I circled C, but according to the answers, it's D? Can someone please tell me if im wrong, how it is D, or if its just a printing error? I'm so confused and my memory SAC is next week.

Thanks
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lovelyperson

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #430 on: May 21, 2017, 08:12:08 pm »
+3
Hey,
So I was doing some questions, and I came across this:

Sensory Memory:
 a) is known as working memory
 b) is a limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for up to about 20 seconds.
 c) preserves information in its original form for less than a few seconds.
 d) is an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthly periods of time.

I know that the first two are referring to the short term memory, and sensory memory has a duration of .2-4 seconds. So I circled C, but according to the answers, it's D? Can someone please tell me if im wrong, how it is D, or if its just a printing error? I'm so confused and my memory SAC is next week.

Thanks

C should be correct. D can't be correct as sensory memory recall, and hence how long information is held, decays very rapidly.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2017, 08:18:32 pm by remi »

howey

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #431 on: May 23, 2017, 04:09:10 pm »
+3
Hey,
So I was doing some questions, and I came across this:

Sensory Memory:
 a) is known as working memory
 b) is a limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for up to about 20 seconds.
 c) preserves information in its original form for less than a few seconds.
 d) is an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthly periods of time.

I know that the first two are referring to the short term memory, and sensory memory has a duration of .2-4 seconds. So I circled C, but according to the answers, it's D? Can someone please tell me if im wrong, how it is D, or if its just a printing error? I'm so confused and my memory SAC is next week.

Thanks

Yep, as said above, C is definitely correct.

"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up" - Babe Ruth

Ashjames

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #432 on: May 27, 2017, 07:04:32 pm »
0
Okay guys:

I was wondering if any of you know of any resources for psychology?

Also if you have business management, further math and English resources that would be lovely

AngelWings

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #433 on: May 27, 2017, 10:05:10 pm »
+1
Okay guys:

I was wondering if any of you know of any resources for psychology?

Also if you have business management, further math and English resources that would be lovely
Have you checked this or ExamPro out? If not, they might be your two best AN-sourced ones out there to begin with. If you're looking for more, check out some of the other textbooks available (Grivas et al., Nelson, Oxford IIRC), Checkpoints or maybe even the practise exam companies (e.g. TSFX, TSSM, Engage Education). These will be ample study material and majority of these are available in most of the other subjects you've listed too.
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Ashjames

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Re: VCE Psychology Question Thread!
« Reply #434 on: May 28, 2017, 02:19:34 pm »
+1
Hey Psychlings!

I am currently in year 12 and I am doing psychology (obviously)

I was wondering, usually people who get above 45 in psychology do like 15 practice exams.
With the new study design there isn't much to practice on!
What resources have you been using, are planning to use or recommend if you are aiming for a 45 in psychology?

Your replies are appreciated!!