PSYC 356 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Reflex Arc, Pineal Gland, Reflexology
Document Summary
Learning: a biological process that facilitates adaptions to one"s environment. Basic physiological functions: (i. e. breathing, digestion) are accomplished without much environmental interactions; don"t need to think about doing them. Adaptive functions: (i. e. predator evasion, finding food, mating) require behavior adjustments over time we make changes to help us survive. Learning can be: the acquisition of new behaviors, a change in the frequency of previous behaviors (ex: changing study habits) Pre- descartes, all human behavior was considered free will: any behavior you perform you have the ability to inhibit or act, we are the masters of our own actions. Descartes observed that many behaviors seemed involuntary. Unable to abandon free will, he maintained some behaviors as voluntary. Reflex: involuntary behavior that consist of automatic reactions to external stimuli: the circuit where the involuntary behavior thrives, classic example: descartes reflex arc- man pulling foot away from fire. This the sensory input is reflected in the response.
