A Psychology Journal Created by High School Students

http://www.whitmanpsych.com/

From the home page: "We are a dedicated team of individuals bent out on assisting other students publish their works in the field of psychology. The Journal is nationally recognized by many of the leading pioneers in psychology and is open to all students!

The Journal accepts black and white photo submissions for the cover as well for the inner folds of the current edition. Moreover, we accept research submissions within the field of psychology year round. To send in a submission, feel free to contact us at whitmanpsych@gmail.com."

Read through some of the articles in the current issue about topics ranging from how animals understand numbers to how religious faith affects drug use at here.

If you are interested in proposing an idea for submission to this prestigious high school journal please see me to discuss your idea make a plan to get it done.

Sensation - Chapter 4 Part 2 and Sensation Coloring Diagrams due Mon. 11/16 and Tue. 11/17

Color both the Ear and Eye coloring diagrams according to the directions. Note: Only color the structures underlined on the coloring plates. Read through all the text, but only focus and color those key structures.

Unit 4: Sensation – Part 2 – Vision (10 pts)

Bernstein Text Chapter 4, Part 2 – Pp. 117 -131 (through Synesthesia)

Follow the reading instructions you received the first week of class and take Cornell notes as you read. As you take your notes remember to DRAW DIAGRAMS of important images, write your own examples, write your own mnemonic devices and write questions you think of. Your notes (and your brain) should contain the answers the following questions when you are done with this assignment:

Light and Structure of the Eye Pp. 117-119

1. Describe the physical dimensions of light.

2. How do the physical properties of light relate to brightness and color?

3. How does visible light fit into the electromagnetic spectrum?

4. Describe and DRAW the major structures of the eye.

5. Describe the accessory structures and sensory receptor of the eye.

6. What is accommodation in vision?

Converting Light into Images & Visual Pathways Pp. 119 – 122

http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/receptivefields.html

The above link is to an excellent animation which may help you understand some of the more complex aspects of visual processing in the retina.

7. What is visual transduction and were does it take place?

8. What are photoreceptors and photopigments? Where are they located?

9. What causes your eyes to take time to adjust when you go from bright sunlight to a dark room? What is this adjustment called?

10. Compare the structure, function and distribution of rods and cones.

11. What is the fovea?

12. How does “lateral inhibition” improve the sharpness and contrast of our vision?

13. What do ganglion cells do? Why would vision be impossible without them?

14. How do ganglion cells correspond to the visual field?

15. Describe how the center-surround fields of ganglion cells improves vision.

16. Why does everyone have a blind spot?

17. Describe how the optic nerves separate and cross at the optic chiasm.

18. How is spatial coding demonstrated in the retina, the LGN and the visual cortex?

19. Explain how parallel processing can analyze different types of visual information from the same visual data in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN.)

20. What are “feature detectors?”

21. Define the physical properties of color: hue, saturation and brightness.

22. Explain the “Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision.”

23. Explain the “Opponent-Process Theory of Color Vision.”

24. Describe and explain color blindness.

25. What is synesthesia?

Sensation - Chapter 4 Part 1 due Thurs. 11/12 and Fri. 11/13

Notes on the reading (10 pts): Due November 12 and 13

Bernstein Text Chapter 4, Part 1 – Pp. 104 -116 (through frequency-matching theory)

Follow the reading instructions you received the first week of class and take Cornell notes as you read. As you take your notes remember to DRAW DIAGRAMS of important images, write your own examples, write your own mnemonic devices and write questions you think of. Your notes (and your brain) should contain the answers the following questions when you are done with this assignment:

General Sensation Pp. 104-109

1. What is a phantom limb?

2. Explain whether sensation is objective or subjective?

3. What is a “sense” and what is “sensation?”

4. Describe the difference between sensation and perception.

5. Define accessory structure, transduction, sensory receptor and adaptation.

6. What types of energy do our senses gather?

7. What role does the thalamus play in sensation? Which sense does not go through it?

8. Explain what “coding” is in sensory systems. Describe temporal and spatial coding.

9. Define the “doctrine of specific nerve energies.”

10. What is “contralateral representation?”

11. What is “topographical representation?”

Hearing Pp. 109-116

See http://www.medindia.net/animation/ear_anatomy.asp for good ear animation.

12. Define “sound.” Why is it true that, “In space, no one can hear you scream?”

13. Compare low-frequency and high-frequency sounds and their waveforms.

14. Describe physical characteristics of sound: amplitude, wavelength and frequency.

15. Describe psychological dimensions of sound: loudness, pitch and timbre (tamber).

16. Describe the ear’s accessory structures: pinna, ear canal, tympanic membrane

17. Describe the bones of the middle ear (malleus, incus, stapes), and the oval window.

18. Describe the structures on the inner ear: the cochlea, hair cells and basilar membrane.

19. What is the auditory nerve?

20. Describe different causes of deafness: conduction deafness and nerve deafness.

21. Where and what is the “primary auditory cortex?”

22. What are “preferred frequencies” and “frequency maps” in the auditory cortex?

23. Explain how intensity of sound is coded.

24. Compare “place theory” and “frequency matching theory” of frequency coding.

Chronically Depressed? What to Do When Antidepressants Don't Work:The range of options includes cognitive behavioral therapy even electroshock therapy

Read the article about treating depression when common antidepressant drugs don't work and comment about it. What would you suggest to someone close to you if they were still very depressed after trying several antidepressants?

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2009/11/06/chronically-depressed-what-to-do-when-antidepressants-dont-work.html

Can a thinking, remembering, decision-making, biologically accurate brain be built from a supercomputer?

A neuroscientist is trying to create a supercomputer that is an accurate model of a human brain. How many microchips do you think he will need?

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/out_of_the_blue/

A Molecule of Motivation, Dopamine Excels at Its Task - From the New York Times

Here is an interesting article about the ever-so-popular neurotransmitter, dopamine.

The article suggests that dopamine is not just a "pleasure" or "reward" neurotransmitter, but also the key to motivation. For example, rats with very low levels of dopamine will starve to death even in the presence of food... they just don't seem motivated to eat it. If you put it in their little ratty mouth they'll eat, but if they have to walk a bit, forget about it. They just starve to death.

Great Nerve Transmission Website

The Nobel Prize website has a fantastic animated explanation about how nerve signals work. Click on the link to go step-by step through nerve anatomy, action potentials, and neurotransmitters. If you don't "get it" in class or when you read the book, this site may be just the thing you need to help you understand. Why do they have it on the Nobel Prize site? Because the people who figure out how these things work get Nobel Prizes in medicine.

http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/nerve_signaling/game/nerve_signaling.html