Psychology Tasks: The Law of Proximity and the Law of Similarity - Assignment Example

Psychology Tasks Name: Institution: Date: Task A: Tutorial The law of Proximity – This law posits that when a collection of objects is perceived, objects close to each other will be seen as forming one group. For example, in the figure below, we can perceive that the fan is sitting on the person’s head, although the fan is fixed on the ceiling and not actually attached to his head. Figure 1: Proximity The law of Similarity – This law captures the fact that elements that are similar to one another are perceptually grouped together. In figure 2 below, the seats have a similar color, shape and size. Figure 2: Similarity The law of Figure-Ground – This phenomenon captures the idea that some objects will take a prominent role while others appear receded into the background when perceived in a visual field. In figure 3, the prominent figure is the skier at the bottom of the frame. Figure 3: Figure-Ground The law of Symmetry – This principle is captured by the idea that when objects are perceived, they tend to appear as symmetrical shapes forming around their centre. Figure 4 shows the BBC website with a background made of an abstract image of a globe to create a balanced and harmonous effect. Figure 4: Symmetry The law of continuity/continuance – This law is built on the principle that the eye is compelled to move beyond the end of an object or edge of a picture, creating pictures outside the frame. In figure 5, the cowboy in the photograph is looking outside the frame, making the perceiver to continue creating a visual instinct. Figure 5: Continuance The law of Closure: This law posits that an incomplete object is perceptually completed by filling in the unclosed space. An example is the IBM’ logo in figure 6 below. Figure 6: Closure Task B: Application of Gestalt Principles in my real life The Gestalt Principles described above describe how people in the real world visually perceive and process information. In my real life, these principles are significant in upgrading my photography skills. With these principles, I will be able to capture many people to look and appreciate my photographs. My photographs will be fused with a more dynamic feel; filled with form, lines and tension. The final product is a great photograph that creates a sense of pleasure and satisfaction for the viewers. Task C: Tutorial or online activity with specific questions to be answered 1. Initially, the rat seems disturbed by the first few rounds of the loud noise. As the sound is repeated, the mouse ceases to pay close attention to it – meaning that it has learnt to stop responding to the stimulus. This is an indication that the mouse has habituated to the noise. The magnitude of response decreases as a function of repeated exposure to sudden loud noise. Currently, I have habituated to my wake-up alarm on my phone. 2. After sometime, the dog became familiar with the experimental routine. It learnt to anticipate food before Pavlov could stimulate its tongue. This is why he changed the stimuli used to elicit the conditioned reflex in the dog. The stimulus introduced was a ticking sound that was not related to food, neither could the dog see what was happening. However, after some time, the dog learnt to connect the ticking sound with the arrival of food and could salivate just with the ticking sound alone. An example of an event that I have been classically conditioned to is the smell of food. 3. Students who are learned helpless get depressed and do not feel intrinsically motivated which tends to be associated with increased cognitive flexibility, creativity, high self-esteem, and positive emotional tone[Kel97]. Personally, I believe everything is possible, even if it means trying it 10,000 times like Thomas Edison. One of his most famous quote says “I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” (Edison). Task D There are 3 mechanisms through which associative learning occurs; learning through classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational/modelling learning. The process of learning involves a change of behavior that occurs from regular experience. Continuously reinforced schedule greatly enhances learning. After the desired change of behavior has been achieved, it is fairly easy to switch to variable reinforcement. This prevents extinction. Task E: Online activity with specific questions to be answered 1. Sensory information store [iconic memory] Below is the data showing the scores attained in this game (Play With Your Mind, n.d.): Figure 7: Iconic Memory In this game, targets disappear one after another. The player has to remember which target disappeared and its exact spot just before the event. The three zones are to test the accuracy of your memory; how accurate you can remember the location of the middle part of the target. The game allows us to encode, store, and retrieve information within the time period that is required to remain competitive. 2. Short term memory The table below shows the results of this game (Chudler, n.d.). Trial # Total number of Letters in the set Correct Letters Total Number of Letters you remembered %Remembered 1 2 U M 2 100 2 4 T Z L D 4 100 3 6 K X C E J O 6 100 4 8 A V C Y I S E H 8 100 5 10 L B F Q R P M A U X 10 100 6 12 Z Q E C T B U M O N R V 8 66 From the above results, it is evident that the letters remembered decrease as the total number of letters in the sets increase. There is a probability that less letters could have been remembered if the trials went up to 10. This is because as the number of letters increase, the brain struggles to encode them as the memory capacity required to capture all of them within a short time increases. At some point, I felt panic and nervousness as the test progressed. If encoding is not accurate, storage and retrieval becomes inaccurate as well. 3. Long term memory – Eyewitness testimony Below are the results of the game (Wellcome Trust, n.d.): Figure 8: Long term memory – Eyewitness testimony Out of the four interrogative questions on the video, I only managed to score two. I could not identify the car the lady with blond hair was driving, neither the face of the man who first ran out of the building. Being an eye witness requires one to be very quick in recording accurate information in the brain within a very short time within which the events happen. The events occur almost spontaneously! Your brain needs to store the encoded information for longer periods of time, as sometimes witnesses may be called upon to witness after several years, requiring retrieval of the correct information as if it just happened seconds ago. Task F How I do understand, grasp and apply the information that I learn is entirely dependent on my memory of things, which serve to enhance my study skills. Memory enables me to encode, store and retrieve information and apply it when it is required. Remembering an information after some time has elapsed may be useless and consequential, like in the case of examinations or interview, you have to remember the correct answers during the examination or interview session, beyond which the consequence will be a failed exam or interview. For instance, in the iconic memory game, missing a target results in a penalty. Task G: Tutorial or online activity with specific questions to be answered Professor Paul Ekman’s research on universality of emotions 1. There are six core emotions: Fear Anger Disgust Sadness Happiness Surprise Since then, a seventh emotion has been discovered, which is: Contempt 2. How Ekman demonstrated that emotional expression was universal Paul Ekman explains that distinctive universal signs are used to express the above emotions. These signs would be interpreted the same way irrespective of one’s background or culture. This is based on the evolutionary approach. They are innate characteristics, biologically originated and learned responses from fundamental life experiences. Universal or culturally determined? 1. What is funny or sad or makes one angry? What sounds or looks funny, or what can make one sad or angry is culturally determined. It can also depend with the environment. What one culture may view as being funny may be regarded as a taboo or an embarrassing situation by another culture. Similarly, what makes one sad or angry is culturally determined. For instance, in one culture, a child laughing at an adult may be normal, while the same act may be a sign of disrespect in another culture. 2. Whether we will publically display our emotions Emotions are instant, within a fraction of a second. Sometimes, we may even express emotions without realizing it. This is universally determined, irrespective of one’s culture or background. It is difficult to hide emotions from the public. Task H In my everyday life, I meet and interact with individuals who come from the same culture as me, and also those who come from different cultures. To understand all these people well, it comes in handy to learn about universal and culturally determined emotions. This enables me to know how to treat people with different emotions, as I can interpret what they exactly stand for irrespective of the fact that they belong to a different culture. Task I: Tutorial or online activity with specific questions to be answered 1. Big Five personality dimensions: Openness - This trait reflects the degree of appreciation, intellectual curiosity and imagination, creativity, insight and interest for adventure, art, emotion and a variety of experience for novelty. Conscientiousness – This is a tendency for one to be organized and dependable, act dutifully, show some self-discipline, and aim to achieve some goals, care about details and follow a planned schedule. Extraversion – This trait is characterized by sociability, excitability, positive energy, surgency, assertiveness, talkativeness, and high emotional expressiveness in the company of other people. Agreeableness – This is a tendency to feel compassion and cooperate. Rather than feel suspicious and antagonistic. It includes attributes such as altruism, trust, affection, kindness and other prosocial behaviors. Neuroticism – It is a tendency to experience emotional instability such as anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, and vulnerability easily. 2. Personality Dimension Self-Rank on a scale of 1-5 Supporting activities Openness 4 I am creative, adventurous, and highly interested in many experiences Conscientiousness 5 I set goals for every activity, and work towards it. Extraversion 2 Always reserved and calm in social situations Agreeableness 5 I help people in different situations whenever I can. Neuroticism 1 Emotionally resilient when sad or irritated. 3. Results of the online personality test Figure 9: Online Personality Test The results in in the above online score are closely reflect my ranking in question 2. 4. My future occupation will certainly be in the field of psychology. This requires a person with novel experiences and able to see things in newer ways as the world is very dynamic. Remaining calm even in tense situations gives an opportunity to the mind to think the best way out of a situation. Task J: The interaction between the above dimensions of personality and variables in different situations determines the behavior of an individual. How I do react to different situations in my everyday life is largely dependent on the particular situation. However, I do provide responses that tend to be consistent with my underlying personality traits as reflected in my score. References Kel97: , (Shields, 1997), Read More

Task C: Tutorial or online activity with specific questions to be answered 1. Initially, the rat seems disturbed by the first few rounds of the loud noise. As the sound is repeated, the mouse ceases to pay close attention to it – meaning that it has learnt to stop responding to the stimulus. This is an indication that the mouse has habituated to the noise. The magnitude of response decreases as a function of repeated exposure to sudden loud noise. Currently, I have habituated to my wake-up alarm on my phone. 2. After sometime, the dog became familiar with the experimental routine.

It learnt to anticipate food before Pavlov could stimulate its tongue. This is why he changed the stimuli used to elicit the conditioned reflex in the dog. The stimulus introduced was a ticking sound that was not related to food, neither could the dog see what was happening. However, after some time, the dog learnt to connect the ticking sound with the arrival of food and could salivate just with the ticking sound alone. An example of an event that I have been classically conditioned to is the smell of food. 3. Students who are learned helpless get depressed and do not feel intrinsically motivated which tends to be associated with increased cognitive flexibility, creativity, high self-esteem, and positive emotional tone[Kel97].

Personally, I believe everything is possible, even if it means trying it 10,000 times like Thomas Edison. One of his most famous quote says “I have not failed, I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” (Edison). Task D There are 3 mechanisms through which associative learning occurs; learning through classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational/modelling learning. The process of learning involves a change of behavior that occurs from regular experience. Continuously reinforced schedule greatly enhances learning.

After the desired change of behavior has been achieved, it is fairly easy to switch to variable reinforcement. This prevents extinction. Task E: Online activity with specific questions to be answered 1. Sensory information store [iconic memory] Below is the data showing the scores attained in this game (Play With Your Mind, n.d.): Figure 7: Iconic Memory In this game, targets disappear one after another. The player has to remember which target disappeared and its exact spot just before the event.

The three zones are to test the accuracy of your memory; how accurate you can remember the location of the middle part of the target. The game allows us to encode, store, and retrieve information within the time period that is required to remain competitive. 2. Short term memory The table below shows the results of this game (Chudler, n.d.). Trial # Total number of Letters in the set Correct Letters Total Number of Letters you remembered %Remembered 1 2 U M 2 100 2 4 T Z L D 4 100 3 6 K X C E J O 6 100 4 8 A V C Y I S E H 8 100 5 10 L B F Q R P M A U X 10 100 6 12 Z Q E C T B U M O N R V 8 66 From the above results, it is evident that the letters remembered decrease as the total number of letters in the sets increase.

There is a probability that less letters could have been remembered if the trials went up to 10. This is because as the number of letters increase, the brain struggles to encode them as the memory capacity required to capture all of them within a short time increases. At some point, I felt panic and nervousness as the test progressed. If encoding is not accurate, storage and retrieval becomes inaccurate as well. 3. Long term memory – Eyewitness testimony Below are the results of the game (Wellcome Trust, n.d.): Figure 8: Long term memory – Eyewitness testimony Out of the four interrogative questions on the video, I only managed to score two.

I could not identify the car the lady with blond hair was driving, neither the face of the man who first ran out of the building. Being an eye witness requires one to be very quick in recording accurate information in the brain within a very short time within which the events happen.

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