Psychological Functioning of Brain
• Mind body and brain
• Sensation, Perception, Memory, Information Processing
• Decision Making, Thought Process
• Cognitive training in sport.
Sensation, Perception, Memory, Information Processing
• Sensation and perception are two separate processes that are very closely related.
• Sensation is input about the physical world obtained by our sensory receptors, and
perception is the process by which the brain selects, organizes, and interprets these
sensations.
• In other words, senses are the physiological basis of perception.
• Perception of the same senses may vary from one person to another because each
person’s brain interprets stimuli differently based on that individual’s learning,
memory, emotions, and expectations.
Sensation
• Sensation is input about the physical world obtained by our sensory
receptors.
• Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of
stimuli.
• When sensory information is detected by a sensory receptor, sensation has
occurred.
• For example, light that enters the eye causes chemical changes in cells that
line the back of the eye.
• These cells relay messages, in the form of action potentials (as you learned
when studying biopsychology), to the central nervous system.
Perception
• While our sensory receptors are constantly collecting information from the
environment, it is ultimately how we interpret that information that affects how we
interact with the world.
• Perception refers to the way sensory information is organized, interpreted, and
consciously experienced. Perception involves both bottom-up and top-down
processing.
• Bottom-up processing refers to the fact that perceptions are built from sensory
input.
• On the other hand, how we interpret those sensations is influenced by our available
knowledge, our experiences, and our thoughts.
• This is called top-down processing.
Memory
Memory
• Memory refers to the processes that are used to acquire,
store, retain, and later retrieve information.
There are three major processes involved in memory:
• encoding,
• storage, and
• retrieval.
Types of Memory
• While several different models of memory have been proposed,
the stage model of memory is often used to explain the basic
structure and function of memory.
• Initially proposed in 1968 by Richard Atkinson and Richard
Shiffrin, this theory outlines three separate stages of memory:
• Sensory Memory
• Short-Term Memory
• Long-Term memory
Sensory Memory
• Sensory memory is the earliest stage of memory.
• During this stage, sensory information from the environment is
stored for a very brief period of time, generally for no longer than
a half-second for visual information and 3 or 4 seconds for
auditory information.
• Examples of sensory memory is the use of a sparkler, which is a
handheld firework.
• When you hold the firework in your hand and move it in different patterns, your
eyes perceive a line or trail of light.
Short Term Memory
• Short-term memory, also known as active memory, is the
information we are currently aware of or thinking about.
• Paying attention to sensory memories generates information
in short-term memory.
• While many of our short-term memories are quickly forgotten,
attending to this information allows it to continue to the next
stage: long-term memory.
• Most of the information stored in active memory will be kept
for approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
• Any new information that enters short-term memory will
quickly displace old information.
Long-Term Memory
• Long-term memory refers to the continuing storage of
information.
• This information is largely outside of our awareness but can be
called into working memory to be used when needed.
• Some of this information is fairly easy to recall, while other
memories are much more difficult to access.
Long-term memory is usually divided into
two types—explicit and implicit.
• Explicit memories, also known as declarative memories, include
all of the memories that are available in consciousness.
• Explicit memory can be further divided into episodic
memory (specific events) and semantic memory (knowledge
about the world).
• EPISODIC MEMORY
• SEMANTIC MEMORY
• Implicit memories are those that are mostly
unconscious.
• This type of memory includes procedural memory, which
involves memories of body movement and how to use objects
in the environment.
• How to drive a car or use a computer are examples of
procedural memories.
Information Processing
• Information processing is the change (processing) of information in
any manner detectable by an observer.
• As such, it is a process that describes everything that happens
(changes) in the universe, from the falling of a rock (a change in
position) to the printing of a text file from a digital computer system.
• Information processing has been described as "the sciences
concerned with gathering, manipulating, storing, retrieving, and
classifying recorded information"
• Information processing models consist of a series of stages, or boxes,
representing stages of processing. Arrows indicate the flow of
information from one stage to the next.
• Input processes are concerned with the analysis of the stimuli.
• Storage processes cover everything that happens to stimuli internally
in the brain and can include coding and manipulation of the stimuli.
• Output processes are responsible for preparing an appropriate
response to a stimulus.
Decision Making
• Decision making is the cognitive process leading to the selection of a course of
action among alternatives.
• Every decision making process produces a final choice.
• It can be an action or an opinion.
• It begins when we need to do something but we do not know what.
• Therefore, decision making is a reasoning process which can be rational or
irrational, and can be based on explicit assumptions or tacit assumptions.
Thought Process
• Thought processes are a type of cognitive activity that uses
mental capacity to complete and understand certain
functions of the human experience.
• These operations may allow you to solve problems, make
decisions or create and evaluate new ideas.
• Why are thought processes important?
• Thought processes help us navigate throughout the world.
• They help us understand interactions with other humans, and
why people do what they do.
• Thought processes can also help us better understand
ourselves and why we have certain feelings or preferences.
• Defining and practicing using these operations may help people
better connect and communicate with one another by
understanding the overreaching situations and constructs in
which we all engage.
Cognitive training in sport.