PSY 690: New Student Seminar

This video explores newborns' reflexes, sensory perceptions, motor skills, and research methods for studying their cognitive development.

Understand Freud's perspective on dreams as manifestations of unconscious desires and conflicts. Contrast this with the Neural Activation Theory, which links dreaming to random neural activity during REM sleep. Discuss the criticisms and nuances of both theories in modern psychology.

Explore the factors that shape human attraction, from inherent traits like appearance and personality to situational factors like proximity. Understand why we're often drawn to those who are similar or close to us. Discover how circumstances influence the dynamics of attraction.

Uncover the marvels of cognitive neural prosthetics and their brain integration. Learn how these advanced brain-computer interfaces can translate user intentions. See their revolutionary role in assisting motor functions.

Discover the essential process of neural pruning in brain development, distinct from creating new connections, managing neural waste, or increasing brain weight. Uncover how this natural "clean-up" refines our neural network, making our brains more efficient in processing information. Explore the impact of neural pruning on cognitive growth and the interaction between genetics and environment in brain development.

Discover the intricacies of associative learning in psychology. Differentiate between concepts like classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Gain insights into how our brains form patterns and shape responses based on experiences.