Author: Bryan Rossi

The term I choose to focus on was Operant Conditioning. Operant conditioning forms between behaviors and resulting events. The Law of Effect is an example of Operant Condition because the behavior results on the end effect, a reward. The rewarded behavior is likely to reoccur more often if the reward is given each time after the behavior. For example, if you are training a dog a new trick you will reward the dog for completing the new trick. However, if the new trick is multiple steps, another operant conditioning is successive approximations. If you are teaching the dog to roll over you will reward it after each step until it gets the entire trick down without the successive approximations.

When my family got a new dog for the first time we struggled to train it until we started rewarding his good behavior for listening. For example, before bed each night my brothers and I were responsible for taking our new puppy out to use the bathroom. When we first got him, he would rarely use the bathroom before we went to bed, so we took him out for no reason, and he would end up going in the house while we were a sleep. However, after he used the bathroom we started to reward him with treats. This trick allowed him to use the bathroom every time we took him out because he knew he would receive a treat if he did. So, every time we took him out before bed he would instantly use the bathroom and run inside looking for a treat, this conditioning made it easier for my brothers and I because the puppy took care of his business because he knew we would reward him for obeying.

This relates to the class because Operant Conditioning is common when training animals and even babies. We trained our dog by using a reward and this is exactly what the Law of Effect states. You can basically get anyone or anything to repeat a behavior if you reward them after. The end result will influence ones behavior.

Implicit Memory

The topic I decided to write about is a type of long-term memory, procedural (implicit) memory. Implicit memories are memories that come to you easily because you have done them over and over. You can recall these memories with your unconscious mind, and it takes little effort to retrieve this information. Past experiences allow a person to act with out thinking about it, no matter how long ago the experience occurred. An example of this is a person tying their shoe. They learned to tie a show as a child, but they never forgot how to do this task because implicit memories are almost automatic. Even though they learned at such a young age how to tie shoes, as an adult they can complete this task with out even thinking about it.

I had an experience with implicit memories when I was skiing with my family. I learned to ski at a young age, around 8 years old, but I didn’t go again until I was about 10 years old. When I learned to ski I became good because I went frequently and got down all the techniques. However, after not skiing for two years I was nervous I was going to be a wreck on the slopes. I rode the ski lift to the top of the mountain and when I got to the top I panicked thinking I would have forgotten how to ski, but that wasn’t the case. After dropping in, my skills came back to me. I was able to avoid hazards, stop on a point, and even cut through the woods. This is all to my implicit memory, I recalled how to do these things by using past experiences. Without hesitation my skis were almost acting on their own. I automatically picked up skiing again and had no problems getting down the mountain.

This experience is related to implicit memory because I wouldn’t haven been able to get down the mountain if it wasn’t for my implicit memory. My unconscious mind acted automatically, and I was able to remember how to ski. I learned how to ski and never forgot it, so every time I go now I know I will be successful thanks to my implicit memory. I know I will recall the techniques and skills I had before in order to be a successful skier.

The concept I am choosing to write about is Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI’s. I was never sure what an MRI was, but I knew it was similar to an x-ray. An MRI is different in from an x-ray in many ways. An MRI is a machine that allows doctors to look at soft-tissue with out opening the body. This allows doctors to see tumors, tears, or narrow slices. The MRI machine allows doctors to see very detailed and important parts of the body without making any incision. This machine was a huge advancement in the medical field because it can see almost every detail; this is due too the machines great spatial resolution. The spatial resolution on an MRI scan can go millimeters, so the doctors can see all the tissue and organs. My first experience with an MRI was this past school year. During the school baseball season, I dislocated my shoulder, an obvious injury the doctor can see from outside the body. However, the doctor told me it was necessary for me to receive an MRI in-order to tell if I tore any of the muscles in my shoulder. I had gotten x-rays in the past, but the MRI experience was much different. I laid down on a bed and was put into this big machine. After 15 minutes or so I was pulled out of the machine and was sent home. When my results arrived, they found further injury. The doctor told me I had torn my labrum and had chip out on my shoulder socket due to my shoulder being popped back in. The MRI allowed the doctors to see past just the dislocation and discover that I had torn a ligament. This related back to class because doctors always use MRI’s. They are often used to study the functions of the brain. Doctors can have patients perform task while they use an MRI’s to watch different functions of the brain. This was a huge advancement because previously they would have to open the body but now they can use this machine to study vital organs while patients complete tasks that make the brain work in different ways.