Preliminary Examination

Psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Psychology as Science

uses systematic methods to observe human behavior and draw conclusions.

Psychology as Experimental Science

they study skeptical of claim that lack of actual scientific claims.

Psychologist

are scientist who work in a variety of fields, all of which include the study of behavior and underlying mental processes.

Basic Research

often occurs in university laboratories that focuses on collecting data to support theories.

Applied Research

focuses on changing behaviors and outcomes and often leads to real world applications.

The Goals of Psychology

Describe, Explain, Predict, Control

Describe

Report what you have observed.

Explain

organize and understand observation of behaviors.

Predicts

make assumptions or outcomes.

Control

use research findings to shape, modify and control behavior.

Plato

believed that truth and knowledge exist in the soul before birth that humans are born with innate knowledge.

Aristotle

believed that we know reality through our perceptions and we learn through sensory experiences.

Empiricism

an idea that all learning is only experienced and observations.

Rene Descartes

he proposed that body is like a tangible machine and the mind has no physical substance. The body and mind interact as two separate entities, a view known as dualism.

Gustav Theodor Fechner

founder of Psychophysics, a set of methods sensory stimulus to reported sensation.

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of Psychology, For Wundt introspection involved effortful reflection on the sensation, feelings and images experienced in response to a stimulus that followed by reports that were objective, meaning free of opinions, beliefs, expectations and values.

Introspection

self examination of conscious activities.

Structuralism – Wilhelm Wundt

argue that mind must be objectively and scientifically. Main concerned was with techniques used for uncovering natural laws of the human mind.

Structurialism- Edward Titchener

he viewed conscious experience could be understood by breaking it.

Titchener’s Aproach

Train subject in introspection, introspection, train observers introspected, formulate general theories based on subjects report.

Psychoanalysis- Sigmund Freud

he believed that behavior and personality are influence by the conflict between one’s inner desires.

Behaviorism – Ivan Pavlov

he developed an experiment of the conditioned reflex.

Behaviorism - John B. Watson

thought the human behavior is a result of past experiences and environmental influences.

Behaviorism- B.F Skinner

Father of Operant Conditioning that learning occurs when behaviors are rewarded or punished.

Nervous System

the system of nerve cells and fibers that carriers nerve impulses from one portion of the body to another.

Peripheral

All parts of the neurons systems that is outside of the central nervous system that is located outside of the brain and Spinal cord.

Central

the brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system that sends sensory data to which regulates how the body reacts.

Sympathetic Autonomic Nervous Systems

Dilates Pupil, Heart, Stomach, Pancreas, Liver, Adrenal gland, Kidney

Parasympathetic Autonomic Nervous System

Contracts Pupil, Slow heartbeat, Stimulates digestion, Stimulates gallblader, Contracts bladder

Neuron three basic task

Receive, Carry, Pass on to the next neuron.

Electrical Information

carry information from one neurons to another neurons.

Number of neurons

100 billion neurons

Sensory Neurons

responsible for sending the impulses from the sensory organ to the brain.

Motor Neurons

carries an impulse from the nervous system or ganglion that transmit toward a muscle that causes a movement.

Interneurons

a neuron that transmit between neurons from 90% connectivity nerves.

Parts of the Neuron - Terminals

Dendrites, Soma, Axon, Terminal branches of axox, Myelin Sheath, Neural Impulse

Neuron Communication Action Potential

brief electrical charge that travels down an axon.

Neuron Communication Refractory Period

when a neuron after firing cannot generate another action potential.

Neuron Communication Resting Potential

the state of neuron when it is at rest and capable of generating an action potential.

Neuron Communication All-or none Principle

all action are of the same strength.

Three phase of Communication with neuron

Action potential, Refractory period, Resting potential.

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that travel to the synapse from one neuron to another neuron.

Neurotransmitter Locks and Keys

have specific shapes and molecules having binding sites to the receptors, ions enter.

Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials

binds at receptor and makes the neuron more positive.

Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials

binds at receptor and makes the neuron more negative.

Neurotransmitters part

Agonist, Antagonist, Endorphins, Curare

Agonist

  a chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

a molecule or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action.

Endorphins

neurotransmitter linked to pain control and to pleasure.

Curare

   a neurotoxin that causes paralysis by blocking acetylcholine receptors in muscle.

Acetylcholine

a neurotransmitter that enables learning and memory and also triggers muscle contraction.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects hunger, sleep, arousal and mood.

GABA

Gamma aminobutyric acid that inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.

Norepinephrine

  a neurotransmitter involved in arousal, as well as learning and mood regulation.

Opioids

synthetic opiates that are prescribed for pain relief.

EEG

Electroencephalograph; waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain’s surface.

Lesioning

Destroying a piece of the brain.

Electrical Stimulation

passage of an electrical current from the uninsulated tip of an electrode through issue, resulting in changes in the electrical activity of the issue.

PET

brain activity that detects where radioactive form glucose while the brain performs a given task.

MRI

picture of brain from many angles.

CT Scan

x-ray images in cross sectional view

Hindbrain

an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord.

Medulla

controls vegetative functions.

Pons

sleep and wake fulness

Cerebellum

coordination of movement and postural reflex.

Midbrain

 a small part of the brain above the pons that integrates sensory information and relays it upward.

Forebrain

the largest and most complicated region of the brain, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system and cerebrum.

Limbic Systems

controls emotions and memory

Hippocampus

human learning and memory.

Hypothalamus

keep your body in a stable state.

Amygdala

emotional learning and behavior.

Thalamus

primary relay station for the senses.

Cortex

lobes of brain, upper, wrinkled area.

Corpus Collosum

nerve cells connecting the hemispheres of the brain.

Main Structure of the Brain

Cerebrum, Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Medulla, Copus Collosum, Thalamus, Midbrain, Cerebellum, Reticular Formation, Spinal Cord

Hindbrain Structure

Forebrain, Cerebral Cortex, Corpus Collosum, Hindbrain, Pons, Cerebellum, Reticular Formation, Medulla, Midbrain

Forebrain Limbic System

Hypothalamus, Thalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus

Cerebral Cortex

the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.

Frontal Lobes

decision Making

Temporal Lobes

critical for hearing and balance & important in memory.

Occipital Lobes

responsible for visual processes.

Parietal Lobes

receives sensory information.

Motor Homunculus

the body map on motor cortex.

Motor Cortex

the size of the body part indicates the amount of the area on the motor cortex.

Somatonsensory Homunculus

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.

Somatory Sensory Cortex

the size of the body part indicates the amount of area on the somatosensory cortex and the degree of sensitivity to external stimulation.

Endocrine System

consist of glands that control many of the body’s activities by producing hormones.

Aphasia

the partial or complete inability to articulate or understand language because of brain injury or damage.

Broca’s area

speech production

Wernicke’s area

inability to comprehend speech

Behavioral Genetics

how heredity and environment affect us.

Evolutionary Psychology

how the natural process of adapting to our environmental affects us.

Chromosomes

threadlike molecule of DNA that carries genetics information.

Genes

thousands of genes are on each chromosome. They carry the codes for hereditary transmission.

Dominant and Recessive Traits

the inheritance patterns of parents.

Polygenic

traits that influences by multiple genes.

Methods for studying inheritance

twin studies, family studies, adoption studies etc.

Sensation

the process of receiving converting and transmitting from outside world.

Transduction

convert sensory stimuli into neural impulses that are sent on to the brain.