Psychology Ch1-3 Review Study Guide

Who was Wilhelm Wundt?

He founded the first psychology lab

Who was William James?

Founder of functionalism, which studied how mental processes help people adapt.

How did Sigmund Freud influence psychology?

He developed psychoanalytic theory, emphasizing the unconscious mind.

How did John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner influence behaviorism?

They focused on observable behavior and learning.

What did Gestalt psychology emphasize?

The whole is different from the sum of its parts.

How did Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers influence humanistic psychology?

They emphasized personal growth and human potential.

How is psychology defined?

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

What does developmental psychology study?

How people change across the lifespan.

What does forensic psychology study?

Psychology applied to the justice system.

What does cognitive psychology study?

Thinking, memory, problem-solving, and language.

What does personality psychology study?

Patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make people unique.

What does biopsychology study?

How biology affects behavior.

What does evolutionary psychology study?

How evolution influences behavior.

What does the biopsychological perspective focus on?

Brain, genes, hormones, and biology.

What does the behavioral perspective focus on?

Observable behavior and learning.

What does the cognitive perspective focus on?

Thoughts and mental processes.

What does the psychodynamic perspective focus on?

The unconscious mind and past experiences.

What does the humanistic perspective focus on?

Free will, personal growth, and human potential.

What does the evolutionary perspective focus on?

How behavior may have developed through natural selection.

What is a theory?

A broad explanation supported by evidence.

What is a hypothesis?

A testable prediction.

What makes a hypothesis testable and falsifiable?

It must be possible to test it and potentially prove it wrong.

What is deductive reasoning?

Using a theory to make a prediction.

What is inductive reasoning?

Using observations to develop a theory.

What is naturalistic observation?

Watching behavior in its natural setting.

What is a case study?

An in-depth study of one person or small group.

What is archival research?

Using existing records or data.

What is an experiment?

A study where the researcher manipulates a variable to test cause and effect.

What is the independent variable?

The variable the researcher changes.

What is the dependent variable?

The variable that is measured.

What is an operational definition?

A specific way a variable is measured or defined.

What are the basic steps of an experiment?

Hypothesis → variables → procedure → collect data → analyze results → conclusion.

What are the major parts of a neuron?

Dendrites → soma → axon → terminal buttons.

What happens at a synapse?

Neurotransmitters are released and cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron.

How are neurotransmitters different from hormones?

Neurotransmitters are chemical messages between neurons; hormones are chemical messages released into the bloodstream.

What does the spinal cord do?

Carries messages between the brain and body.

What does the brain stem do?

Controls basic life functions such as breathing and heart rate.

What does the corpus callosum do?

Connects the left and right hemispheres.

What does the frontal lobe do?

Planning, decision-making, movement, and speech.

What does the parietal lobe do?

Processes touch and body sensations.

What does the temporal lobe do?

Processes hearing, memory, and language.

What does the occipital lobe do?

Processes vision.

What is the difference between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area?

Broca’s area is involved in speech production; Wernicke’s area is involved in language comprehension.

What is brain plasticity?

The brain’s ability to change and reorganize, especially through learning or after injury.

What should you include in a psychological perspective response?

Identify the perspective, explain the behavior using that perspective, and give an approach.

What should you include when designing an experiment?

Hypothesis, independent variable, dependent variable, operational definitions, and procedure.

How does a neural message travel?

Dendrites → soma → axon → terminal buttons → neurotransmitter → synapse → next neuron.

How should you answer a brain injury question?

Identify the behavior, identify the brain area, state its function, connect it to the behavior, and explain plasticity.

Who was Edward Titchener?

He developed structuralism.