PSYC 1010 FINAL EXAM

Objective Introspection (William Wundt)

the process of examining and measuring one’s thoughts and mental activities

Structuralism (Edward Titchener)

A study focused on the structure of the mind

Functionalism (William James)

heavily influenced by ideas of natural selection from Charles Darwin

Gestalt Psychology (Max Wertheimer)

focused on perception and sensation w/ their patterns

Psychodynamic perspective (Sigmund Freud)

We push or repress all threatening urges and desires; unconscious mind

Behaviorism (John B. Watson)

All behavior is learned, the baseline for cognitive psychology

Conditioning (Inan Pavlov)

Discovered that reflex can be correlated to an unrelated stimulus

Neuron

a specialized cell that receives and sends messages within the system

Soma

the cell body, contains the nucleus and keeps the cell function

Dendrites

Part of a neuron that receives messages from other neurons

Axon

attached to the soma, carries out messages

Glial cells

Provide support for neurons to grow, help maintain homeostasis, and have numerous other different functions

Synapse

Space between the axon terminal and dendrites/soma of another cell

Computed Tomography (CTs)

X-rays of the brain with a computer (mapping slices of the brain with a computer)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Imaging using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to produce images of the brain

Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Gray and white matter, DTI uses MRI technology to measure connectivity in the brain

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Recording electrical activity just below the skull, small metal disks on the scalp

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Small field magnetic fields generated by electrical activity in neurons

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

A process that uses radioactive glucose, to project an image of brain activity onto a monitor

Functional MRI (fMRI)

MRI-based imagining that allows for monitoring through changes in oxygen levels within the brain

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS)

A brain imaging method that uses infrared light to determine changes in oxygen within the brain

Medulla

Lowest part of the brain, First large swelling at the top of the spinal cord

Pons

Right above the medulla, a “bridge” between the cerebellum and the upper sections of the brain

Reticular Formation

A network of neurons running through the middle of the medulla, pons, and slightly beyond

Cerebellum

located behind the pons, “little brain”, controls all involuntary, rapid, fine motor movement

Thalamus

Located in the center of the brain, helps process sensations such as hearing, sight, touch, or taste

Hypothalamus

Below the inner chamber, regulates many motivational behaviors (thirst, hunger, sleeping, waking)

Hippocampus

“seahorse” like structure, middle of each side of the brain, new declarative long-term memory

Amygdala

Fear and danger responses

Cingulate cortex

limbic structure found in the cortex, helps with selective attention and working memory

Cerebral cortex

The outermost part of the brain, tightly packed neurons, large surface area

Cerebrum

upper part of the brain, divided into two sections covered by the corpus callosum

Left Hemisphere

Componential, logistical, language & sequence

Right Hemisphere

 More holistic, images, whole picture, patterns, creativity, emotion recognition

Corpus Callosum

 a thick band of myelinated axons that connect the left and right hemisphere

Occipital lobes

back of the brain, controls vision

Parietal lobes

Top and back of the brain containing the somatosensory cortex

Somatosensory cortex

 Processes internal body receptors for touch, temperature, and body position

Prefrontal cortex

located at the front, STM

Temporal lobes

temples of the head, help with audio, LTM & STM

Frontal lobes

Located at the front and top, help for higher mental functions of the brain, LTM

Association areas

Areas that are responsible for the coordination and interpretation of information

Broca’s aphasia

inability to use or understand either a written or spoken language, due to damage in Broca’s area

Wernicke’s aphasia

Can speak fluently and pronounce words correctly, but overall would not make sense when speaking

Spinal cord outer section

carries out messages from the body to the brain and vice versa, serves as a message “pipeline”

Spinal cord inner section

glial cells, sort of a “brain”, fast, lifesaving reflexes

Afferent neurons

neurons that carry senses to the central nervous system

Efferent neurons

neurons that carry messages to the muscles of the body

Neurogenesis

formation of new neurons in the development of the nervous system

Somatic nervous system

 nerves that control voluntary muscles of the body

Autonomic nervous system

 involuntary muscles, organs, and glands

Sympathetic division

located in the middle of the spinal column, sympathy with one’s emotions, fight or flight system

Parasympathetic division

 top and bottom of the spinal column, eat-drink-and-rest system, returning body to its normal functions after a stressful situation

Pituitary gland

below the brain, connected to the hypothalamus, controls ALL influences of other endocrine glands

Pineal gland

located near the rear and above the brain stem, involved in SLEEP

Thyroid gland

inside the neck, regulate growth & metabolism

Pancreas

 controls the level of blood sugar in the body through insulin and glucagon

sex glands, that regulate sexual behavior and reproduction

Adrenal glands

top of the kidney, initiate and control stress reactions; cortisol

Longitudinal Design

• participants are studied over a long period

• A: age-related changes in the same individuals

• D: lengthy, costly, requires a lot of effort and time (some can lose interest, move away, or die)

Cross-sectional

• participants are studied at a certain point in time

• A: quick, inexpensive, easier to accomplish

• D: individuals of different ages are being compared to one another (not as consistent)

Cross-sequential

one or more participants are studied at a certain point in time, but also followed and assessed

Huntington

breakdown of neurons in the brain

Marfan’s

connective tissue disorder

Klinefelter

23rd set of chromosomes is XX, reduced masculine characteristics

Turner

23rd is missing an X pair, short & infertile

Germinal

First 2 weeks after fertilization, zygote moves down the uterus and implants the lining, the placenta is formed and umbilical cord forms to connect to the placenta

Embryonic

2-8 weeks after fertilization forming organs and structures of a human infant, critical periods

Fetal

8 weeks after conception until birth, baby increases by about 20 times

Habituation

tendency for infants to stop paying attention to something that does not change

Preferential looking

the longer an infant stares at something, the more the infant prefers that thing over the others 

Sensorimoter

Birth to 2 years old, infants use their senses and motors abilities to learn about the world around them

Object permanence

Knowledge of an object and its existence even when it is not in sight

Preoperational Stage

Ages 2-7, Simple mental concepts, not capable of logical thought

Egocentrism

inability to see the world through anyone else’s eyes

Conservation

Ability to understand that changing the way something looks does not change its substance

Formal Operations

Ages 12 to adulthood, hypothetical thinking, mostly perceived by higher education individuals

Scaffolding

a more skilled learner helps a less skilled learning at the beginning of the learning process and withdraws when the skills improve

Zone of proximal development

Describes what a child can do on their own compared to what a child can do with the help of a teacher

Theory of mind

ability to understand beliefs, intentions, desires and understand that others might have different perspectives from yours; people with autism do not possess

Temperament

Behavioral and emotional characteristics that are fairly established at birth

Secure attachment

“touched base” with moter, but upset when mother left

Avoidant attachment

did not “touch base” with mother, somewhat willing to explore, barely reacting when mother left and returned

Ambivalent

mixed feelings, clinging and unwilling to explore, upset by mother’s absence and presence, would click and cling

Disorganized-disoriented

Babies seemed unable to decide how they should react to their mother’s return, fearful and dazed (abuse related)

Personal Fable

A common thought of adolescents believing that they are unique and can be protected from harm

Imaginary Audience

extreme self-consciousness in adolescents

preconventional morality

Morality is based on consequences, actions that are right get rewarded while those that earn punishment are wrong

conventional morality

 An action is morally right if it follows the rules of society and wrong if it does not

post-conventional morality

Determined by experiences and judgement of the person, even if that may disagree with society’s rules

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Stage of personality development in which the adolescent must find a consistent sense of self

Intimacy vs. Isolation

an emotional and psychological closeness based on the ability to trust, care, and share, while still maintaining a sense of self

Generativity vs. Stagnation

providing guidance to one’s children or the next generation, or contributing to the next generation through career or volunteer work OR unable to focus outward still focusing on issues of intimacy and identity

Integrity vs. Despair

 Late adulthood when people look back on the life they have lived through a life review

Authoritarian

over concerned with rules, overly strict and uncompromising to the child

Permissive

parent makes few if any, demands on the child’s behavior

Authoritative

combing warmth and affection with firm limits on a child’s behavior

Cellular-clock theory

Cells are limited to the number of times they can reproduce to repair damages

Wear-and-tear theory

outside influences can wear out the body’s organs and cell tissues with repeated use and abuse

Free-radical theory

Oxygen molecules that have an unstable electron steal more electrons causing damage to structures inside the cell