Cedarville Gen. Psychology Final

Approximately how old is the study of psychology?

About 142 years old

Who are the "5 guys?"

1.) Willhelm Wundt

2.) Ivan Pavlov

3.) Signmund Freud

4.) Jean Piaget

5.) William James

Willhelm Wundt

- 1832-1920

- Founded 1st psych lab in 1879 in Germany

- German

- Was a physiologist and philosopher

Ivan Pavlov

- 1849-1936

- Pioneered study of learning

- From Russia

- Was a physiologist before entering field of psychology

Sigmund Freud

- 1856-1939

- Personality theorist from Austria

- Was a physician before entering field of psychology

Jean Piaget

- 1896-1980

- Influential observer of children's' behavior

- From Switzerland

- Was a biologist before entering field of psychology

William James

- 1842-1910

- Published 1st psychology textbook, "Principles of Psychology"

- From America

- Was a philosopher before entering field of psychology

Psychology:

The science of behavior & mental processes

(behavior= external actions,

mental= internal thought/emotions)

Nature v. Nurture Issue

The debate about whether nature or nurture impact one more

(nature= genes/heredity,

nurture= experiences, environment/pre-natal and also where one grew up)

5 Different Perspectives in Psychology:

1.) Neuroscience

2.) Psychodynamic

3.) Behavioral

4.) Cognitive

5.) Social-cultural

(different perspectives compliment one another)

Neuroscience perspective

How the body and brain work to create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

Psychodynamic perspective

How behaviors spring from unconscious drives

Behavioral perspective

How observable responses are acquired and changed

Cognitive perspective

How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information

Social-cultural perspective

How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

The Scientific Attitude:

1.) Curiosity

(desire to know/learn)

2.) Open-minded skepticism

(carefully questioning)

3.) Humility

(rejecting one's own ideas...like the rat in a lab

because "the rat is always right")

Critical Thinking:

- Examines assumptions

- Appraises the source (consider the source)

- Evaluates evidence

- Discerns biases

- Assesses the conclusion

Introspection:

Looking inward and noting your immediate sensations and feelings

3 Types of Scientific Method/Research:

1.) Descriptive Research

2.) Correlational Research

3.) Experimental Research

1.) Descriptive Research:

Observing and describing behaviors

- involves case study, survey, naturalistic observation

Case study:

(Descriptive Research)

Examine one or more individuals in great depth, hoping to reveal things true of us all

Survey:

(Descriptive Research)

Self-reported attitudes/behaviors of a population by questioning a random sample

Naturalistic Observation:

(Descriptive Research)

Observing and recording behavior in natural environments

2.) Correlational Research:

Measuring two variables (the statistical relationship between them)

- involves positive correlation & negative correlation

Correlation enables prediction

Correlation does NOT prove causation

Positive Correlation:

(Correlational Research)

Increase or decrease (direct relationship)

Negative Correlation:

(Correlational Research)

Up and down (inverse arrows, going both ways)

as one increases the other decreases

3.) Experimental Research:

Manipulates one or more factors, referred to as the independent variable to observe the effects of some behavior or mental process, referred to as the dependent variable

- enables the investigator to isolate cause and effect

- subjects are randomly assigned to experimental group

Experimental Group:

(Experimental Research)

Group exposed to a specific treatment

Control Group:

(Experimental Research)

Group not exposed to a specific treatment

Independent Variable:

(Experimental Research)

In an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied

Dependent Variable:

(Experimental Research)

In an experiment, the outcome that is measured (kept the same); the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated

Placebo:

(Experimental Research)

Effects experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

Random Sample:

(Experimental Research)

A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Blind Procedure:

(Experimental Research)

Subject doesn't know specific experimental condition(s) under which he/she is operating...doesn't know if he/she received a placebo or treatment

Double-blind Procedure:

(Experimental Research)

Both the subject and one conducting experiment are unaware of experimental conditions...no one knows who has received a placebo or treatment

Is it ethical to experiment on animals?

- 7% of psychology's studies involve animals

- 95% of tested animals are rats, mice, rabbits, birds (pigeons, usually)

Is it ethical to experiment on people?

- American Psychology Association (A.P.A.)'s ethical principles:

1.) Obtain informed consent

2.) Protect from harm/discomfort

3.) Confidentiality

4.) Debrief (fully explain research afterward to the

volunteer)

Study Method: SQ3R

S - Survey

Q - Question

R - Read

R - Retrieve

R - Reveal

- Incorporates critical thinking

- Emphasizes retrieving information

Phrenology:

Ill-fated theory regarding bumps on skull to reveal mental abilities & character traits

Biological Psychology:

The study that links biology and behavior

Neurons:

Basic building blocks of the nervous system

1.) Receive information

2.) Process information

3.) Transmit information

Neuron Diagram:

Study notes for a diagram

Neuron:

Consists of cell body & branching fibers, and also contains the nucleus

Dendrites:

Receive info/signal from sensory receptors

Axon:

A single fiber with terminal branches that sends info/signal

Myelin Sheath:

Fatty layer of cells encasing axon, with two functions:

1.) Insulates

2.) Increases speed of message being sent

(if this degenerates, the person will have multiple sclerosis)**

Action Potential:

1.) A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon

2.) Generated by the movement of ions through the axon membrane

3.) When it reaches the end of an axon, an electrical impulse is now converted into a chemical message

Synapse:

The gap/junction between 2 neurons (the sending and receiving ones)

Neurotransmitters:

Chemical messengers released from axon terminal

Sensory Neurons:

Send sensory information from tissue and sensory organs INWARD to brain and spinal cord

(AFFERENT -- Admit!)***

Interneurons:

Work IN spinal cord and brain and INtervene between sensory and motor neurons

(AFFERENT -- Admit!)***

Motorneurons:

Send instructions OUTWARD from brain and spinal cord to body tissue/muscles

(EFFERENT -- Exit!)***

Threshold:

The stimulation needed to trigger a neural impulse

Plasticity:

The ability for the brain to develop new pathways/the brain's ability to modify itself after damage

How do drugs affect the brain?

Drugs and other chemicals affect the chemistry of the brain by either exciting (arrow up) or inhibiting (arrow down) by neurons firing

Agonist:

A molecule that excites or INCREASES a neurotransmitter's action (arrow up)

Antagonist:

A molecule that inhibits or BLOCKS a neurotransmitter's actions (arrow down)

Nervous System:

Electrochemical communication network

(Look at notes for detailed chart!)***

Peripheral Nervous System:

Sensory/motor neurons

Central Nervous System:

Brain & spinal cord

Autonomic Nervous System:

Muscles and glands of internal organs

Somatic Nervous System:

Skeletal muscles

& Branches off into:

1.) motor-output

2.) motor-input

Sympathetic Nervous System:

- Mobilizing energy

- Arousal (fight/flight/freeze)

- Tend/befriend (women usually...from oxytocin which encourages social bonding in crisis)

Parasympathetic Nervous System:

- Conserving energy

- Calming

- Rest/digest

Endocrine System:

Slow chemical communication system

1.) Glands, 2.) Hormones, 3.) Bloodstream

Hormones:

Chemical messengers produced in one tissue travel through the blood affecting other tissue

Adrenal Glands:

Two glands at the top of kidneys that:

1.) Trigger fight/flight

2.) Release epinephrine (adrenaline) which provides

a surge of energy -- heartrate increases, blood

pressure increases, and sugar levels increase

Pituitary Gland:

"Master Gland of the Endocrine System"

- Pea-sized structure at base of brain

- Regulates body growth/physical development

- Releases oxytocin (encourages social bonding/trust)

The Brain:

"The Cerebral Cortex" --

The mass of nerve tissue that is the main control center

of the nervous system that covers the cerebrum

- Wrinkled appearance

- 1/8 inch thick

- 4 lobes --

1. - Frontal lobes,

2. - Parietal lobes,

3. - Occipital lobes,

4. - Temporal lobes

(Oldest to youngest)

- Brainstem

- Limbic System

- Cerebral Cortex

Brainstem:

The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

Medulla:

- Controls heartbeat/breathing

- Crossover point of nerves from each side of body

Cerebellum:

- Two wrinkled hemispheres

- Influences non-verbal learning and memory skills

- Most obvious function is muscle control

Thalamus:

- 2 egg-shaped structures

- Brain's sensory switchboard

- Deals with seeing, hearing, tasting, and touching

Reticular Formation:

A nerve network that travels through the brainstem and thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal/attention

Limbic System:

At the border of brainstem and cerebral hemispheres

- Linked to emotion and motivation

Amygdala:

- 2 almond-shaped neural clusters

- Influences aggression/fear

Hypothalamus:

- Below the thalamus

- Bodily maintenance duties

(hunger, thirst, body temperature, sexual behavior)

Cerebral Cortex Lobe #1:

Frontal Lobes

- Behind forehead

- Speaking, planning, judgement, muscle movement,

personality

Cerebral Cortex Lobe #2:

Parietal Lobes

- At the top of head, to the rear

- Touch, body position

Cerebral Cortex Lobe #3:

Occipital Lobes

- At the back of the head

- Seeing

Cerebral Cortex Lobe #4:

Temporal Lobes

- Just above ears

- Hearing

Important to note about brain and/or spinal injury:

If the spinal cord is severed, or brain tissue is destroyed, the injured neurons normally will NOT regenerate!***

Corpus Callosum:

Wide band of axon fiber connecting the two hemispheres, transmitting information between the two hemispheres

Field of Vision/Motor Cortex:

- RIGHT side of brain controls LEFT side of body

- LEFT side of brain controls RIGHT side of body

Left-Brained Individual Distinctions:

- More logical

- Verbal

- Analytical

Right-brained Individual Distinctions:

- More creative

- Emotionally expressive

- Imaginative

"5 guys" of psychology

Wilhelm Wundt

Ivan Pavlov

Sigmund Freud

Jean Piaget

William James

Wilhelm Wundt

German physiologist and philosopher; founded first psychology laboratory

Ivan Pavlov

Russian physiologist; pioneered the study of learning

Jean Piaget

Biologist from Switzerland; observed children's behaviors

Sigmund Freud

Austrian physician; personality theorist

William James

American philosopher; published first text, "Principles of Psychology"

Psychology

Science of Behavior and Mental Processes

Nature-nurture issue

contribution of heredity/genes or environment/experience in development

Neuroscience

how BODY and BRAIN work to create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences

Psychodynamic

how behaviors spring from UNCONSCIOUS DRIVES (from Freud's study and thinking)

Behavioral

how OBSERVABLE RESPONSES are acquired and changed

Cognitive

how we ENCODE, PROCESS, STORE, and RETRIEVE information

Social-Cultural

how behavior and thinking VARY across SITUATIONS and CULTURES (different perspectives)

Scientific Attitude

curiosity, open-minded skepticism, humility