Final Exam Study Guide - Psych 1 Kowalczyk

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Behavior

the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others

Construct

something you cannot see or tough but know it exists (consciousness/mind itself is a construct)

Theory

an explanation using integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations

Applied Psychology

using information and data

Research Psychology

finding information and data

Functionalism

concerned itself with how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment (function of the mind - what are the purposes/functions)

Structuralism

concerned itself with the study of the mind by trying to look at what its made of/structure

Wilhelm Wundt

father of modern psychology - developed the theory of structuralism and created the 1st psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany

John B. Watson

founder of behaviorism - the scientific study of behavior. Watson believed that behavior sis directly related to the environment (not heredity) *He conducted the Little Albert experiment

Sigmund Freud

founded the theory of psychoanalysis

Biological perspective

how biology and physiological processes impact behavior and mental processes

Cognitive perspective

how thoughts/mental processes impact behavior

Evolutionary perspective

how the natural traits has promoted the survival of genes (instincts)

Humanistic perspective

how we meet our needs for love and acceptance to achieve self-fulfillment

Psychoanalytic perspective

how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts

Behavioral perspective

how learned and observable behaviors impact behavior (environment)

Social Learning Theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating by being awarded or punished

Sociocultural perspective

how behavior and thinking varies across situations and cultures

Psychiatrist

a medical practitioner specializeing in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness

Psychologist

a specialist in psychology - do not prescribe drugs

William James

1st American psychologist - influenced by Charles Darwin, James established the school of functionalism, which opposed structuralism (wrote the first psych book “The Principles of Psychology”)

B.F. Skinner

Reinforcement (positive and negative punishment) Skinner and Watson emphasized the study of overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific psychology

Hypothesis

a testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Replication

being able to copy or imitate an existing experiment

Survey

a descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attituded or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

Random Sample

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

Stratified Sample

identifies certain characteristics needed (subgroups in the population)

Bias

a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something/someone

Volunteer Bias

arises in a research study in which participants choose if they want to be part of the sample

Case Study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

Independent Variable

in an experiment, the factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being tested

Dependent Variable

in an experiment, the outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable in manipulated

Experimental condition

a specific group of participants in a research study who are exposed to the manipulated independent variable, allowing the observation of the dependent variables effect

Control condition

the baseline group that is not exposed to the experimental treatment/manipulation

Cross-Sectional study

a type of observational study that analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset

Longitudinal study

often used in social-personality and clinical psychology, to study rapid fluctuations in behaviors, thoughts and emotions from moment-to-moment or day-to-day (of a long period of time)

Placebo

a treatment designed to have no therapeutic value, but given the same way as an active treatment or drug (effect: when a persons health improves after taking the treatment)

Double-Blind study

participants and researcher are uninformed about the treatment of the experiement

Ethics

the moral principles and guidelines that govern how psychologists conduct their work

Naturalistic observation

a descriptive technique of observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation

Positive correlation

as one variable increases, the other variable increases

Negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other variable decreases

Neuron

a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; a nerve cell

Axon

long single extension of a neuron

Axon terminal

the end of an axon that releases neurotransmitters to communicate with other cells

Myelin Sheath

insulated and speeds up messaged through neurons

Dendrites

receive messages from other neurons

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers

Central Nervous system

the body’s processing center that manages all of its functions (brain and spinal cord)

Synaptic Gap

the space between the axon of the neuron and the dendrite of another neuron

ACH

acetylcholine. functions: memory, learning, every junction of motor neurons and muscle (neurotransmitter)

Dopamine

monoamine. functions: sleep/awake cycles

Endorphins

peptide. functions: pain relief

Spinal Cord

part of the central nervous system that relays information between the brain and the body

Somatic nervous system

voluntary movements

Hindbrain consists of…

pons, cerebellum, medulla

Medulla

the base of the brainstem that controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

sleeping/awake

Cerebellum

the “little brain” attached to the rear of the brainstem. it helps coordinated voluntary movements and balance

Midbrain consists of…

reticular activating system

Reticular activating system

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal (on/off switch)

Forebrain consists of…

thalamus, hypothalamus, corpus callosum, cerebrum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, pituitary gland

Thalamus

the brains sensory switch board (relay station) located at the top of the brainstem

Hypothalamus

lies below (hypo) the thalamus. it directs several maintenance activities like eating, drinking, body temperature, and control of emotions

Hippocampus

memory

Amygdala

almond-shaped cluster that in linked to the emotions of fear and anger

Limbic system consists of….

cerebrum, cerebral cortex, corpus callosum

Cerebrum

largest part of brain, contains 2 hemispheres, manages consciousness and ones thoughts

Cerebral Cortex

outer layer of brain surface, on top of cerebrum. manages consciousness and ones thoughts

Corpus Callosum

a bundle of nerves that connects both hemispheres connecting fibers

Association areas

visual cortex, angular gyrus, wernicke’s area, broca’s area, motor cortex

Frontal lobe

front part of brain - controls the way you think, how you move and remember things

Parietal lobe

middle part of brain, controls senses

occipital lobe

very back part of brain, controls vision

Temporal lobe

bottom part of brain, controls hearing

EEG

electroencephalogram - an amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brains surface

PET

position emission tomography - scan is a visual display of brain activity that detects a radioactive form of glucose while the brain performs a given task

CAT

computed tomograph - x-ray of brain. good for basic brain damage

MRI

magnetic resonance imaging - uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among different types of brain tissue

Pituitary gland

“master gland”, it releases hormones that regulate other glands

Endocrine system

glands that produce hormones that regulate body functions

Hormones

chemical messengers that influence the nervous system to regulate certain behaviors

Thyroid gland

gland located in neck, produces hormones that affect mood, metabolism, etc.

Adrenal gland

gland located on kidneys, produces hormones that regulate the body’s response to stress

Sensation

to detect physical energy (a stimulus) from the environment and convert it into neural signals

Perception

when we select, organize and interpret our sensation so we can recognize meaningful objects/events

Absolute threshold

the smallest level of stimulus that can be detected, usually at least half of the time

Difference threshold

the smallest difference between two stimuli that can be detected, usually at least half of the time

Signal Detection theory

measuring how well someone can detect a stimulus in a certain psychological/physical state

Pupil

opening in the center if the iris - controls amount of light that enters the eye

Lens

the clear part of eye behind the iris, helps to focus light or an image on the retina

Cornea

clear, outer part of the eye - focusing system

Retina

the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. it converts light to electrical impulses that are sent to the brain through the optic nerve

Optic Nerve

compromised of nerve fibers that send visual messages to your brain to help you see

Blind Spot

in the retina where the optic nerve enters the eye that is devoid of rods and cones and is insensitive to light

Audition

hearing

Olfaction

smell

cutaneous sense

sense of touch/feeling

4 sense of taste

sweet, sour, bitter, salty (umami?)