Psych Exam 1

structuralism

focus on structure: fundamental mental components of perception, consciousness, thinking, emotions, & mental states & activities

introspection

present ppl with a stimulus and ask em to describe their experience (part of structuralism)

functionalism

focus on what mind does and how behavior functions (what role does behavior play in allowing ppl to adapt to their environments?)

PhD

doctor of philosophy: dissertation

PsyD

doc of psychology: treatment of psych disorders

association areas

sites of higher mental processes (thinking, language, memory, speech)

interneurons

connect sensory & motor neurons and carry messages between the two

sensory (afferent) neurons

transmit from perimeter of body to CNS

motor (efferent) neurons

transmit from nervous system to muscles/glands

acetylcholine (ACh)

found thruout nervous system; involved in skeletal movement, memory capabilities

limbic system

'animal brain': emotions/self preservation (eating, aggression, reproduction, learning, memory, pleasure).

includes amygdasla, hippocampus

psychophysics

study of relationship between physical aspects of stimuli and psychological experience of them

absolute threshold

smallest intensity of stimulus that must be present for it to be detected

noise

background stimulation that interferes w perception of other stimuli

difference threshold

smallest level of added/reduced stimulation required to sense a change in stimulation has aoccurred

Weber's law

just noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the intensity of an initial stimulus

adaptation

adjustment in sensory capacity after prolonged exposure to unchanging stimuli

retina

part of eye that converts light to electrical impulses

rods

thin cylindrical receptor cells sensitive to light

cones

cone-shaped receptor cells for sharp focus & color perception

optic nerve

bundle of ganglion axons at back of eyeball

feature detectors

specialized neurons activated only by visual stimuli having certain features (like particular shape/pattern)

trichromatic theory of color vision

3 types of cone

- blue-violet

- green

- yellow-red

opponent-process theory of color vision

says receptor cells are linked in opposite pairs

- blue-yellow

- red-green

-black-white

if obj contains more yellow than blue, stimulates yellow cells and inhibits blue or vice versa. works in retina and later stages of neuronal processing

oval window

entrance to inner ear

cochlea

coiled tube filled with fluid

basilar membrane

divides cochlea into upper/lower chambers. covered in hair cells to send neural messages to brain

semicircular canals

inner ear consisting of 3 fluid-filled tubes for sense of balance/movement

gustation

taste: responds to 4 basic stimulus qualities

- sour

- sweet

- bitter

- salty

(- umami: savory/meaty)

gate-control theory of pain

particular nerve receptors in spinal cord lead to specific areas of brain related to pain; when receptors are activated, 'gate' to brain is opened. can be closed by overwhelming other impulses or psych factors (emotions, interpretation of events, previous experience)

Gestalt laws of organization

principles that focus on ways we organize bits of info into meaningful wholes

- closure (see complete forms)

- proximity (close = grouped together)

- similarity (similar = grouped together)

- simplicity (most basic, straightforward shape)

top-down processing

higher level knowledge, xp, expectations, motivations influence perception

bottom-up processing

recognize and process info from individual components then move to perception of whole

perceptual constancy

physical objects are perceived as unvarying/consistent despite changes in appearance/physical environment

visual illusions

physical stimuli that consistently produce errors in perception

manifest content of dreams

obvious storyline of dreams

latent content of dreams

underlying true meaning of dreams

stimulants

amphetamines, cocaine, cathinone

increased confidence, good mood, energy and alertness, anxiety, decr appetite

depressants

alcohol, barbiturates, rohypnol

anxiety reduc, impulsiveness, mood swings, disorientation, limited attention

narcotics

heroin, morphine, opioids

anxiety/pain reduc, concentration difficulty, euphoria

hallucinogens

cannabis, MDMA (Molly/ecstasy), LSD (acid)

euphoria, incr appetite, magnified feelings, peace, empathy, paranoia

steroids

aggression, depression, acne, mood swings

drive reduction theory of motivation

look for ways to decrease want for something.

problem: we aren't always seeking to reduce a drive (curiosity, thrill-seeking)

arousal theory of motivation

look to maintain steady level of stimulation and activity

incentive theory of motivation

external stimuli (goals/incentives) work with drives together

cognitive theory of motivation

result of someone's thoughts, expectations, and goals. intrinsic motivation for enjoyment; extrinsic for concrete tangible reward

Maslow's hierarchy

1. self actualization

2. esteem

3. love & belonging

4. safety

5. physiological

self actualization

state of self fulfillment where one's highest potentials are reached in a unique way

obesity

body weight > 20% avg weight for person of similar height / BMI > 30

weight set point

particular weight body strives to maintain

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

write stories about ambiguous pictures to determine amount of achievement imagery in stories

James-Lange theory of emotion

emotion is body's instinctive (visceral experiences) reactions that occur

problem: rapid fear followed by slow visceral changes?

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

physical and emotional response produced simultaneously by same nerve stimulus from thalamus

Schachter-Singer theory of emotion

we ID emotion by observing environment and comparing self w others

facial-affect program

each primary emotion related to a unique set of muscular movements.

universally present at birth

facial-feedback hypothesis

facial expressions not only reflect emotional experience but also determine how an individual experiences and labels their emotions