Outline flashcard for psych(chatgpt) saturday

What is the mind-body problem?

Whether the mind and body are separate (dualism) or one integrated system.

What is the nature vs. nurture debate?

Whether abilities/traits are determined by genetics (nature) or environment/experience (nurture).

What is the free will vs. determinism debate?

Whether human actions are freely chosen or determined by biological/environmental factors.

What does structuralism focus on, and what is its weakness?

Breaking mental processes into basic elements; relied on introspection, too subjective.

What does functionalism focus on, and what is its weakness?

Purpose of mental processes; less precise measurement, not as scientific.

What is the key idea of the psychodynamic perspective?

Unconscious drives and conflicts shape behavior.

What is the key idea of the evolutionary perspective?

Behavior is shaped by natural selection for survival and reproduction.

What is the key idea of behaviorism?

Psychology should study observable behavior, not internal mental states.

Define empiricism.

Knowledge comes from observation and experience.

Difference between hypothesis and theory?

Hypothesis = testable prediction; theory = broader explanation of findings.

Difference between internal and external validity?

Internal = ability to show cause-effect; external = ability to generalize results.

Difference between continuous and categorical variables?

Continuous can take any value (height, time); categorical = distinct groups (gender, yes/no).

What are the three types of reliability?

Test-retest, internal consistency, interrater.

What is a confounding variable?

An uncontrolled factor that affects results.

What are demand characteristics?

Participants change behavior because they know they’re being studied.

What is a descriptive design’s strength and weakness?

Strength = describes behavior naturally; weakness = no causal inference.

What is a correlational design’s main limitation?

Cannot infer causation (correlation ≠ causation).

What is the main advantage of an experimental design?

Can infer causality by manipulating IV and measuring DV.

Difference between between-subjects and within-subjects design?

Between-subjects = different participants per group; within-subjects = same participants in all conditions.

What is a double-blind study?

Neither participants nor researchers know which group participants are in.

What does the IRB look for in human research?

Informed consent, confidentiality, harm minimization, justification for deception, debriefing.

What does IACUC focus on in animal research?

Replace, Refine, Reduce animal use.

Difference between afferent and efferent nerves?

Afferent = sensory to CNS; efferent = motor from CNS to body.

Difference between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems?

Sympathetic = fight/flight; parasympathetic = rest/digest.

What are the major parts of the hindbrain?

Medulla, pons, cerebellum.

What does the thalamus do?

Relays sensory information to the cortex (except smell).

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

Homeostasis: hunger, thirst, body temperature, hormones.

What does the basal ganglia control?

Movement and motor learning.

What is the role of Broca’s area vs Wernicke’s area?

Broca = speech production; Wernicke = speech comprehension.

Name the parts of a neuron.

Dendrites, soma, axon hillock, axon, myelin sheath, axon terminals.

What ions are involved in action potential?

Na⁺ flows in (depolarization), K⁺ flows out (repolarization).

What happens in the refractory period?

Neuron cannot fire again until reset to resting potential.

What are the main neurotransmitters and their roles?

Glutamate = excitatory; GABA = inhibitory; Dopamine = reward/movement; Serotonin = mood; Acetylcholine = muscle activation; Opioids = pain relief.

Difference between sensation and perception?

Sensation = detecting stimulus; perception = interpreting it.

What is sensory adaptation?

Reduced sensitivity after constant stimulation.

What is the site of transduction in vision?

Retina (rods and cones).

What lobe processes visual information?

Occipital lobe.

What is the site of transduction in hearing?

Cochlea hair cells.

What lobe processes auditory information?

Temporal lobe.

What is Weber’s Law?

Just-noticeable difference is a constant proportion of the stimulus.

Difference between bottom-up and top-down processing?

Bottom-up = data-driven; top-down = prior knowledge/expectations-driven.

What is inattentional blindness?

Failure to notice visible stimuli because attention is focused elsewhere.

What is the cocktail party phenomenon?

Ability to focus on one conversation while filtering out others.