ultimate review

cerebral cortex

responsible for higher order functions of the brain - four lobes (frontal, occipital, parietal, temporal) each specialize in processing information

limbic system

responsible for processing emotions, motivations, and theories

brain stem

connects with the spinal cord

basal ganglia

motor control, learning, decision making

thalamus

relay station of sensory and motor information, processing information before it hits the cerebral cortex

hypothalamus

regulates body functions, all about homeostasis

neurons

specialized cells for electrical signaling

parts of the neuron

dendrites - receives info, axons - sends info, soma - nucleus of neuron

myelin

accelerates signal transmission

neurotransmitters

signals released at synapse that will bind with other receptors - action potential

DNSG

dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, gaba, maybe substance p

nervous system

two parts: central and peripheral

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

nerves outside CNS

somatic nervous system

voluntary movements

autonomic nervous system

involuntary movements

sympathetic nervous system

emergency situations involving “fight or flight”

parasympathetic nervous system

rest and digest, homeostasis

hormones

chemical messengers released by endocrine system - heavily influential on behavior and physiological processes

• travel through blood and impact target cells in the body - role of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland

imbalances in hormones

depression, anxiety

information processing

encoding, storage, and retrieval

impacted by attention, prior knowledge, and meaningfulness of information

working memory model

central executive, phonological loop (audio and speaking), visuospacial sketchpad (visual and spacial), episodic buffer (creating episodic memories)

piaget

cognitive development theory for how children’s thinking evolves - sensorimotor (birth to age 2) - object permanence and problem solving, preoperational (2-7) emergence of animism egocentrism and symbolic thinking, concrete operation (7-11) - logical thinking, conservation, formal operational (12+) - abstract thinking, consider alternative viewpoints

vygotsky

social interaction and culture for cognitive development - zone of proximal development

chomsky

theory of an innate language acquisition device that proposes babies are “set up” to learn a language

miller

chunking

gardener

multiple intelligences

language

communication system of using symbols and rules

thought

uses mental processes

sapir-whorf hypothesis

language influences perception but does not determine thought

chomsky

universal grammar contains a shared underlying structure across language

intelligence

allows humans to apply knowledge/skills to solve problems

spearman

a single factor is the foundation of all cognitive abilities

sternberg triarchic theory

analytical, creative, and practical make up intelligence

types of thinking

divergent and convergent

bandura

bobo doll experiment - observational learning

attachment theory

focuses on role of caregiver-infant relationships for emotional/social development

erikson’s psychosocial stages

8 developmental stages each with a psychosocial crisis to be resolved

kohlberg - moral development

preconventional (2-9), conventional (9-20), post conventional (20+)

language development

process of acquiring phonemes, morphemes, grammar, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics (language use in specific contexts)

6 months

babbling, early vocalizations

12 months

one word and two word

Chomsky and the LAD

emphasizes critical period

classical conditioning

learning through association with neutral stimulus with reflexive response

operant conditioning

learning through consequences

social psychology/behavior

focuses on thoughts, feelings, behaviors and how these are impacted by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others

• social cognition, social influence, and social behavior

social identity theory

how we group ourselves (in group and out group) - impacts self esteem

attribution theory

how we explain the causes of behavior

cognitive dissonance theory

feeling of psychological discomfort experienced when individuals hold conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors

fundamental attribution error

overestimate dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining other’s behavior

social cognition

how we understand and think about the world

schemas

how the mind organizes/interprets this information that impacts our perceptions

stereotypes

generalized beliefs of a social group; prejudice (negative attitudes) vs discrimination (negative behaviors)

heuristics

mental shortcuts that simplify decision making

• availability vs representativeness heuristics

serial position effect

primacy - remembering first item, recency - remembering last item

group dynamics

interaction between members of the group

social facilitation

others present can help performance on a single task, but hinder performance on more complex and difficult responsibilities

social loafing

less effor by individuals when contributions are not tracked easily

groupthink

the desire for group consensus overrides critical thinking leading to poor decisions

conformity

adjust behavior to agree with the group standard

obedience

compliance with authority figure

personality

person’s pattern of thoughts, feelings, behaviors

traits

big five - openness (to new experiences), conscientiousness (organized), extroversion (socially open), agreeableness (pleasant), neuroticism (proneness to distress and anxiety) (ocean)

psychodynamic theories

role of unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences

humanistic

inherently good, needing to reach full potential

social-cognitive

emphasis on interaction with personal factors/behavior and environment

biological

role of genetics

measuring personality

self-report (personality inventory, etc), projective, behavioral observations

general adaptation syndrome

alarm, resistance, exhaustion

allosteric load

negative physical result from ineffective coping on the body

stress

acute and chronic (major depressive vs persistent)

coping

problem focused (planning), emotional focused (relaxing), maladaptive (substance abuse)

anxiety

prolonged fear and worry

depressive disorder

prolonged sadness (major and persistent depression)

bipolar

mania vs depressive episodes

schizophrenia

characterized by psychotic symptoms (delusions) that disrupt thought processes, emotions, and social interaction

autism

difficulties with social interaction and communication because of unwanted, restricted, or repeated thought patterns

PTSD

response to trauma

OCD

unwanted, prolonged thoughts and repetitive behaviors

eating disorders

bulimia, anorexia

psychotherapy

verbal therapy with certified mental health professionals

• cognitive based therapy, interpersonal therapy

pharmacotherapy

use of medications (psychoactive, antidepressants, antipsychotics)