PSY101 Examination #1 Review Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental concepts, research methods, biological foundations, brain structures, neurotransmitters, theories of emotion, and sleep stages for PSY101 Exam #1.

Naturalistic Observation

A descriptive research method that involves observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation.

Participant Observation

A descriptive research method in which the investigator joins and becomes part of the group being studied.

Case Study

A descriptive research method in which one individual or small group is studied in depth to reveal universal principles.

Population vs. Sample

A population is the entire group of individuals about whom a study seeks to draw conclusions, whereas a sample is a subset of individuals selected from that population to represent it.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical index of the relationship between two variables, ranging from $-1.00$ to $+1.00$, indicating the strength and direction of their association.

Scatterplot

A graphed cluster of dots, each representing the values of two variables, used to display the direction and strength of a correlation.

Third-Variable Problem

The circumstance in correlation research where an unmeasured third variable influences both observed variables, creating a false appearance of a direct causal relationship.

Spurious Correlation

A mathematical relationship in which two variables are associated but not causally related, often due to a third confounding variable.

Independent Variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated or varied by the researcher to observe its effect on an outcome.

Dependent Variable

The outcome factor in an experiment that is measured to determine the effect of manipulating the independent variable.

Random Assignment

The procedure of assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, minimizing pre-existing differences between groups.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the treatment or independent variable condition.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment and serves as a baseline for comparison.

Placebo Effect

Experimental results caused by expectations alone, where any effect on behavior occurs because the recipient assumes an active substance or treatment is being administered.

Operational Definition

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used to define and measure a research variable.

Confound

An extraneous factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment, confounding the results.

Double-Blind Procedure

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are unaware of whether participants received the treatment or a placebo.

Meta-Analysis

A statistical procedure for combining and analyzing the results of multiple independent scientific studies to identify overall patterns.

Descriptive Statistics

Numerical data used to measure and describe characteristics of groups, including measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and measures of variation (range, standard deviation).

Normal Distribution

A symmetrical, bell-shaped distribution curve where most scores fall near the mean and fewer fall near the extremes.

Percentile Rank

The percentage of scores in a distribution that fall at or below a specific score.

Skewed Distribution

An asymmetrical distribution of scores where data points cluster toward one end of the scale rather than forming a symmetrical bell curve.

Central Nervous System

The division of the nervous system comprising the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.

Somatic Nervous System

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

Autonomic Nervous System

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary visceral functions of internal glands and organs.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body and mobilizes energy in stressful situations ('fight or flight').

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and conserves energy ('rest and digest').

Axon

The long neuron extension that passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Dendrite

The branching extensions of a neuron that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.

Myelin Sheath

A fatty layer segmentally encasing the axon of a neuron, enabling faster transmission speed of neural impulses.

Synapse / Synaptic Gap

The microscopic junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron.

Reuptake

The reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by the sending neuron after it has performed its signal transmission.

Agonists

Molecules or substances that increase neurotransmitter action, often by mimicking the neurotransmitter or blocking its reuptake.

Antagonists

Molecules or substances that decrease or inhibit neurotransmitter action, often by blocking receptor sites.

James-Lange Theory

An early theory of emotion asserting that physiological arousal precedes and directly causes the conscious experience of emotion.

Cannon-Bard Theory

An early theory of emotion asserting that physiological arousal and the subjective experience of emotion occur simultaneously and independently.

Schacter-Singer Theory

The two-factor theory of emotion stating that emotion requires both physiological arousal and a cognitive label applied to that arousal.

Brainstem

The oldest central region of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions, containing the medulla, pons, reticular formation, cerebellum, and thalamus.

Limbic System

A neural system located below the cerebral cortex that includes the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus, associated with emotions and basic drives.

Phineas Gage

A historical case study of a railroad worker whose frontal lobe injury provided early evidence of localized brain function related to personality and executive control.

Broca's Area and Aphasia

A region in the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production; damage results in Broca's aphasia, characterized by difficulty producing speech despite preserved comprehension.

Wernicke's Area and Aphasia

A region in the left temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension; damage results in Wernicke's aphasia, characterized by fluent but meaningless speech and poor language comprehension.

Split-Brain Patient Research

Studies conducted on patients with a severed corpus callosum, demonstrating functional lateralization between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning, experience, or after injury.

REM Sleep

Rapid Eye Movement sleep, a stage of sleep characterized by vivid dreams, rapid eye movements, heightened brain activity, and temporary muscle paralysis.

NREM Sleep

Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep, encompassing all stages of sleep outside of REM sleep.