UMD Intro to Psychology Exam 1 Study Guide

Willhelm Wundt

First person to establish a psychology laboratory in Liepzig, Germany in 1879.
He was a physiologist and philosopher.

Structuralism

Used introspective to explore the structural elements of the human mind

Functionalism

Focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function-- how they enable us to adapt, survive and flourish

Sigmund Freud

-A psychiatrist
-An Austrian physician
-He and his followers emphasized the importance of the unconscious mind and its effects on human behavior. He attempted to cure female victims of hysteria through speaking to them`

Psychologists in the 1920's-1960's

Many pioneering psychologists such as Freud, Piaget, Watson, Rogers, and Maslow

Behaviorists

-Objective
-Watson and later Skinner, emphasized the study of overt behavior as the subject matter of scientific psychology
-Between 1920 and 1960, these were the top "psychologists" and gained or lost respect from the rest of the scientific community

B.F. Skinner

Most famous Behaviorist

Humanistic Psychology

Maslow and Rogers emphasized current environmental influences on our growth potential and our NEED FOR LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE

Psychology today

The scientific study of behavior and our mental processes

Psychology is...

A combo of anatomy and philosophy

Nature vs. Nurture

The argument over whether the way you are raised overpowers your human nature, or vice versa

Psychology's 3 Levels of Analysis

1. Biological Influences
2. Psychological Influences
3. Social-cultural Influences

Examples of Biological Influences

Genetic predispositions, genetic mutations, genes and responding to the environment

Examples of Psychological Influences

Learned fears and expectations, Emotional responses, Cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations

Examples o Social-Cultural Influences

Presence of others, Cultural, societal, family expectations, peer and other group influences, compelling models such as the media

The BioPsychoSocial Model is

A combination of Biological, Psychological, and Social factors
Ex: Lori is depressed because she has a genetic predisposition, has been sad for the past 6 months, because of stress at work and the loss of a loved one.

Behaviorist School of Psychology

attributed largely by Watson, Pavlov and Skinner
-All behaviors are learned through reward and punishment pairings

Humanistic School of Psychology

-Says humans are unique and good and possess an inner ability to change: free will and growth are important
-Motivation based on hierarchy of needs

Person-Centered Therapy

Therapy in which the patient directs therapy and others support helps the patient become better

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic School of Psychology

-Developed by Freud, and believed our unconscious mind shapes our thoughts and behaviors
-Believes that childhood is the most important point of development
-Ex: anal retentive or anal repuslive

Cognitive School of Psychology

-We interpret the environment around us
-Behaviors are based on the perception of the world
-Thoughts shape feelings, which shape behaviors

Biological (physiological) School of Psychology

-Investigates how specific physiological processes explain individual differences
-Describe how internal biological events interact with the environment

Hindsight Bias

The "I-knew-it-all-along" phenomenon

Vivid Cases

People fail to make accurate generalizations because they are unduly influenced by vivid cases such as Jersey Shhore

Critical Thinking

-Does not accept arguments and conclusions blindly
-It examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence and assesses conclusions

Empirical Approach

By testing their predictions with the observational method of science, psychologists are using an empirical approach

The Scientific Method

1. Question/Purpose
2. Research
3. Hypothesis
4. Prepare
5. Experiment
6. Collect Data
7. Conclude/Analyze

Operational Definition

A statement of procedures used to define research variables
-Ex: human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an IQ test measures
-Ex: Depression isn't visible but you can be tested to see how depressed you are

Types of Descriptive Methods to Inform Hypotheses

-Naturalistic Observation
-Case Study
-Surveys

Correlational methods

Associate different factors to show relationships between them
Ex: Measuring how long a preschool teacher spends teaching ABC songs and how well they know their ABCs

Correlation

-The degree to which one variable or set of data is related to another variable/set of data
-Correlation does not prove causation
-Scatterplots represent correlations between 2 variables

Correlation Coefficient

Number between -1 and +1 to show the strength and direction of the relationship
-Correlations help us predict behavior but do not indicate the cause of the relationship
-R

Scatterplots

-X axis: variables that you change (such as times)
-Y axis: something that ou don't really know if it is going to change or not

Third Variable

A variable that is responsible for the relation between two variables
-Ex: Increased ice cream consumption and high drowning rates correlate because of warmer temperatures, but do not cause each other

Illusory Correlations

There is a perception of a relationship that does not exist

Experimental Research

-Actively manipulating one variable to observe its effects on another variable (dependent variable)

Independent Variable

A factor manipulated by the experimenter and is the focus of the study

Dependent Variable

A factor that may be influenced by the manipulated experimental variable

Experimental Group

The group exposed to the treatment

Control group

The group not exposed to the treatment

Double Blind Procedure

Both parties are ignorant about who has received the drug and who has received the placebo

Placebo

Inert substance administered instead of a drug to see if it produces any of the same effects as the drug

Placebo Effect

When participants who are given an inert substance experience something

Experiments are most helpful for revealing

Cause and effect realtionships

Survey

Pro: Can be easy to collect lots of data
Con: Sample may be biased or inaccurate

Case Studies

Pro: In-depth data
Con: Can't assume it will apply to all others

Mode

Most frequently occurring score

Mean

the average score obtained

Median

Middle score

Standard Deviation

Measure of degree of variation among a set of scores (how much scores vary around the mean)

Statistical Significance

This term is used when deciding whether observed differences between samples reflect actual differences between populations

What are neurons?

The smallest part, a brain/nerve cell

3 types of neurons

-Sensory: Body sends messages to the brain
-Motor: Brain sends messages to the body
-Interneurons: Messages between neurons in the brain

Dendrites

-Busy fibers that receive information

Axon

-Long stem that passes message through cell

Myelin Sheath

-Fat and nerve tissue that insulates and speeds up impulses (like insulation on a wire)

Excitatory and Inhibitory Signals

If enough excitatory information, exceeds threshold of excitation it sends a message/signal down the axon

Action Potential

A brief electrical charge that's fired when a neuron gets a message and generates electricity through chemical events

Absolute Refractory Period

The reason that the action potential only travels in one direction of the axon is because of the absolute refractory period
-The period immediately following the firing of a nerve fiber when it cannot be stimulated no matter how great a stimulus is applied

Synapse

-How neurons communicate
-Meeting point between neurons
-Synaptic gap is less than a millionth of an inch wide

Neurotransmitters

-Chemical messengers
-Are released at the synaptic gap and fit into the next like a key in a lock
-Ex: Serotonin, Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Acetylcholine, GABA, Glutamate

Reuptake

The sending neuron reabsorbs extra neurotransmitter

Seretonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal

Dopamine

Influence movement, learning, attention and emotion

Norepinephrine

Affects alertness and arousal

Endorphins

-Natural opium
-Makes you feel good

Agonist Drugs

-Mimics neurotransmitter functioning
-Ex: Drugs that mimic things like Serotonin

Antagonist Drugs

-Blocks a neurotransmitters functioning
-Ex: Botox, Botulin

Central Nervous System

-Brain and Spinal Bord

Peripheral Nervous System

-Body's sensory receptors, muscles and glands
-Pass information through bundled axons called nerves
-Is made up off the Somatic and Autonomic Nervous System

Somatic N.S.

Controls skeletal muscles

Autonomic N.S.

Regulates glands, blood vessels, and internal organs

Sympathetic Nervous System

Prepares you for action (fight or flight) by increasing heart rate, rapid breathing, increased muscular function, etc.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Returns your body to normal functioning, normal heart rate, digestion stimulated, relaxed, etc.

Reflexes

Somatic movements that do not involve your brain: brain and spinal cord does not always meet up; spinal cord sends the signal

Sensory Division

How information comes into the brain, conducts impulses from receptors to the CNS

Endocrine System

-Nervous system's slower cousin
-Uses hormones to transmit messages instead of neurotransmitters and travel through the blood stream

Pituitary Gland

Most important, pea-sized, core of the brain that controls sex hormones, growth hormones, etc

Adrenal Glands

Top of kidneys, release epinephrine and norepinephrine

Neural Networks

Neurons cluster into working groups

Spinal Cord

Information highway between peripheral nervous system and brain

Forebrain:

Thought processes occurs and motor function is controlled

Midbrain

Connects hindbrain and forebrain, linked to thought

Hindbrain

Links the spinal cord and brain region that regulates physiological functions

Brain Stem

Oldest and innermost, autonomic survival functions

Thalamus

Communication hub, Switchboard that directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular Formatin

Arousal and sleep

Pons

Coordinates movements between sides of body; connects the cerebellum

Medulla

Base of brainstem, controls heartbeat and breathing

Cerebellum

Almost entirely hindbrain, still part of the older part of the brain
-Helps judge time
-Modulate emotions
-Coordinating movement
-Balance

Amygdala

Anger and fear, less active = more thrill seeking

Hypothalamus

Keeps body regulated (hunger, thirst, temperature, etc)
-Fighting, Feeding, Fleeing and Freaking

Cerebral Cortex

A thin surface layer of interconnected neural cells
-higher order thinking
-ultimate control and information processing center
-makes us more adaptable
-Four regions: frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

Frontal lobe

motor cortex, memory, reasoning, decision making, flexibility, planning

Parietal Lobe

Somatosensory cortex, pressure, pain, touch, temperature

Temporal Lobe

Primary auditory cortex, hearing, memory of sounds

Wernicke's area

Left lobe, language development

Occipital Lobe

Reception and interpretation of visual information

Motor Cortex

An area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

Split Brain

When patients have their corpus callosum severed, generally disabling if you're older