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Psychodynamic Perspective
Emphasizes unconscious processes and early childhood experiences influencing behavior.
Evolutionary Perspective
Focuses on how natural selection influences behavior and mental processes.
Correlation Coefficient
A statistical measure that indicates the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables.
Naturalistic Observation
A research method where individuals are observed in their natural environments without interference.
Case Study
An in-depth analysis of an individual, group, or event to explore underlying principles.
Ethics in Research
Guidelines and principles that ensure research participants are treated ethically and with respect.
Random Sampling
A method of selecting a sample from a population in which each member has an equal chance of being chosen.
Experiment
A research method where a researcher manipulates one or more variables to observe the effect on another variable.
Psychology
The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
Nature/Nurture
The debate about whether genetics (nature) or environment and experience (nurture) is the primary influence on behavior.
Neuroscience Perspective
How body and brain create emotions, memories, and sensations
Cognitive Perspective
Studies mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving.
Social-Cultural Perspective
Explores how culture and social situations shape behavior and thinking.
Roots of Psychology
The historical influences and philosophical roots that contributed to the development of psychology as a field of study.
Biopsychosocial Approach
An integrated approach that considers biological, psychological, and social-cultural factors in explaining behavior or mental processes.
Psychological Subfields
Specialized areas within psychology that focus on different aspects of behavior and mental processes.
Operational Definition
A clear, specific, and measurable definition of a variable in terms of how it is observed, measured, and manipulated in a particular study.
Experimental Conditions
Various components of an experiment including random assignment, placebo, double-blind, control group, and replication.
Hindsight Bias
The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it; also known as the 'I-knew-it-all-along' phenomenon.
Independent Variable
The variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment.
Dependent Variable
The variable that is measured in an experiment and is expected to change as a result of the independent variable.
Double-Blind Procedure
An experimental procedure where both the participants and the researchers are unaware of who is receiving the treatment.
Placebo Effect
A phenomenon in which people's expectations or beliefs in a treatment lead to improvements in their condition, even if the treatment is inert.
Mean, Median, Mode
Measures of central tendency used in statistics to describe the average, middle, and most frequent values in a data set.
Central tendency
Statistical measure affected by extreme scores
Positive correlation
Relationship where scores rise and fall together
Negative correlation
Relationship where one score falls as the other rises
Mean
Average of a set of numbers
Median
Middle number in a set when arranged in order
Mode
Most frequently occurring number in a set
Range
Difference between the highest and lowest numbers in a set
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synaptic gap between neurons
Myelin sheath
Insulating layer around axons for signal speed. More fat = more speed. This wears down over time.
Glial cells
Support cells in the nervous system
Autonomic nervous system
Controls involuntary bodily functions
Dendrites
Receive signals from other neurons
Cell body
Contains the nucleus and maintains cell function. Life support center
Axon
Send messages to terminal branches
Terminal branches
End of the axon where neurotransmitters are released
Synaptic gap
Space between neurons where neurotransmitters travel
Sympathetic nervous system
Activates fight-or-flight response
Parasympathetic nervous system
Promotes rest and digest response
Motor neurons
Carry signals from the brain to muscles
Sensory neurons
Transmit sensory information to the brain
Interneurons
Connect sensory and motor neurons within the central nervous system
Neurogenesis
Formation of new neurons in the brain
Epigenetics
Study of changes in gene expression without altering DNA sequence. How the environment trigger/block genetic expression.
Natural selection
Process where favorable traits are passed on in a population
Evolutionary psychology
Study of how evolutionary principles shape behavior
Freudian psychology
Emphasizes unconscious thought processes
Humanistic psychologists
Focus on the importance of people's potential for growth
Cognitive psychology
Scientific study of mental activities associated with perceiving, processing, and remembering information
Psychodynamic perspective
Distinctive feature is its emphasis on unconscious conflicts
Behavioral perspective
Focuses on how we learn observable responses
Operational definition
Describes the exact procedures for measuring an anticipated experimental outcome
Replication
Process that assesses the reliability of research findings
Correlational research
Assesses how well one variable predicts another without demonstrating a cause-effect relationship
Blind participants
Participants who are uninformed about the experimental hypothesis being tested
Random assignment
Minimizes differences between experimental and control groups
Independent variable
Variable manipulated in an experiment to observe its effects on the dependent variable
Dependent variable
Variable that may be influenced by the manipulated experimental treatment
Ethical principles
Urge investigators to treat information about individual research participants confidentially
independent variable
In an experimental study of the effects of dieting on weight loss, dieting would be
Confounding variables
Minimized in a well-controlled experiment
Debriefing
Process that typically takes place shortly after people complete their participation in a research study
Biological psychologist
Interested in conducting research on the relationship between neurotransmitters and depression
The young science of psychology developing from the more established fields of
philosophy and biology
Structuralism
Use introspection to reveal mind’s structure
Who came up with Structuralism?
Wundt and Titchener
Introspection
looking inwards
Who came up with Functionalism?
James
Behavior genetics perspective
how genes and environment influence individual differences
Basic Research (pyschology’s subfields)
pure science to increase scientific knowledge base
Applied Research (psychology’s subfields)
scientific studies to solve practical problems
Biological (psychology’s subfields)
studies between biological and psychological processes
Developmental (psychology’s subfields)
studies of physical, cognitive, and social change throughout a person’s lifespan
Clark studies
Studies of colored children and how they feel and taught about their skin colors. They are coloring the skin was two people, one is they color they are, and the other is the color they want.
Lightskinned- Same colors
Dark skinned- different colors
Doll studies (possibly on test)
Black and white dolls were given to children. They are to answer which is the pretty and ugly, or bad and good dolls.
A psychologist conducting basic research to expand psychology’s knowledge base may: (POSSIBLY ON TEST)
observe 3- and 6-year-olds solving puzzles and analyzing differences in their abilities
As scientists, psychologists
are willing to ask questions and to reject claims that cannot be verified by research
Neurons
Basic building blocks of the nervous system
What happens if the myelin sheath is gone?
Results to Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Action Potential (ON EXAM)
neural impulse; electric charge travel down the axon
Acetylcholine (ACH)
Muscle contraction, learning, memory
What happens if there’s not enough Acetylcholine (ACH) being released?
Alzheimer’s
Dopamine
Movement, learning, emotion
What happens if there’s not enough dopamine released?
Parkinson’s (poor movement controls)
What happens if there’s too much dopamine released?
Schizophrenia (hallucinations, etc)
Serotonin
Mood, hunger, sleep, arousal
What happens if not enough serotonin is released?
depression
Endorphins
Natural painkillers (runner’s high; opiates)
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Includes autonomic and somatic. GATHER AND TRANSMIT INFO
Autonomic system
Part of the Peripheral Nervous System.
Involuntary/ unconscious movements. ex. digesting, blinking, etc. Glands and organs
Somatic
Part of the Peripheral Nervous System.
Voluntary movements. Like using muscles.
Which system uses sensory and motor neurons? PNS or CNS?
PNS (Peripheral nervous system)
Which system is comprised of brain and spinal cord? PNS or CNS?
CNS (Central nervous sytem)
Interneurons
communicates between sensory and motor neurons
How many interneurons in the body? (ON THE TEST)
100 BILLIONSSSS
What is the autonomic branch of PNS responsible for?
regulating and maintaining homeostasis.
Autonomic includes what?
Sympathetic and parasympathetic