APPSYCH MIDTERM REVIEW

different kinds of studies:

• experiments

• surveys

• case studies

• naturalistic observation

• meta-analysis (collects all prev. data on topic and combines results)

• cross-sectional

• longitudinal

• quasi

advantages/disadvantages of types of studies

for example, experiments show cause-and-effect but can be artificial.

research done in a controlled environment; high control, low realism

lab study

research done in a controlled environment; high realism, less control

field study

follow the same participants over a long period of time

longitudinal studies

compare different groups at one point in time

cross-sectional study

combine longitudinal and cross-sectional methods

sequential experiments

debate over whether behavior is influenced more by genetics or environment

nature vs. nurture

the tendency to believe after learning the outcome that one could have foreseen it.

• “i-knew-it-all-along” effect

hindsight bias

how well results apply to the broader population

generalizability

defining variables in measurable terms

operationalizing

rules protecting participants (informed consent, no harm)

ethical standards

consistency of results

reliability

whether a test measures what it claims to measure

validity

studies behavior as shaped by natural selection

evolutionary psychology

questionnaires or interviews collecting self-reported data

surveys

written surgery instruments

questionnaires

participants don’t know the group assignment

single-blind

neither participants nor researchers know group assignments

double-blind

control speech function

broca’s area

controls language comprehension

wernicke’s area

language impairment due to brain dmg

aphasia

arouses the body (“fight or flight”)

sympathetic nervous system

calms the body (“rest and digest”)

parasympathetic nervous sys

sensory vs. motor neurons

• sensory sends info to brain

• motor sends commands to muscles

regulates hunger, thirst, sex, and hormones

hypothalamus

controls endocrine system

pituitary (master gland)

centros breathing and heartbeat

medulla

sensory relay station

thalamus

decision-making, personality, motor control

frontal lobe

vision processing

occipital lobe

hearing, memory, language

temporal lobe

touch, spatialize awareness

parietal lobe

24-hour biological sleep-wake cycle

circadian rhythm

breathing stops during sleep

apnea

troubling falling or staying asleep

insomnia

sudden sleep attacks

narcolepsy

pain-reducing drugs (e.g., heroin, morphine)

opiates

chemical messengers between neurons

neurotransmitters

“love” hormone, bonding, trust

oxytocin

measures electrical brain activity

EEG

brain structure

MRI

brain activity (measures blood flow going to brain)

fMRI

x-ray images of the brain

CT (CAT) scan

tests depth perception in infants

visual cliff

focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others

selective attention

balance and movement

vestibular sense

body position and movement

kinesthetic sense

color vision processed in opposing pairs

opponent-process theory

rods vs. cones

• rods: black/white, low light

• cones: color, detail

mixing of senses (e.g., hearing colors)

synesthesia

briefly holds sensory input

sensory memory

holds info for ~30sec

STM

stores info permanently

LTM

encoding that requires attention

effortful processing

repetition to encode memory

effortful processing

recall depends on physical/emotional state

state-dependent memory

memory for skills (riding a bike)

procedural memory

judging probability based on similarly

representative heuristic

step-by-step problem-solving methods

algorithms

retention w/o conscious recollection (of skills and disposition)

implicit memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare (e.g., school)

• conscious recall

explicit memory

seeing objects only in their usual roles

functional fixedness

visual sensory memory

iconic

auditory sensory memory

echoic memory

rules for sentence structure

syntax

memory distorted by misleading info

misinformation effect

many solutions

divergent thinking

one correct solution

convergent thinking

exposure influences response later

priming

when to learn a language?

best during early childhood (critical period)

changing schemas to fit new info

accommodation

• cc = change & create

fitting info into existing schemas

assimilation

• ss = same schema

quantity stays the same despite shape change

conservation

piaget’s stages

sensorimotor: birth-2y/o (object perm)

preoperational: 2-7 (egocentric)

concrete operational: 7-11 (logic)

formal operational: 12+ (abstract thinking)

expected behaviors based on gender

gender role

how gender identity forms

gender development

measures attachment

strange situation test

baby reflexes

• rooting: turns head towards touch

• babinski: toes fan out

• moro: splays arms out

• palmar: grasping

understanding others have thoughts

theory of mind

old age reflection

• either sense of integrity and fulfillment or dissatisfaction w/ life

integrity vs. despair

infancy

• either fart in environment and future events, or suspicion and fear of future events

trust vs. mistrust

monkeys prefer comfort over food

surrogate mother experiment

early attachment formation

imprinting

learning by association (pavlov)

classical conditioning

learning via consequences (skinner)

operant conditioning

learning by observing others

modeling

learning through observation

social learning theory

Unconditioned Stimulus (food, naturally produces response)

UCS

Unconditioned Response (automatic response)

UCR

Conditioned Stimulus (natural at start, eventually produces response)

CS

Conditioned Response (pair conditioned w/ unconditioned)

CR

responding only to specific stimuli

discrimination

reappearance of conditioned response

spontaneous recovery

weakening of response

extinction

learning w/o reinforcement

latent learning

reinforcement schedules

fixed-ratio: paid after 10 resumes (commission)

fixed-interval: paid after 2 weeks or weekly

variable-ratio: car sale after 1-20 tires = 5 avg.

variable-interval: car sale after 1-7 days = 3 days avg

predicts future performance

aptitude tests

measures what you’ve learned

achievement test

intelligence quotient s

IQ