Psychology Cram Packet Review

A comprehensive set of practice flashcards covering research design, biological bases, cognition, development, and clinical psychology based on the lecture notes.

What does the term 'falsifiable' mean in the context of a hypothesis?

The hypothesis must be able to be supported or rejected.

What is the purpose of an 'operational definition' in research?

It provides a clear, precise definition of variables to allow for replication and collection of reliable data.

How is the strength of a relationship determined in a correlation?

The closer the correlation coefficient is to $-1$ or $+1$, the stronger the relationship; closer to $0$ indicates it is weaker.

What is the 'directionality problem' in correlational research?

The uncertainty of which variable causes the other (e.g., does depression cause low self-esteem or vice versa).

What is the difference between the experimental group and the control group?

The experimental group receives the treatment (part of the Independent Variable), while the control group receives a placebo or baseline.

What is a 'double-blind' experiment?

An experiment where neither the participant nor the experimenter knows which condition people are assigned to.

In a normal distribution, what measure of central tendency is ideal?

The Mean.

What does a 'positive skew' indicate about the mean?

The mean is to the right of the mode.

What is the threshold for 'statistical significance' in psychology?

$p<.05$, meaning the results are not likely due to chance.

What is 'informed assent'?

A guideline where both minors and their parents must agree to the study.

What is the function of the 'myelin sheath' in a neuron?

It speeds up the action potential down the axon and protects the axon.

Define the 'all or nothing principle' regarding neural firing.

A stimulus must trigger the action potential past its threshold, and increased stimulus strength does not increase the speed or intensity of the response.

Which neurotransmitter is associated with reward, addiction, and fine movement?

Dopamine.

Which brain structure is responsible for vital functions like heart rate and breathing?

The Medulla (part of the brainstem).

What are the functions of the 'Hippocampus' and 'Amygdala' in the limbic system?

The Hippocampus handles episodic and semantic memory, while the Amygdala handles emotions and fear.

What occurs when the 'corpus callosum' is severed?

It leads to 'split-brain' patients, where the two hemispheres of the brain cannot communicate directly.

What is 'aphasia' and which two areas are typically involved?

Damaged speech; it involves Broca’s Area (speech production) and Wernicke’s Area (speech comprehension).

Which sleep stage is characterized by 'Delta waves' and is considered deep sleep?

NREM 3.

Why is REM sleep referred to as 'paradoxical' sleep?

The brain is active and heart rate is up, but the body is relaxed/paralyzed.

Define 'Weber’s Law'.

Two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum proportion for a difference to be detected.

What are the three colors of cones in the Trichromatic theory?

Blue (short waves), Green (medium waves), and Red (long waves).

What is the 'Gate-control theory'?

The idea that we have a 'gate' to control how much physical and mental pain is experienced.

What is 'top-down processing'?

Processing that starts with a whole idea or prior expectations and moves to smaller sensory parts.

What is the 'cocktail party effect'?

The ability to attend to one voice in a crowded room while potentially noticing your own name spoken elsewhere.

What is the 'availability heuristic'?

Making a judgment based on the first thing that pops into your head.

Define 'semantic encoding'.

Deep processing based on the meaning of words, which leads to better memory retention.

What is the 'serial position effect'?

The tendency to remember the beginning (primacy effect) and the end (recency effect) of a list best.

What is the difference between proactive and retroactive interference?

Proactive is when old info blocks new info; retroactive is when new info blocks old info.

What does 'g factor' represent in intelligence theory?

General intelligence that underlies all mental abilities.

According to Piaget, what is 'conservation'?

The recognition that substances remain the same despite changes in shape, length, or position.

What is the difference between secure and anxious insecure attachment?

In secure attachment, the infant is upset when mom leaves but easily calmed on return; in anxious insecure, the infant freaks out and cannot calm down upon return.

What is 'negative reinforcement' in operant conditioning?

Taking away something bad or annoying to increase a behavior.

Define the 'Fundamental Attribution Error'.

The tendency to blame a person's internal disposition for their behavior while failing to consider the situation.

What is 'cognitive dissonance'?

Discomfort caused by two opposing thoughts conflicting, leading the person to justify the situation.

In Freud's theory, what are the 'id', 'ego', and 'superego'?

The 'id' is hidden true wants; the 'superego' is the moral conscious; the 'ego' deals with reality and mediates between the two.

What are the 'Big Five' personality traits (OCEAN)?

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

What are the three phases of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?

Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.

What is the 'Diathesis-Stress' model?

A model suggesting an individual has a genetic predisposition for a disorder that must be 'turned-on' by environmental stimuli like stress.

What is the difference between hallucinations and delusions in schizophrenia?

Hallucinations are sensory experiences without stimulation; delusions are false beliefs.

What is 'tardive dyskinesia'?

A side effect of anti-psychotic medications involving involuntary movements of facial muscles, tongue, and limbs due to lack of dopamine.