PY 101 Exam

What is psychology?

the study of behavior and the mind

How did psychology start?

early philosophers created theories of how the mind worked

Structuralism

a method of breaking down parts of the mind to understand how it works (how it makes meaning of things)

What’s an example of structuralism?

to study sensations, a researcher provides samples of 3 types of chocolate and asks participants to take notes on the sensations they feel while eating each one

Functionalism

an approach that sought to understand HOW mental processes enables us to ADAPT to the environment; (how are things working together to serve a bigger purpose?)

What is an example of functionalism?

fear serves as a essential emotion because it alters us of potentially dangerous situations, helping us understand we need to get out

Who are the two founders of structuralism?

Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Titchener

Who founded functionalism?

William James

Introspection

the activity of looking WITHIN yourself; examining your personal thoughts and emotions

What’s an example of introspection?

journaling your thoughts and feelings

Philosophical nativism

belief that you’re BORN with the knowledge you have

Philosophical empiricism

belief that your mind was a BLANK state at birth; knowledge is acquired through EXPERIENCE

Philosophical dualism

belief that your mind and body are SEPARATE; nervous system is seen as a machine

Philosophical materialism

belief that the mind and body are the SAME

Philosophical realism

belief that your perception of the work is an EXACT COPY of what’s already going on; the world does NOT revolve around you

What’s an example of philosophical realism?

God’s existence would not be dependent on whether humans believe in Him or not

Philosophical idealism

perceptions of the world are NOT exact copies but are just the brain’s best understanding of the information it’s receiving through the senses; basically our consciousness is all we have

What’s an example of philosophical idealism?

a person who constantly talks negative about themselves may believe that they’re a failure despite what other’s perceive of them

Who’s the founder of philosophical nativism?

Plato

Who’s the founder of philosophical empiricism?

Aristotle

Who’s the founder of philosophical dualism?

Descartes

Who’s the founder of philosophical materialism?

Thomas Hobbes

Who’s the founder of philosophical realism?

John Locke

Who’s the founder of philosophical idealism?

Immanuel Kant

What does the belief “mind is what the brain does” mean?

whatever the mind thinks, the physical body acts accordingly

What’s an example of the belief “mind is what the brain does?”

if the mind commands the body to raise a finger, your finger will lift

Reactivity

the phenomenon where a participant acts differently because they know they’re being watched

What’s an example of reactivity?

a person who knows they’re being filmed on the “What Would You Do” show will go out their way to help whoever’s in trouble

Demand characteristics

clues that give a participant an idea of what the researcher is looking for in their experiment

What’s an example of demand characteristics?

a participant heard rumors about the study beforehand which revealed what the researcher’s hypothesis was

Correlation

when variables seem to have a connection/relationship

What’s an example of correlation?

there’s a connection between student SAT scores and their college GPA

Positive correlation

variables INCREASE SIMULTANEOUSLY

What’s an example of positive correlation?

as a parent’s education (variable) INCREASES, the child’s vocabulary (variable) INCREASES

Negative correlation

one variable INCREASES while the other DECREASES

What’s an example of negative correlation?

as a child watches MORE tv (variable), they in turn read FEWER books (variable)

Strength of correlations

measuring the strength of a relationship between 2 variables using the correlation coefficient r

Operational definition

the description of a variable in measurable terms

What’s an example of operational definition?

measuring a participant’s “happiness” by the amount of dopamine they produce

Validity (internal validity)

how WELL the test measures what it INTENDS to

What’s an example of validity (internal validity)?

an IQ test asking random questions about pet preference is NOT a valid test because it doesn’t help measure IQ score

Reliability (external validity)

the consistency and repeatability of the test results

Frequency distribution

graph that shows a pattern of how each of the central tendencies appear together

Mean

average of a data set

Median

middle number in a data set

Mode

frequency of numbers in a data set

Third variable problem

an extra variable that is the underlying cause of making other 2 variables seem like they have a connection

What are characteristics of an experiment?

• Independent variable

• Dependent variable

• Control variable

• Control group

• Experimental group

• Reliability

• Validity

Independent variable

variable that’s being manipulated

Dependent variable

the variable being watched for change (results)

Population

the entire set of individuals that we want to study (ex: everyone in the world)

Sample

a smaller/subset of the population that’s actually accessible for the study (ex: a small group of Texan adults)

Random sampling

method of selecting a diverse, random group for the sample

Type I error

detecting a relationship between 2 variables when there isn’t one (false positive)

Type II error

not detecting a relationship between 2 variables when there is one (false negative)

Dendrites

branches-looking structure at the top of the neuron that first receives information

Cell body

where a neuron’s nucleus is located

Axon body

long structure that helps information travel down the neuron

Axon terminal

branches at the bottom part of the neuron; sends information to other cells/neurons

Myelin

the fatty structure that covers most of the axon body; allowing electrical signals to travel faster

Motor neurons

signals sent to muscles for movement

Sensory neurons

receives sensory stimuli and sends the information to the rest of the body

Interneurons

connects and transfers signals between motor and sensory neurons

Action potential

a burst of electrical activity caused by a depolarizing current

Neurotransmitters

chemicals that allow neurons to communicate with each other throughout the body

Presynaptic

the neuron that gives the neurotransmitters

Postsynaptic

the neuron that receives neurotransmitters

Reuptake

the recycling of unused/spare neurotransmitters

Enzyme deactivation

enzymes change the structures of the extra/spare neurotransmitters making it unrecognizable by the receptors

Dopamine

• produces feelings of pleasure, happiness, and motivation

• critical for motor control

Serotonin

regulates mood

GABA

reduces activity of neurons

Acetylcholine

• contracts muscles

• slows heart rate & breathing

Glutamate

causes neurons to be more active

Central Nervous System

consists of the brain and spinal cord; this is where signals/information for the rest of the body comes from

Peripheral nervous system

consists of the somatic and autonomic systems; relays information from the brain to the rest of the body

Somatic nervous system

nervous subsystem that processes sensory and motor information that we control

What is an example of the somatic nervous system functioning?

lifting weights

Autonomic nervous system

controls our automatic functions; we cannot control these actions

What’s an example of the autonomic nervous system functioning?

our hearts beat automatically

Sympathetic system

part of the PNS; controls our actions during an emergency

What’s an example of the sympathetic system in action?

in the face of danger, our heart starts racing and we feel a rush of adrenaline

Parasympathetic system

part of the PNS; calms us down after a stressful/emergency situation

What’s an example of the parasympathetic system in action?

once you’re feeling safe, your heartbeat and breathing slows back down

Spinal reflex

rapid, involuntary reflex that uses motor, sensory, and interneurons

What’s an example of a spinal reflex?

quickly drawing your hand back after touching something hot

Hindbrain

part of the brain that manages coordination, balance, and autonomic functions

Midbrain

part of the brain responsible for movement, awareness, and arousal

Forebrain

responsible for learning, language, decision making, and reasoning (higher cognitive processes); contains the 6 lobes

Thalamus

relays all the body’s sensory information to the cerebellum cortex

Hypothalamus

important for behaviors related to thirst, hunger, body temperature, and sexual drive; regulates pituitary gland

What’s an example of the hypothalamus functioning?

during hot weather, it tells the body to sweat in order to regulate the body’s temperature

Hippocampus

important for memory

Amygdala

important for emotion and fear

Left hemisphere

controls and sees the right half of the body

Right hemisphere

controls and sees the left half of the body

Somatosensory cortex

found in the parietal lobe; detects sensory information such as texture, pressure, vibration, temperature, etc.

Motor cortex

found in the frontal lobe; controls voluntary control of muscles

Frontal lobe

part of the forebrain; responsible for decision making and impulse control; personality center

Parietal lobe

part of the forebrain; receives information from the skin like touch, pain, and body sense