PSYCH CH 1 & 2

Endocrine Glands

Secrete hormones influencing muscle and organ activity

Sociocultural

Focuses on mind and behavior of an individual

Operationalization

Describing experiment steps in detail

Placebo effect

Show change when given control substance. Only control group get it or nothing

Random assignment

Assigning individuals to experimental groups

Experimenter effect

Actions influenced by results

Single-blind

Participants unaware if they're in an experimental/control group

Double-blind

Participants and experimenters unaware of which group they're in

Critical thinking

Ability to make reasoned judgments

Correlation

Statistical estimate of relationship between variables

Neurons

Network of cells carrying information in the body

Synaptic gap

Gap between axon terminal and synapse vesicles

Glial cells

Support neurons and influence cognitive functions

Myelin

Glial cell protecting axons and neurons

Action potential

Neural impulse with charged particles

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Stimulates muscles, memory formation, and arousal

GABA

Released in high amounts when drinking alcohol

Endorphins

Control pain response

Reuptake

Neurotransmitters taken back into synaptic vesicles

Excitatory

Triggers neurons to fire

Inhibitory

Keeps neurons from firing

Agonist

Mimics or enhances neurotransmitter effects

Antagonist

Blocks or reduces neurotransmitter effects

Serotonin (5-HT)

Regulates sleep, impulsivity, aggression, appetite, and mood

Dopamine (DA)

Impacts learning, attention, and movement

Phineas Gage

Injury from metal rod through the head

Computerized Axial Tomography

Non-invasive brain imaging technique

CT scans

X-ray of the brain showing skull and brain structure

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Scans whole body to research brain structure in detail

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Records brain's electrical activity for cognitive processes

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Tracks brain cell activity by injecting into bloodstream

Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT)

Tests brain function based on blood flow like MRI

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI)

Observes brain activity over time period

NIRS

Uses light to measure blood oxygen changes in the brain

Medulla

Brain base dealing with autonomic functions like breathing

Pons

Bridge between cerebellum and cerebrum, controls sleep

Reticular Formation

Runs through medulla and pons, responsible for arousal

Cerebellum

Coordinates fine motor movements, posture, muscle tone

Thalamus

Sensory switchboard sending info to proper cortex areas

Hypothalamus

Regulates hunger, thirst, emotions, and other functions

Hippocampus

Encodes memory for long-term memory formation

Amygdala

Controls fear response and formation of stressful memories

Cingulate Cortex

Key in emotional and cognitive processing

Corpus Callosum

Connects neurons between brain hemispheres

Frontal Lobes

Responsible for executive functions and motor control

Parietal Lobes

Processes touch, temperature, and pain sensations

Occipital Lobes

Responsible for processing visual information

Temporal Lobes

Handles hearing and language processing

Broca's Area

Coordinates speech production in the left frontal lobe

Wernicke's Area

Involved in understanding language in the left temporal lobe

Spinal Cord

Transmits messages to/from brain and controls reflexes

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to modify structure/function due to injury

Peripheral Nervous System

Neurons and nerves outside brain/spinal cord throughout body

Structuralism

Experiences broken down into emotions

Objective introspection

Examining one's thoughts scientifically

Functionalism

Mind's adaptation to the real world

Mental process

Internal hidden activities of the mind such as thinking, feelings, remembering

Systematic approach

Scientific method to reduce biases

Gestalt psychology

Understanding as a whole

Humanism

Focuses on free will and human potential

Cognitive psychology

Study of learning, memory, language, and problem-solving

Psychodynamic

Focuses on self-development sense of self

Behavioral

Focuses on reinforcement learning

Biological psychology

Focuses on genetics, hormones, brain, and nervous system

Evolutionary psychology

Focuses on human evolved thinking

Naturalistic observation

Watching animals or people in their natural environment, no control

Lab observation

Watching in an artificial environment with control

Case studies

Detailed study of a person

Surveys

Gathering information from people