Psychology Final Study Guide 2022

Flashcards covering developmental theories, brain anatomy, nervous system functions, states of consciousness, drugs, and intelligence metrics based on the psychology study guide.

Bandura

Associated with Social cognitive theory.

Skinner

Associated with Operant conditioning.

Erikson

Believed his stages were an extension to Freud’s stages of development; personality development occurs during eight stages of life.

Pavlov

Associated with Classical conditioning; studied dogs and their reaction to food using bells.

Classical Conditioning

A behaviorist theory of learning where behaviors can be associated with responses; occurs when a naturally occurring stimulus and an environmental stimulus are repeatedly paired.

Piaget

Believed learning is based on age and experimentation with objects; theory suggests thinking skills are similar at specific stages of life.

Kohlberg

Associated with Moral development; believed there was a ladder or stages to what is right or wrong based on perspective.

Areas of Development

Includes Physical development, cognitive development, and psychosocial (social/emotional) development.

Social Cognitive Theory

Reactions to rewards and punishments are filtered by perceptions, thoughts, and motivations; emphasizes learning from the experience of others.

Operant conditioning

The process of learning through reinforcement and punishment; behaviors with a positive result are repeated.

Sensorimotor

Piaget’s stage from Birth to Age 2; babies learn through senses and reflexes, later enhancing learning through purposeful movement.

Preoperational

Piaget’s stage for ages 2-7; children communicate through language, recognize symbols, and use imaginative play.

Concrete operational

Piaget’s stage for ages 7-11; children think logically, understand cause and effect, and can group or classify items.

Formal operational

Piaget’s stage for ages 12+; mastering of both logical and abstract thinking, including predictions and "what if" questions.

Erikson’s Stages of Development

Eight stages: Infancy (birth-1), Early childhood (1-3), Play age (4-5), School age (6-12), Adolescence (13-18+), Young adult (18-40+), Middle adulthood (40-65), and Older adulthood (65+).

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The difference between a child’s actual developmental level determined by independent problem solving and potential development under adult guidance.

Psychosocial Theory of Development

Formulated by Erikson in 1959; theory that the environment plays a critical role in self-awareness, adjustment, and identity across eight stages.

Ego identity

The conscious sense of self that we develop through social interaction.

Neuropsychology

A branch of psychology concerned with how cognition and behavior are related to the brain and nervous system.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals used to send a signal across the synaptic gap; released from the sending neuron to stimulate receptor sites on the receiving neuron.

Synapses

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron; also known as the synaptic gap.

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal; best-known for its association with feelings of pleasure.

Dopamine

A type of neurotransmitter used by the nervous system to send messages between nerve cells; influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion.

Left Brain

The left hemisphere associated with speech comprehension, production, and analytical thinking; typically localizes grammar and vocabulary.

Right Brain

The right hemisphere theorized to be responsible for creative, imaginative, intuitive, visual, and holistic thinking.

Split Brain

A situation in which the connections (the bridge) between the halves of the brain are severed; people can still function well despite the separation.

Lateralization

The specialization of certain mental processes to one side of the brain or the other.

Antagonists

A chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and prevents an agonist from having a reaction.

Agonists

A chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and causes a reaction.

Central Nervous System

Consists of the brain and spinal cord; acts as the coordination and integration system for the organism.

Peripheral Nervous System

Consists of all the nerves and ganglia outside of the central nervous system; connects the CNS to the rest of the body.

Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the peripheral nervous system that regulates glands, smooth muscles, and the heart.

Somatic Nervous System

Involves nerves of the peripheral nervous system that connect the CNS with the voluntary muscles and skin.

Consciousness

Our awareness of internal stimuli (pain, hunger, thoughts) and external stimuli (light, warmth, voices).

Hypnosis

An altered state of consciousness characterized by a narrow focus of attention and heightened suggestibility.

Circadian Rhythms

A biological clock that regulates bodily rhythms, such as sleep and wakefulness, on a 24-hour cycle.

Manifest Content

According to Freud, the parts of the dream that we remember; the actual story lines of the dreams.

Latent Content

The symbolic, hidden meaning of a dream that lies behind the literal content in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.

Melatonin

A hormone produced by the brain in response to darkness that helps time circadian rhythms and sleep.

Activation Synthesis

A model of dreaming proposed by Hobson and McCarley where the brain makes sense of internal activity in the absence of sensory information.

Psychoactive Drug

Chemical substances that act on the central nervous system to alter mood, perception, behavior, and/or consciousness.

Physical Dependence

A condition where the body and brain have adapted to a drug and need it for normal functioning, showing withdrawal symptoms if stopped.

Psychological Dependence

A cognitive disorder involving emotional–motivational withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, upon cessation of drug use.

Depressants

Drugs that slow down the activity of the central nervous system; includes barbiturates, opiates, and alcohol.

Stimulants

A class of psychoactive drugs that increases brain activity, elevating alertness, mood, and awareness; includes cocaine, amphetamines, and nicotine.

Ecstasy (MDMA)

A hallucinogenic amphetamine that causes visual hallucinations, hyperactivity, fatigue, and poor concentration.

Hallucinogens

Psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input; includes LSD, Psilocybin, and Marijuana.

Sir Francis Galton

The father of differential psychology; focused on psychological differences between people.

Alfred Binet

Developed the first Intelligence Test known as the Binet-Simon Scale to identify children with learning disabilities.

William Stern

Derived the term “Intelligence Quotient” (IQ) and the original formula $IQ = \frac{\text{mental age}}{\text{chronological age}} \times 100$.

Lewis Terman

Adapted the Binet-Simon Scale to create the “Stanford-Binet” intelligence test for teenagers and adults.

Multiple Intelligences

A theory developed by Howard Gardner claiming everyone has eight types of intelligence (e.g., visual/spatial, musical, interpersonal).

Savants

Individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder who are exceptional in one specific area; studied by Howard Gardner.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

A neurodevelopmental disorder causing impairments in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors.

Down Syndrome

A genetic disorder caused by the presence of a full or partial third copy of chromosome 21.

Modification

Changes that DO change what the student is expected to master; course objectives are altered to meet learner needs.

Accommodation

Changes that DO NOT change what the student is expected to master; course objectives remain intact.