PSYCH Midterm

What is psychology?

-              The Scientific study of the behavior and mental processes

Behavior

-              Actions, reactions, habits/patterns

-              Something we can see or record, identify

Mental Processes

-              Environmental stimulus, thoughts, feeling, emotions, dreaming, memory, learning

-              A lot harder to observe without having any conversation or additional information about the person

Basic Research

-              Understanding a behavior or mental process that we don’t know about. Want to understand how virtual reality impacts our behavior, how we do things

-              Testing theories that have come before us, want to know as much as we can about behavior or mental process

Applied Research

-              Take information we learned and know from basic research and go to a different place to change curriculum, policies, based on what we learned

-              Apply findings from basic research into a situation in a real-life situation for a specific purpose

Examples of basic research

-              (Caffeine): how it affects the brain and performance, memory capacity

-              Exploring cognitive development

Examples of Applied Research

-              (Forensic and legal): How accurate are eyewitness testimonies?  Goal: Apply knowledge of memory to court room, take this basic info and apply to this situation

-              (School): What are the negative impacts of suspension and expulsion?

 Goal: Be critical of the limitations of punishment in school settings

Nurture

-              Any environmental behavior or factor (not from parents). Ex. Early childhood experiences: how we were raised, social relationships early and later on in life. Culture also shapes future behavior and mental processes

- shapes preference of eating food: environmental exposure (memories)

-              Group of people we eat with (exposed to food w these people, have a preference for these foods)

-              Trauma, major life events, social environment

Nature

-              genetic basis or hereditary factors that govern behavior and mental processes. Genes code (hair cells, texture, color, eye, shape). Genes also code Nervous system, shaping the way our brain is developed. Personality characteristics

- all born with specific preferences (innate/born w it). Innate and biological ancestral food preferences also govern what types of food we lean on when were hungry

Epigenetics

-              Early life stress can change/influence how genes are expressed, even though DNA stays the same. It is influenced by environment/nurture

Scientific Method (in order)

-              (Identify the problem)

-              Conduct background research/gather info

-              Develop a hypothesis

-              Test the hypothesis (collect data)

-              Analyze results

-              Draw conclusions

What is random sampling and purpose?

Everyone has an equal chance for selection, represents a larger population and representativeness

Convenience sample and problem?

Work with what you’ve got, ppl we have access to and doesn’t represent all diversity and variety

General Ethical principles

-              Beneficence and Nomalefience (do good, do no harm)

-              Fidelity and Responsibility (being honest w participant abt study & potential harm)

-              Integrity (conduct research ethically, honestly, and truthfully (don’t make up data)

-              Justice (disrupting inequity throughout research process

-              Respect for People’s Rights & Dignity (protecting privacy and rights of participants)

Positive correlation

Ex. We age —> Disposable income increase

Longer studying —> higher test scores

Negative correlation

Ex. Participants increase psychical activity —> stress decrease

Watching less TV —> higher score on exams

Directionality problem

-              Just b/c two variables are related to each other, doesn’t tell us the direction

Correlation

Correlation does NOT = causality. Just bc two things are related to each other doesn’t mean they cause each other

Central Nervous System

Somatic nervous: thinking about action, movement (cognition), sensory perception

Peripheral Nervous System

Autonomic NV: Digestion, eye/blinking (subconscious & conscious)

DNA is found in

The nucleus of the cell

DNA organized

Starting as double helix that wraps around histone proteins to form nucleosomes —> eventually compacting into chromosomes

Genes code for

The assembly of proteins. Dictate sequence of amino acids to build proteins which determine traits, regulate cell functions, enable biological processes

What are chromosomes

Inside the nucleus, made of protein and single molecule of DNA. Chromosome carries genetic information, determines traits and guides development

How many Chromosomes do humans have?

23 pairs, total of 46

Epigenetics

Changes in gene expression without actually modifying the DNA sequence. Ex. early life stress can “tag” genes and how they’re expressed

Changes in epigenetics:

-              Younger twins have similar DNA code, older twins barley any similarity because of epichanges from our environment

-              Epigenetic tags can also influence mental health

-              We can inherit these epigenetic tags BUT this can be addressed to minimize this risk

-              Histone (chemical) = tag

Neurons

Specialized brain cells in the NV that transmit information from electrical signals - 86 billion

Synaptic vesicles

Presynaptic terminals that store and release NT. Crucial for fast signal

-              Neurotransmitters (chemical messengers)

-              Synaptic gap

-              Receptors (proteins on neurons, where neurotransmitters bind to)

-              Neurotransmitters never touch or go inside a post-synaptic neuron

Glial Cells

-              Supporting cells of the NV

-              Helps neurons do the communicating

-              Oligodendrocytes (aka myelin), wraps it feet around other myelin

-              Microglia (smallest, not attached, can float to other cells, alert immune system about intruders). Immune defense of the NV

-              Astrocytes (shaped like stars, connected to blood vessels, protect against toxins, provide nutrients). Maintain ion balance

Negative charge

Resting neurons have a negative charge. this is because there is a higher concentration of K (potassium) ions inside the neuron rather than outside

What maintains the resting membrane potential?

• Voltage-gated ion channels (open/close based on electrical charge)

• Sodium-potassium pumps (actively maintain the -70 mV charge by pumping ions)

Action Potential

A rapid change in voltage across a cell membrane

Saltatory Conduction and faster

-              Action potential occurs in gaps of fatty myelin, this is why action potentials on myelinated axons can move quicker. Energy occurring in these gaps (aka NODES OF RANVIER)

-              SC is quicker bc it propels these action potentials forward/conserving energy in brain cells

Synapse

A junction that allows for communication between neurons or between neurons and

another type of cell (e.g muscle cells)

Pre/Post synapse

PREsynaptic cell - the neuron that sends the signal

POSTsynaptic cell - the cell that receives the signal

Receptors

Proteins that receive signals from outside the cell. they link to certain biochemical

pathways that correspond to a specific signal

Neurotransmitter Effects

• Excitatory effect. INCREASES the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will fire an action potential

• Inhibitory effect. DECREASES the likelihood that the postsynaptic neuron will fire.

Neurotransmitter Deactivation

-              Reuptake: for NT that don’t travel far, once the NT are released, they attach to receptors, but unattached or unbind very quickly REUSE, RECYCLE

-              Transporter: proteins can re-enter pre-synaptic cells

-              Enzymatic Degradation: Able to break down chemical structures, proteins, etc. Can break down NT molecules DEACTIVATED (can no longer activate this receptor)

Agonist (AGO)

-              Chemical substance or drug that binds to a receptor site and initiates a psychological response by mimicking or enhancing the activity of a natural neurotransmitter (ex. duplicate of a key)

Antagonist (ANT)

-              Drug doesn’t fit/binds, but rather blocks receptor sites (NT can’t bind there), ex. Narcan