Psych Unit 1 Vocab

behaviorism

focus on observing and controlling behavior

biopsychology

study of how biology influences behavior

biopsychosocial model

biology, psychology, and social factors affect an individual's health

clinical psychology

studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

cognitive psychology

study of the relationship between thoughts/perceptions and experiences/actions

counseling psychology

area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of psychologically healthy individuals

developmental psychology

the scientific study of physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

dissertation

a formal and long paper, written for a degree at a university or college, that details research that was part of the candidate's training

empirical method

method for acquiring knowledge based on observation rather than logical argument or previous authorities

forensic psychology

field that blends psychology, law, and criminal justice

functionalism

focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment

humanism

emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans

introspection

examining conscious experience in an attempt to break it into its component parts

personality psychology

study of patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique

postdoctoral training program

program where budding scientists can broaden their research skills under the supervision of other professionals in the field

psychoanalytic theory

focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

sport and exercise psychology

study the psychological aspects of sport performance on mental and emotional wellbeing

structuralism

understanding the conscious experience through introspection

attrition

reduction of research participants for a study/experiment over time

cause-and-effect relationship

changes in one variable cause the changes in the other

clinical/case study

observational research study focusing on one or a few people

confirmation bias

tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs

confounding variable

a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

cross-sectional research

a research design that compares groups of people who differ in age at the same time

debriefing

the postexperimental explanation of a study (including its purpose and any deceptions) to its participants

deception

misleading participants about the true purpose of a study and/or the events that will actually transpire

deductive reasoning

results are predicted based on a general premise

empirical

grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing

experimental group

participant group which receives treatment

experimenter bias

the influence of the experimenter's expectations on the outcome of research

falsifiable

able to be disproven by experimental results

hypothesis

a testable prediction about how the world will behave if an idea is correct, often worded as an if-then statement

illusory correlation

seeing relationships between two things when in reality no such relationship exists

independent variable

experimental factor that is manipulated

inductive reasoning

conclusions are drawn from observations

informed consent

informing a research participant about what to expect during an experiment, any risks involved, and the implications of the research, and then obtaining the person's consent to participate

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

committee of administrators, scientists, veterinarians, and community members that reviews proposals for research involving non-human animals

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

committee of administrators, scientists, and community members that reviews proposals for research involving human participants

inter-rater reliability

measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify a particular event

longitudinal research

studies in which the same group of individuals is surveyed or measured repeatedly over an extended period of time

naturalistic observation

observation of behavior in its natural setting

negative correlation

as one variable increases, the other decreases

observer bias

when observations may be skewed to align with observer expectations

operational definition

description of what actions and operations will be used to measure the dependent variables and manipulate the independent variables

opinion

A personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

peer-reviewed journal article

article read by several other scientists (usually anonymously) with expertise in the subject matter, who provide feedback regarding the quality of the manuscript before it is accepted for publication

placebo effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone

positive correlation

both variables either increase or decrease together

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control conditions by chance

reliability

the extent to which a test yields consistent results

single-blind study

study in which the subjects do not know if they are in the experimental or the control group

theory

well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

validity

accuracy of a given result in measuring what it is designed to measure

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons

neurons

second type of cell in the nervous system that serve as interconnected information processors

Acetylcholine

neurotransmitter associated with arousal and cognition

Beta-endorphin

neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety/tension

Dopamine

neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and appetite suppression

GABA

neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety/tension

Glutamate

neurotransmitter associated with learning and memory

Norepinephrine

neurotransmitter associated with arousal and appetite suppression

Serotonin

neurotransmitter associated with mood and appetite suppression

agonists

mimic neurotransmitters (psychotropic med)

antagonists

block neurotransmitters from sites (psychotropic med)

frontal lobe

contains the motor cortex, prefrontal cortex (higher-level cognition), and Broca’s area (talking)

temporal lobe

contains the auditory cortex (processing auditory info) and Wernicke’s area (speech comprehension).

parietal lobe

contains the somatosensory cortex (processes touch sensory info)

occipital lobe

contains the primary visual cortex

thalamus

routes all sensory info to lobes

hippocampus

part of the limbic system, associated with learning and memory

amygdala

part of the limbic system that ties emotions to memories.

hypothalamus

part of the limbic system responsible for homeostasis

reticular formation

involved in the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, alertness, and motor activity

ventral tegmental area

involved in reward, can cause addictions

substantia nigra

involved in movement/coordination + reward

medulla

controls breathing and heart function

pons

connects the hindbrain to the midbrain.

cerebellum

responsible for balance, motor control, and muscle memory

CT Scan

imaging technique with multiple x-rays of a given area

PET Scan

imaging technique that inserts a radioactive substance to track blood flow to regions of the brain

fMRI Scan

shows changes in brain activity over time by tracking blood flow and oxygen levels

EEG

tracks the brain’s electrical activity.

gryi

bumps on cerebral cortex

sulci

grooves in cerebral cortex

corpus callosum

thick band of fibers connecting brain hemispheres