Psych100 exam 1 definitions

Winter 2026

Science(PSYC Defintion)

A method to study natural world open to the senses, systematic, and repeatable

Blind study

Keeps certain information hidden to prevent bias.

Single blind

Participants don't know key details (like whether they got the real treatment or placebo)

Double blind study

Both participants and researchers don't know, which makes results more reliable

Correlational Design

Studies how two variables are related but cannot show cause and effect

Experimental Design Advantage

Higher internal validity. Shows directionality of relationship

Experimental Design Disadvantage

Time & Resources. Not always Realistic. You can't make/force someone participate in a study

Directionality

Indicating a specific direction with 2 variables like A cause B or B cause A

Independent Variable

Variable thats being Manipulated

Dependent Variable

Factor being measured or observed

Placebo

Causes the Placebo Effect to control Expectations

Illusory Relation/Correlational

When you think two things are connected, but they really aren't

Correlation Coefficient

Tells you direction and strength of the association between two variables

Positive Correlation Example

Example: Hours studied vs. exam score. Correlation coefficient: r = +0.85 (strong, positive)

Negative Correlation Example

Example: Hours spent watching TV vs. GPA. Correlation coefficient: r = -0.65 (moderate-to-strong, negative)

No Correlation Example

Example: Shoe size vs. intelligence. Correlation coefficient: r = 0.02 (basically none)

Nonmaleficence

The ethical obligation to not cause harm to others

Biological Psychology

Study of the link between biology (genes hormones neuro-processes) and psychology

Wernicke's Area

Speech comprehension

Broca's Area

Speech production

Aphasia

Difficulties related to speech/inability to use spoken language properly

Left Hemisphere

Controls right side of body

Right Hemisphere

Controls left side of body

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two hemispheres

Electroencehalograph (EEG)

Measures electrical activity on the surface of the brain.

Activity, Low Quality

CAT (CT) Scan

Brain structures inside the brain, but not very specific. Structure, Low Quality

PET Scan

Activity inside the brain based on glucose. Activity, Moderate/Low Quality

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Large magnets that move atoms in your brain, giving a clear picture of organs. what the brain looks like, Structure, High Quality

fMRI

Clear picture of activi ty inside the brain based on blood flow. what the brain is doing, Activity, High Quality

Agonist

Anything that increases the effect of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

Anything that decreases the effect of a neurotransmitter

Alcohol effects on neurotransmitters

Enhances inhibitory signals, dampens excitatory signals(brain activity), and activates reward/mood systems

Dualistic in Psychology

Mind and Brain are DIFFERENT Soul / Spirit Reincarnation

Monistic in Psychology

Mind and Brain are SAME

Naive Realism

The belief to believe our perception of reality is objective and accurate

Geocentrism

We are in the center of the universe

Confirmation Bias

When you believe something you are going to look for things that support that and ignore things that disagree

Belief Perseverance

The tendency for a person to maintain a belief even when presented with strong evidence that contradicts it

Patternicity

Our brains are wired to look for patterns

Empiricism

knowledge through experience.

Empirical Evidence

Objective, systematic data

Anecdotal Evidence

Personal stories, not reliable for general conclusions

Science vs Psuedoscience

Science:Falsifiable, replicable, peer reviewed, self correcting. Pseudoscience:Unfalsifiable, not replicable, no peer review, resists correction.

Wilhelm Wundt

Started the first(kinda) psychology laboratory in 1879

William James

Known as the father of American psychology

G. Stanley Hall

Founded the first psychology laboratory in the United States in 1883

Thales of Miletus

First philosopher; explained natural phenomena without relying on mythology

External Validity

How well the results can be applied outside the study

Naturalistic

You don't change anything and let it be as it is

Structured

You manipulate the study in a way

Case Study

A very detailed examination of a person or a singular entity

Observational Study

a study based on data in which no manipulation of factors has been employed

Correlation vs Causation

correlation does not equal causation

Operational Definition

How clearly you define your variables

Central Tendency

Descriptive measures like your mean/median/mode, shows what data looks like

Ethics

It wasn't until world war 2 and concentration camps 'experiments' that scientific ethics began to be created/enforced

Frontal Lobe

Related to higher functioning, things we tend to do more of compared to apes. Movement, thinking initiation, reasoning, behavior, memory, speaking

Parietal Lobe

Integrates our senses (coordinates movements)

Temporal Lobe

Related to hearing, higher level visual processing (faces, discerning emotions/intentions from faces)

Occipital Lobe

Vision

Brain Stem

Breathing, blood pressure, heartbeat, swallowing

Cerebellum

Old evolutionary part of the brain, involved in nonverbal learning (hot oven=no touch)

Spinal Cord

Carries sensory information to the brain and motor commands from the brain to the body(main communication link)

Phineas Gage

Person that showed personality is controlled by your brain, spike through head

Neuron

Cell in the Brain

Soma

Cell's life support center, contains nucleus

Dendrites

Receive messages from other cells

Excitatory vs Inhibitory

Continues the message vs Stopping the message

Action Potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Axons

Pass messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Myelin Sheath

Covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

Neural Impulse

Electrical signal traveling down the axon

Terminal Branches

Form junctions with other cells

Synapse

Space between Terminal Branch and Dendrites

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substance that carries signals across the synapse