psych final

What is psychology and what are the goals of psychologists?

Psychology contributes to scientific understanding of behavior and mental processes. A psychologists goal is to conduct research to find new things out about behavior. They work to improve the lives of people

Difference between Educational Psychologists, School Psychologists, and Guidance Counselors

Educational psychologists study human learning processes. School psychologists work with children in educational settings. Guidance Counselors work in schools.

Difference between Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists, and Counseling Psychologists

Clinical Psychologists sometimes specialize in particular disorders. Psychiatrists are medical doctors. Counseling Psychologists perform psychotherapy.

Behavioral Genetics

studies combined effort of environment and genetics

Behavioral Approach

Studies observable behavior and the environmental events

Cognitive Perspective

interested in mental processes that allow organisms to encode, store, and retrieve info

Evolutionary Perspective

studies role of natural selection in evolution of mental processes

Neuroscience

study of relation among brain, body, and behavior

Psychodynamic Approach

sees behavior as a product of influences such as unconscious drives and conflicts, and personality traits as outcomes of such underlying causes as aggressive or sexual drives

Humanistic-existential Approach

emphasizes an understanding of the healthy person and concerns about human potential, including meaning of life, self-concept, and self-actualizatione

Sociocultural Perspective

examines role of culture in behavior

experiment

only research method capable of showing cause and effect

ex post facto method

Subjects selected based on conditions already present

Naturalistic Observation

Behavior observed in natural setting

correlation method

statistical technique

survey method

measures attitudes, motives, opinions, and so on

What are the differences between the control group and experimental group in an experiment?

the control group receives a placebo, experimental group receives real thing

What is a single-blind experiment? A double-blind experiment?

double blind is when both the subject and experimenter don’t know the experiment, single blind is when just the subject does not know

stress

a physical or psychological response to an event that challenges homeostasis

What is a stressor? physical stressor? psychological stressor?

Physical stressor- injury, noise, overcrowding, or excessive cold or heat

Psychological stressor- trauma, time pressured tasks, peer pressure, or high standards

What is the appraisal process? Primary appraisal/ secondary appraisal?

Primary appraisal- determine if it is a threat and the magnitude of the threat

Secondary appraisal- evaluating how to cope with the stressor

Behavioral response to stress

action taken on the environment

Psychological Response to stress

an alteration in brain functioning that prepares for fight or flight

What is psychological conflict?

a choice is required (approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, approach-avoidance, double approach-avoidance)

Know the stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and what happens during each.

Alarm- initial fight or flight

Resistance- poor concentration, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and reduced stress

Exhaustion- occurs if stress happens for too long. burnout, fatigue, depression, and anxiety

Personality type A

Hard driving, aggressive, and impatient (more prone to heart attacks)

Personality type B

more laid back and easy going

Bruxism

severe teeth grinding

Myclonus

sudden muscle contractions soon after falling asleep

How to prevent SIDS

No drinking or smoking during pregnancy, baby should sleep on their backs in a crib with a firm mattress, no toys or excessive things in crib

Alpha stage

briefly pass through before going into first stage of sleep, a relaxed and drowsy state marked by alpha waves

Non REM 1

lasts 1-7 minutes, lightest stage of sleep, experience drifting thoughts and images, marked by theta waves

Non REM 2

first stage of “real sleep”; marked by sleep spindles; muscle tension, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature all gradually decrease

Non REM 3&4

30-45 minutes after drifting to sleep, called slow wave or delta sleep, the deepest stage of sleep, blood flow to brain is reduced, marked by secretion of growth hormones

REM

20% of sleep, brain waves look similar to beta waves, called paradoxical sleep, time when you dream most, lasts about 15-45 minutes and occurs about 5-6 times a night

Negative effects of sleep deprivation

compromised immune system, puts body on alert, increases production of stress hormones, elevate blood pressure

Freud’s Theory

the ego protects us from realizing threatening or unconscious desires or wishes and transforms them into harmless symbols

Extension of waking life

people cope with depression or problems by repeating their issues in their dreams

Activation Synthesis Theory

dreaming occurs because brain areas that perform cognitive control while awake are shut down

Threat Simulation Theory

dreaming serves a biological function by simulating events that are threatening in our waking lives

Parts of brain during REM sleep

Prefrontal cortex- reduced activity

Limbic system- increased activity

Visual cortex- increased activity