College Psychology Midterm

Psychoanalytical

Found by Sigmund Freud, focuses on internal psychological processes of which we are unaware of happening

Behavioral

Found by John. B Watson, focuses on uncovering the general laws of learning by studying observable behavior

Humanistic

Found by Carl Rogers, focuses on the belief that humans are inherently good

Cognitive

Found by Jean Piaget, school of psychology that believes that thinking is central to understanding human behavior

Biological

Found by Charles Darwin, focuses on the belief that behaviors are inherited and shaped by adaptation to one's external environment.

Psychologist

Scientists who study behavior of the mind

Psychiatrist

Physician who specializes in treating and studying mental disorders

Double-Blind

When researchers, as well as, participants are not aware of who is apart of the control group or experimental group

Case Study

When researchers examine one person, or a small group of people over an extended period of time

Naturalistic Observation

observing a subject in its natural environment

Survey

asking questions from a random sample of the population

Control group

the group that remains the same, or gets the placebo

Experimental group

the group that gets the treatment or experiences some change

Placebo

an innocuous or inert medication; given as a pacifier or to the control group in experiments on the efficacy of a drug

Placebo Effect

any effect that seems to be a consequence of administering a placebo; the change is usually beneficial and is assumed result from the person's faith in the treatment or preconceptions about what the experimental drug was supposed to do

Hypothesis

an educated guess

Independent variable

the suspected cause in an experiment

Dependent variable

the measurable outcome of an experiment

Correlational Coefficient

numbers representing the strength of the relationship (-1.00 0 +1.00)

Positive Correlation

When one variable goes up, the other variable goes in the same direction

Negative Correlation

When two variables go in opposite directions of each other

Zero Correlation

When two variables do not relate to each other at all

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A prediction which becomes reality as a result of an individual's beliefs and subsequent actions.

Who is Phineas Gage

Railroad worker that suffered radical change in personality after a work accident destroyed much of his prefrontal cortex.

Forward part of the cerebral cortex responsible for motor function, language, decision making, and planning

Frontal Lobe

Lower part of the cerebral cortex that plays roles in hearing, understanding language, and memory

Temporal Lobe

Upper middle part of the cerebral cortex behind the central sulcus, specializes in touch and perception

Parietal Lobe

Back of the brain that controls vision

Occipital Lobe

Disease that affects memory and cognitism

Alzheimer’s Disease

Disease caused by damage to the basal ganglia, consists of tremors, muscular rigidity, and complications performing voluntary actions

Parkinson’s Disease

Language area in the prefrontal cortex that helps control speech production

Broca’s Area

Part of the temporal lobe that is involved in understanding speech and language

Wernicke’s Area

Part of the brainstem that controls basic functions such as heartbeat and breathing

Medulla

Part of the brain that controls homeostasis and hormones

Hypothalamus

Part of the brain that controls spatial memory

Hippocampus

Structure of the brain that is responsible for balance

Cerebellum

Central Nervous System

Part of the nervous system that contains the brain and spinal cord that controls the mind and behavior

Peripheral Nervous System

Nerves outside the CNS that consist of the somatic nervous system which controls voluntary behavior and interacts with the external environment, and the autonomic nervous system which controls nonvoluntary behavior and interacts with our internal environment

Reticular Activating System

Connecting to the forebrain and cerebral cortex, controls arousal while damage can cause comas

Limbic System

Network of regions involved in emotion regulation, motivation, learning, and memory

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers specialized for communication between neurons

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that deactivates parts of the brain, influencing consciousness, arousal, movements, and readiness to responses to stimuli

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter that plays a critical role in motivation