Psychology and Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts in introductory psychology, scientific research methods, biological bases of behavior, and phrenology.

Psychology

The study of the Mind.

Structuralism

A short-lived discipline of psychology focused on senses and feelings and the roles they play in our mental health.

Functionalism

A discipline of psychology focused on why we have our senses and feelings and what function they serve.

Psychoanalysis

A discipline of psychology involving free association, talk therapy, and the study of dreams, sleep, and the unconscious mind.

Sigmund Freud

A psychological theorist who studied the subconscious and unconscious mind (believed to be revealed in dreams) and held that mental illness could be cured by talk therapy.

Behavioralism

A discipline of psychology defined as the study of behavior and why behaviors occur.

Naturalistic Observation

An observational research method involving an outside POV without intervention.

Sample Bias

A bias that occurs when surveying a group with shared ideologies.

Double Blind Experiment

An experimental setup where both volunteers and those conducting the experiment are not told who belongs to the control or tested groups, used alongside randomized groups to avoid bias.

Correlation

A statistical relationship that predicts the possibility of cause and effect relations, though it cannot prove causation ($\text{correlation} \neq \text{causation}$).

Dendrites

The input/receivers of a nerve cell.

Cell Body / Soma

The powerhouse and control zone of a nerve cell.

Axon

The output region of a nerve cell located before the nerve endings.

Neuron Anatomy

The structure of a nerve cell consisting of dendrites, cell body, and axon.

Endocrine System

A chemical system producing hormones that provides slow communication with the body to impact mental states.

Nervous System

A body system involving senses that provides fast communication and output with the body to impact mental states.

Pituitary Gland

An endocrine gland responsible for growth and physical development.

Thyroid Gland

An endocrine gland responsible for metabolism.

Parathyroid Glands

Endocrine glands that regulate calcium in your blood.

Adrenal Glands

Endocrine glands responsible for the fight or flight response.

Pancreas

An endocrine gland responsible for regulating sugar in your blood.

Sexual Organs (Endocrine System)

Endocrine structures responsible for producing puberty hormones.

Phrenology

The study of the shape and size of the cranium as an indication of one's character and mental ability; dismissed as a pseudoscience but allowed for the understanding that different parts of the brain control specific aspects of behavior.

Franz Joseph Gall

The creator of phrenology, a pseudoscience combining ideas of functionalism and behavior.