Gen Psych Exam 1 - Larry Jacobs (Ch 1, 2, 4, 5)

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Aristotle

Greek philosopher

suggested that soul and body are not separate, and that knowledge grows from experience

dualism

the presumption that mind and body are two distinct entities that interact

monism

the presumption that mind and body are different aspects of the same thing

free will

behavior is caused by an individuals independent decision making

William James is best known for this

determinism

the philosophy that holds that every event, action, and decision results from something independent of the human will

nature

people behave according to genetic disposition or "animal instincts"

nurture

people behave and act certain ways because they are taught

Wilhelm Wundt

father of psychology, first psych lab in Leipzig 1879, founded introspection

introspection

A method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

Edward Titchener

Student of Wilhelm Wundt; founder of Structuralism, methods were abandoned

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

William James

founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment

rejected structuralism

"are you free, or not free?"

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Charles Darwin

forced scientists to consider that humans and other species had basic features in common

comparative psychologists

comparative psychologists

psychologists who study behavioral similarities and differences among animal species

Francis Galton

interested in link between heredity and intelligence

insisted that sons of wealthy, successful men would also be successful, that it was based on heredity

Alfred Binet

pioneer in intelligence (IQ) tests, designed a test to identify slow learners in need of help-not applicable in the U.S. because it was too culture-bound (French)

John Watson

behaviorism; emphasis on external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study in which baby was taught to fear a white rat

Psychophysics

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis

started "the couch"

psychoanalytic theory: your feelings, thoughts, behavior are all determined by your unconscious

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

psychoanalytic theory

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior

Mary Whiton Calkins

First female president of the APA

denied pHd grad from harvard, started her own lab at wellessley

Margaret Floy Washburn

First female to be awarded a PhD in psychology; 2nd president of the APA (1921)

Mamie Phipps Clark

studied the effects of segregation and racism on the self-esteem of black children.

first black female PhD, denied faculty position bc of gender

Scientific Method

helps remove bias

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.

Theory

a set of assumptions used to explain phenomena and offered for scientific study

parsimony

the quality of relying on the fewest and consistent, simplest assumptions

quick, easy, inaccurate

ESP

acquire info w/o using senses or receiving any form of of energy

6th sense

not evidence

anecdotal evidence

Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

heresay

Replication

repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances

replicable results

those that anyone can obtain, at least approximately, by following the same procedures

meta-analysis

a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies

blind observer

an observer who records data without knowing the researcher's predictions

placebo control

An experimental condition in which treatment is not administered; it is used in cases where a placebo effect might occur.

experimenter bias

a phenomenon that occurs when a researcher's expectations or preferences about the outcome of a study influence the results obtained

case study

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

research sample

a group of people who represent a larger population

survey

a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

correlational study

a research project designed to discover the degree to which two variables are related to each other

sensation

stimulation of sense organs

Perception

the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events

Stimuli

Changes, occurring within or outside the body, that affect nervous system functioning.

physical energies in the environment

Receptor

A specialized cell or group of nerve endings that responds to sensory stimuli. convert environmental energies into signals for the nervous system

pupil

the adjustable opening in the center of the eye through which light enters

Iris

a ring of muscle tissue that forms the colored portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening

Cornea

The rigid, clear tissue that covers the front of the eye. directs light through the pupil

lens

the flexible, transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina

vitreous humor

the transparent jellylike tissue filling the eyeball behind the lens.

Retina

Contains sensory receptors that process visual information and sends it to the brain

accomodation

the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina

optic nerve

carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain

presbyopia

impaired vision as a result of aging

lens becomes less flexible, cannot focus

myopia

nearsightedness, elongated eyeballs

hyperopia

farsightedness, flattened eyeblls

glaucoma

increased intraocular pressure results in damage to the retina and optic nerve with loss of peripheral vision

cataract

clouding of the lens of the eye, which causes poor vision

can be fixed w a contact

rods

retinal receptors that detect black, white, and gray; necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don't respond

Cones

retinal receptor cells that are concentrated near the center of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. detect fine detail and give rise to color sensations.

Fovea

the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye's cones cluster

greatest perception, sharpness, etc

dark adaptation

The process in which the eyes become more sensitive to light in low illumination.

Amplitude

the intensity of a sound wave, perceived as loundess

cochlea

spiral shaped organ w canals holding fluids, location of hearing receptors,

conductive deafness (middle-ear deafness)

hearing loss that occurs if the bones of the middle ear fail to transmit sound waves properly to the cochlea

nerve deafness

Hearing loss created by damage to the hair cells or the auditory nerve fibers in the inner ear.

chemical senses

taste and smell

primary tastes

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami

taste buds

sensory organs in the mouth that contain the receptors for taste

Olfaction

sense of smell

receptors are located in the mucous membrane in the rear air passages in the nose

Gestalt Psychology

a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts

"pattern, configuration"

visual constancy

the perception of objects remains unchanged, even when the sensation of the object is changing

our ability to see objects as maintaining the same size even when distance makes them seem smaller

optical illusion

misinterpretation of a visual stimulus

Ames Room

Trapezoidal room; creates an optical illusion with one large and one small person

M.C. Escher

Artist who used optical illusions in many of his graphic art designs, and created intricate tessellations.

Teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

germinal stage

The first phase of prenatal development, encompassing the first two weeks after conception.

embryonic stage

The second stage of prenatal development, lasting from two weeks until week 8

fetal stage

The third stage of prenatal development, lasting from two months through birth.

Zygote

fertilized egg

Blastula

hollow ball of stem cells

gastrula

Stem cells fold in to form layers

embryo

week 2 to week 8

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

newborns vision

At first vision is limited but newborns see far better than previously believed

fear of heights develops...related to improved depth perceptions

newborns hearing

well developed, prefer human voices, can distinguish their mothers voices

infants suck more vigoriously when they hear stimulating sounds

become habituated w certain sounds

Habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.

Dishabituation

recovery of a habituated response after a change in stimulation

Newborns' learning and memory

Infants as young as one month old can discriminate. Infants show a marked preference for their mother's voice over another woman's voice.

Maturation

development of the brain unfolds, causing bodily and mental functions to occur in sequence,

standing before walk, babbling before talking

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions

stunted growth of head and body, mental retardation, facial, cranial, ear malformations

cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another simultaneously

longitudinal study

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period

sequential study

study design that combines cross-sectional and longitudinal techniques

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

studied how children learn to think and reason

Schema

organized way of interacting with objects

realizing that certain actions go best w certain objects

Assimilation

a child applies a new object into an old schema

accomodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

a child applies old schema to fit a new object

4 stages of intellectual development

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, formal operations