PSY200

Psychology

The scientific study of mind and behavior.

Mind

Internal mental processes (thoughts, feelings, memories).

Behavior

Observable actions (what people do).

Psychology's 4 goals

Describe behavior and mental processes, explain why they occur, predict future behavior, control or influence behavior in helpful ways.

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature = traits/abilities come from genetics or biology; Nurture = traits/abilities are learned through experience and environment.

Empiricism

Knowledge comes from experience (John Locke).

Nativism

Some knowledge is innate (born with it) (Plato, Descartes).

Wilhelm Wundt

Credited with being the founder of psychology; opened the first psychology lab at Leipzig University in 1879 and taught the first psychology course.

Structuralism

Focus on breaking down mental processes into basic elements; method: introspection.

Functionalism

Focus on how mental processes help people adapt to their environment; inspired by Darwin's theory of natural selection.

Consciousness

Awareness of one's own experience and environment.

Introspection

Looking inward to report one's conscious experience; used by Wundt and Titchener.

Natural selection

Traits that help survival and reproduction are passed on to future generations.

Reaction time

Method used by Wundt to study consciousness by measuring how quickly people responded to different sensory events.

Psychodynamic model

Focus on behavior from unconscious drives and childhood experiences; criticized for being hard to test scientifically.

Behavioral model

Focus on behavior learned through the environment; criticized for ignoring mental processes.

Humanistic model

Focus on free will and striving for growth/self-actualization; criticized for being too idealistic and less scientific.

Cognitive model

Studies mental processes (thinking, memory, perception); can overlook emotions or biology.

Biological/Neuroscience model

Looks at brain, hormones, and genes influencing behavior; can reduce complex behavior to biology.

Evolutionary model

Explains behavior by adaptation and survival value.

Evolutionary Psychology

Explains behavior through evolution and natural selection.

Sociocultural

Behavior shaped by culture and social context.

Hysteria

Temporary loss of function (seeing, movement) without physical cause — led Freud to study the unconscious.

Unconscious

Part of mind outside awareness influencing thoughts and actions.

Psychoanalysis

Therapy to uncover unconscious conflicts through talking.

Gestalt Psychology

Whole is greater than the sum of its parts — how we organize perception.

Behaviorism

Focused only on observable behavior (S-R psychology).

Cognitive Revolution

Mind seen as an information processor (inspired by computers).

Cognitive Neuroscience

Links brain activity with thinking and memory.

Social Psychology

How behavior is influenced by others.

Cultural Psychology

How culture shapes behavior and mental processes.

Psychiatrists

Medical doctors (M.D.), can prescribe medication.

Ph.D. Psychologists

Trained in research and therapy, focus on behavior and mental processes.

Scientific method

A procedure for using empirical evidence to establish facts.

Empirical method

Set of rules and techniques for collecting objective evidence.

Theory

An explanation of a natural phenomenon.

Hypothesis

Falsifiable prediction made by a theory.

Operational definition

A description of a property in measurable terms.

Validity

Actually measures what it's supposed to measure.

Construct validity

The measure truly reflects the concept.

Reliability

A detector's ability to detect the absence of differences or changes in the magnitude of a property.

Power

A detector's ability to detect the presence of differences or changes in the magnitude of a property.

Variables

Anything that can vary - a factor or condition that can change and be measured.

Demand characteristics

Cues that cause participants to behave the way they think the researcher expects.

Naturalistic Observation

Observe behavior in natural setting.

Strengths of Naturalistic Observation

Realistic behavior.

Limitations of Naturalistic Observation

Little control, can't infer cause.

Case Study

In-depth study of one person.

Strengths of Case Study

Rich detail.

Limitations of Case Study

Can't generalize.

Survey/Questionnaire

Ask people directly.

Strengths of Survey/Questionnaire

Quick, large sample.

Limitations of Survey/Questionnaire

Honesty/self-report bias.

Experiment

Manipulate variables to find cause.

Strengths of Experiment

Only method to show causation.

Limitations of Experiment

Can be artificial or limited ethically.

Observer bias

Observer's expectations influence what they record.

Double-blind study

Neither participant nor observer knows group assignments.

Correlation

Shows a relationship between variables (-1 to +1).

Positive correlation

Variables increase together.

Negative correlation

One increases, the other decreases.

Third variable problem

Some unseen factor may explain both correlated variables.

Independent variable (IV)

What the researcher changes.

Dependent variable (DV)

What is measured.

Experimental Group

Receives the independent variable.

Control Group

Does not receive the independent variable; baseline for comparison.

Random Assignment

Participants randomly placed in groups → controls for self-selection bias.

Statistical Significance

Difference between groups unlikely due to chance (p < 0.05).

Internal validity

Experiment supports causal conclusions.

External validity

Results generalize to the real world.

Population

Entire group of interest.

Sample

Smaller group studied.

Random sampling

Every member has equal chance to be chosen.

Replication

Repeating a study to confirm reliability of findings.

Informed consent

Participants know what to expect and agree.

Risk-benefit analysis

Benefits must outweigh risks.

Debriefing

Explain purpose afterward, undo deception.

Confidentiality

Protect participant identity and data.

Neuron

A cell in the nervous system that receives, integrates, and transmits information.

Cell body

Coordinates the information-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive.

Dendrites

Receive information from other neurons and relay it to the cell body.

Axon

Carries information to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Synapse

The junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another.

Synaptic Transmission

The transmission of information across the synapse, fundamental to communication between neurons.

Neurons

Have three main parts: Dendrites, cell body, and axon.

Signal path

Dendrite → Cell Body → Axon → Terminal Buttons → Synapse → Next Neuron.

Action potential

An electrical impulse that travels down the axon, causing the inside to become positive for a moment.

Resting potential

Neuron has a negative charge (-70 mV) inside.

Refractory period

The period after firing when the neuron can't fire again right away.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty coating that insulates axon, speeding up transmission.

Nodes of Ranvier

Gaps in myelin where the impulse jumps to speed conduction.

Terminal Buttons

Release neurotransmitters into the synapse.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that bind to receptors on the next neuron's dendrites.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Involved in muscle movement, learning, and memory; low levels are associated with Alzheimer's.

Dopamine (DA)

Involved in motivation, pleasure, and movement; high levels are associated with schizophrenia, low levels with Parkinson's.

Serotonin (5-HT)

Involved in mood, sleep, and appetite; low levels are associated with depression.

Norepinephrine (NE)

Involved in arousal and alertness; low levels are associated with depression.

Endorphins

Natural painkillers that increase pleasure; levels are increased by exercise (runner's high).

GABA

Major inhibitory transmitter that calms activity; low levels are associated with anxiety and seizures.

Glutamate

Major excitatory transmitter; high levels are associated with migraines and seizures.