intro to psychology unit 1

Psychoanalytic Theory

Theory founded by Sigmund Freud focusing on the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences as the roots of psychological problems.

Unconscious Mind

Mental processes outside of conscious awareness that influence behavior.

Id

Early part of personality that operates on pleasure principle.

Ego

Part of personality that mediates between id and reality.

Superego

Part of personality representing moral standards.

Behaviorism

Psychological approach focusing only on observable behavior.

John B. Watson

Coined behaviorism and rejected studying the mind objectively.

Classical Conditioning

Learning through association between two stimuli.

Ivan Pavlov

Psychologist who demonstrated classical conditioning using dogs.

Operant Conditioning

Learning through consequences.

B.F. Skinner

Psychologist who studied reinforcement and punishment.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior.

Humanism

Perspective emphasizing human goodness and personal growth.

Carl Rogers

Developed client-centered therapy.

Client-Centered Therapy

Therapy emphasizing empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard.

Biopsychology

Study of how the nervous system and biology influence behavior.

Sensation

Detection of sensory information.

Perception

Organization and interpretation of sensory information.

Cognitive Psychology

Study of thinking, memory, language, and problem solving.

Developmental Psychology

Study of growth and change across the lifespan.

Personality Psychology

Study of unique patterns of thoughts and behaviors.

Social Psychology

Study of how individuals influence and relate to others.

Clinical Psychology

Field focused on diagnosis and treatment of disorders.

Inductive Reasoning

Reasoning from specific observations to general conclusions.

Deductive Reasoning

Reasoning from general theory to specific hypothesis.

Theory

Well-developed explanation of observed phenomena.

Hypothesis

Testable prediction about relationship between variables.

Falsifiable Hypothesis

Hypothesis that can be proven wrong.

Case Study

In-depth study of one individual.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in natural setting without interference.

Survey

Method of collecting data through self-report questionnaires.

Cross-Sectional Research

Compares different groups at one time.

Longitudinal Study

Studies same group over long period.

Attrition

Loss of participants over time in a study.

Correlation

Relationship between two variables.

Positive Correlation

Both variables move in same direction.

Negative Correlation

Variables move in opposite directions.

Causation

Cause-and-effect relationship between variables.

Confounding Variable

Outside factor influencing both variables.

Independent Variable

Variable manipulated by researcher.

Dependent Variable

Variable measured in experiment.

Experimental Group

Group exposed to independent variable.

Control Group

Group not exposed to independent variable.

Random Sample

Sample where everyone has equal chance of being selected.

Random Assignment

Participants randomly placed into groups.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

All nerves outside brain and spinal cord.

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary movements.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls automatic bodily functions.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates fight or flight response.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calms the body after stress.

Neuron

Cell that transmits neural impulses.

Glial Cells

Support and protect neurons.

Synapse

Gap between neurons.

Reuptake

Process of neurotransmitter being reabsorbed.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter involved in mood and sleep.

Norepinephrine

Neurotransmitter involved in alertness and arousal.

Agonist

Drug that enhances or mimics neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

Drug that blocks neurotransmitter.

Frontal Lobe

Responsible for executive function, impulse control, and motor movement.

Prefrontal Cortex

Area responsible for judgment and decision making.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movement.

Broca’s Area

Controls speech production.

Parietal Lobe

Processes sensory information.

Temporal Lobe

Processes hearing and language.

Wernicke’s Area

Responsible for language comprehension.

Occipital Lobe

Processes visual information.

Thalamus

Sensory relay center of the brain.

Amygdala

Involved in emotion processing.

Hippocampus

Involved in memory formation.

Hypothalamus

Regulates hormones and homeostasis.

Cerebellum

Controls balance and coordination.

Pons

Regulates sleep and connects brain to spinal cord.

Medulla

Controls breathing and heart rate.

Consciousness

Awareness of internal and external stimuli.

Circadian Rhythm

24-hour biological clock.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus

Brain’s master clock regulating circadian rhythm.

Melatonin

Hormone regulating sleep.

REM Sleep

Sleep stage with dreaming and muscle paralysis.

Stage 3 Sleep

Deep, restorative sleep.

Insomnia

Difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Sleep Apnea

Disorder where breathing stops during sleep.

Narcolepsy

Disorder involving sudden sleep attacks.

Cataplexy

Loss of muscle tone during wakefulness.

Substance Use Disorder

Compulsive drug use despite negative consequences.

Physical Dependence

Withdrawal symptoms when drug use stops.

Psychological Dependence

Emotional craving for drug.

Tolerance

Needing more of a drug for same effect.

Depressants

Drugs that slow central nervous system.

Stimulants

Drugs that increase neural activity.

Opioids

Drugs that block pain receptors.

Hallucinogens

Drugs that alter perception and sensory experiences.