Biopsychology Flashcards

This study guide provides definitions of key vocabulary terms from the Introduction to Psychology chapter.

Psychology

The scientific study of the mind and behavior.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation to explain phenomena, should fit into the context of a scientific theory.

Theory

A broad explanation or group of explanations for some aspect of the natural world that is consistently supported by evidence over time.

Empirical Method

Method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method based only on forms of logical argument or previous authorities.

Critical Thinking

he active application of a set of skills to information for the understanding and evaluation of that information.

Wilhelm Wundt

German scientist who was the first person to be referred to as a psychologist.

Introspection

A process by which someone examines their own conscious experience as objectively as possible.

William James

Helped establish functional psychology, psychology’s purpose was to study the function of behavior in the world.

Functionalism

Focused on how mental activities helped an organism fit into its environment.

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist who was fascinated by patients suffering from “hysteria” and neurosis, theorized that many of his patients’ problems arose from the unconscious mind.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious, as well as early childhood experiences.

Gestalt Psychology

Deals with the fact that although a sensory experience can be broken down into individual parts, how those parts relate to each other as a whole is often what the individual responds to in perception.

Ivan Pavlov

Studied a form of learning behavior called a conditioned reflex.

John B. Watson

An influential American psychologist, preferred to focus directly on observable behavior and try to bring that behavior under control.

Behaviorism

Focus of psychology from the mind to behavior.

B. F. Skinner

American psychologist, concentrated on how behavior was affected by its consequences.

Humanism

A perspective within psychology that emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.

Abraham Maslow

American psychologist who is best known for proposing a hierarchy of human needs in motivating behavior.

Carl Rogers

American psychologist who emphasized the potential for good that exists within all people.

Cognitive Revolution

Revived interest in the mind as a focus of scientific inquiry.

Noam Chomsky

American linguist, was dissatisfied with the influence that behaviorism had had on psychology.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Professional organization representing psychologists in the United States.

Biopsychology

Explores how our biology influences our behavior.

Evolutionary Psychology

Seeks to study the ultimate biological causes of behavior.

Sensation and Perception

Interested in both physiological aspects of sensory systems as well as in the psychological experience of sensory information.

Cognitive Psychology

The area of psychology that focuses on studying cognition, or thoughts, and their relationship to our experiences and our actions.

Developmental Psychology

The scientific study of development across a lifespan.

Personality Psychology

Focuses on patterns of thoughts and behaviors that make each individual unique.

Social Psychology

Focuses on how we interact with and relate to others.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology (I-O psychology)

A subfield of psychology that applies psychological theories, principles, and research findings in industrial and organizational settings.

Health Psychology

Focuses on how health is affected by the interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

Sport and Exercise Psychology

Study the psychological aspects of sport performance, including motivation and performance anxiety, and the effects of sport on mental and emotional wellbeing.

Clinical psychology

The area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior.

Forensic Psychology

A branch of psychology that deals questions of psychology as they arise in the context of the justice system.

Dissertation

A long research paper or bundled published articles describing research that was conducted as a part of the candidate’s doctoral training.

PsyD (doctor of psychology)

Doctoral degree that places less emphasis on research-oriented skills and focuses more on application of psychological principles in the clinical context

Empirical

Grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing.

Theory

Well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena.

Hypothesis (plural: hypotheses)

Tentative and testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables

Scientific Method

Uses theories and hypotheses that are tested against real-world observations.

Naturalistic Observation

Observation of behavior in its natural setting.

Generalizing

Ability to apply the findings of a particular research project to larger segments of society.

Correlation coefficient

A number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between variables.

Random Sample

Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Random Assignment

All participants have an equal chance of being assigned to either group.

Operational Definition

Precise description of our variables.

Experimenter Bias

Possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study.

Independent Variable

Manipulated or controlled by the experimenter.

Dependent Variable

What the researcher measures to see how much effect the independent variable had.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Publishes a manual detailing how to write a paper for submission to scientific journals.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Reviews proposals for research that involves human participants.

Informed Consent

Provides a written description of what participants can expect during the experiment, including potential risks.

Deception

Purposely misleading experiment participants in order to maintain the integrity of the experiment.

Debriefing

Complete, honest information about the purpose of the experiment.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Ensuring that all experimental proposals require the humane treatment of animal research subjects.

Chromosomes

A substance found in the nucleus of cells that contains the genetic code.

Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

Organisms that are better suited for their environment will survive and reproduce while those that are poorly suited for their environment will die off.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of that individual.

Range of Reaction

Our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate, and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where in that range we will fall.

Neuroplasticity

Refers to how the nervous system can change and adapt.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Comprised of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Connects the CNS to the rest of the body.

Somatic Nervous System

Associated with activities traditionally thought of as conscious or voluntary.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls our internal organs and glands and is generally considered to be outside the realm of voluntary control.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Involved in preparing the body for stress-related activities.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Associated with returning the body to routine, day-to-day operations.

Hormones

Chemical messengers that must bind to a receptor in order to send their signal.

Pituitary Gland

Often referred to as the “master gland” because its messenger hormones control all the other glands in the endocrine system, although it mostly carries out instructions from the hypothalamus.

Amygdala

Structure in the limbic system involved in our experience of emotion and in tying emotional meaning to our memories.

Hypothalamus

Regulates a number of homeostatic processes, including the regulation of body temperature, appetite, and blood pressure.

Hippocampus

Essential structure for learning and memory.

Action Potential

The electrical signal that typically moves from the cell body down the axon to the axon terminals.