Psychology final exam review

What is psychology?

The study of how and why humans act the way they do

What do psychodynamic theorists believe/ study?

• They study unconscious processes

• Childhood experiences

• Influence unconscious mind has on behaviour and personality

Who was Karen Horney?

• Founder of feminist psychology

• Challenged Freud

• Believed development is lifelong and not fixed in childhood

What were the 2 things Karen Horney did not believe?

1. Personality is influenced by sexual conflicts in childhood

2. Believed Freud’s theories did not accurately represent women

What is a Neo-Freudian

Psychologists who modified Freud’s psychoanalytic theories to include social and culture aspects

Who is Carl Jung?

• Jung was a student of Freud

• Founder of analytical psychology

• Believed we are all introverted or extroverted

What is analytical psychology?

• Way to understand motivations based on conscious and unconscious mind, both form the psyche

• Having a balanced psyche would allow for human potential to be reached

What did Jung disagree with in relation to Frued?

• Jung disagreed with Freuds theory of sexual influence on human behaviour

What did Jung believe about the mind?

There are 2 parts of the unconscious

1. Personal

2. Collective

What is the personal part of unconscious?

Unique to the individual

What is the collective part of the unconscious?

• Contains memory from our ancestors

• Shared by all human beings

What are archetypes?

Things that connect us to images and emotions

Define personality

An individuals characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

What did Jung’s theories lead to?

Psychometrics (area of study that uses tests and questions to measure personality, ability, and knowledge)

Define psychoanalytical theories

A way to understand motivation based on the conscious and unconscious mind, which together forms psyche

• A balanced psyche = reaching human potential

Describe the ID

• Instinctual part of the mind.

• Pleasure principle

Describe the Ego

The rational part of the brain that operates on reality principle

Describe the Superego

Moral center of the mind acts as the minds conscious 

What do Behavioural Psychologists study/believe ?

• Use evidence through experiments to understand human behavior and change them.

• They observe behaviours

Give an example of a behvaioural psychologist studying behaviours

• Ivan Pavlov with dog experiment

• BF Skinner with rat cage experiment

What is classical conditioning

A basic form of learning in which simple responses are associated with a new or conditioned stimulus.

What is operant conditioning?

A type of learning where behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences. It involves the use of rewards or punishments to shape behaviour

Define positive reinforcement

Occurs when a behavior (response) is followed by a favorable stimulus (commonly seen as pleasant) that increases the frequency of that behavior. (Adding something subject likes as a result of behaviour)

Give an example of positive reinforcement

In Skinner’s experiment, a stimulus such as food can be delivered when rat engages in target behaviour such as pressing a lever

Define negative reinforcement

Occurs when a behaviour (response) is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus (unpleasant) which increases frequency of that behaviour

Give an example of negative reinforcements

In Skinner’s experiment, loud noise was continuously sounding in rats cage until it engaged in target behaviour (pressing the lever) which then removed the loud noise

What is Positive punishment

Occurs when a behavior (response) is followed by an aversive stimulus, such as introducing a shock or loud noise, resulting in a decrease in that behaviour. (Adding something that subject dislikes as a result of unwanted behaviour)

What is Negative punishment?

Occurs when a behavior (response) is followed by the removal of a favorable stimulus, resulting in a decrease in that behavior (Removing something subject likes because of unwanted behaviour) 

Give an example of Negative punishment

Taking away a child's toy following an undesired behaviour

What was the Neutral Stimulus in Ivan Pavlov’s experiment prior to conditioning?

The bell which resulted in no drooling

Define Unconditioned Stimulus

Stimulus that causes a natural response

What was the Unconditioned Stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment?

The dog food

Define Unconditioned Response

Natural inbuilt response to a stimulus

What was the Unconditioned Response in Pavlov’s experiment?

Drooling

Define Conditioned Stimulus

An originally neutral stimulus that comes to trigger a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditionedDefine

What was the Conditioned Stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment?

The bell on its own

Define Conditioned Response

The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

What was the Conditioned Response?

Drooling due to the bell

What did Ivan Pavlov discover?

Classical conditioning

What is Stimulus-Response learning

It is acquiring patterns of behaviour in the presence of an environmental stimulus

Describe B.F Skinner’s experiment

•  Rat in a cage with a bar that releases food every time that it is pressed

• Rewarded with food every time the bar is pressed

• If it does something that the experimenter does not like, then the floor electrocutes the rat via the floor.

Describe Short Term Memory

• Known as the working memory

• What actively goes on in your mind

• Acts as a scratch pad (lets you remember first part of sentence so the rest makes sense)

Describe Long term memory

The memory process in the brain that takes information from the short-term memory store and creates long lasting memories.

What is mindfulness

Being aware of ones own mind in the present moment

Helps observes thoughts and emotions which help avoid destructive habits

Name the 3 different types of Mindfulness

1. Journaling

2. Meditation

3. Mindful breathing

What are the benefits of mindfulness?

• Affects perception

• Body awareness

• Emotion regulation

• Complex thinking

What is the Prefrontal Cortex responsible for?

 Responsible for impulse control, judgement and emotions

Describe the amygdala

Major processing center for emotions

What do we know about the teen brain?

• Frontal cortex is still developing. 

• Brain is less likely to think before acting

• Don’t consider consequences for actions 

• More short tempered

Describe the Jim twins

• Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were seperated at four weeks old

• They reunited at 39

• Both were 6’0 180 pounds

Describe the similarities between the Jim Twins

• Both had a dog named “Toy”

• Each married a first wife called Linda and a second wife called Betty

• One Jim had a son called James Allan. The other had a son named James Alan

• Smoked the same cigarettes and drank same beer

• Wrote love notes to wives

• Both had part time jobs as sheriffs

• Scored same on personality tests as someone who took it twice

Describe the differences between the Jim twins

• Styled hair differently

• One conveyed himself through speech and the other through writing

• One Jim took a vow with a third wife called Sandy

What is Nature?

Inherited, biological characteristics that affect a persons development

What is Nurture

Refers to learned environmental forces that affect a person’s development

Why do psychologists study twins?

• They are integral to the nature v nurture debate

• Study them to see how important nature is and nurture (Jim Twins for example)

Define a psychopath

• Do not feel guilt or shame

• Do not feel any remorse when doing something bad

• They do not care who gets hurt and they mean it

• Often serial killers and assassins

Define a sociopath

• Made through products of socialization

• Share same characteristics as psychopaths but are taught these behaviours

• May engage in bullying or violence to survive

• Often taught to break rules

Define a narcissist

• Lack empathy

• Entitled, require validation, arrogant

• Suffer with self esteem issues

• Feel guilty and shame and worry about how others will perceive them

What is mental health?

Our emotional, psychological, and social well being

Affects how we think, feel and act

Define Stigma

 A negative attitude towards a group of people. Makes a person feel like they are different from other “normal “ people 

What is mental illness

A biological illness that often manifests itself through behaviour

A common misconception is that everyone is able to choose how they think

What are the 4 areas of well being?

1. Cognitive

2. Emotional

3. Social

4. Physical

Define the cognitive area of well being

The development of abilities and skills like critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and ability to be flexible and innovative 

Define the Emotional area of well being

 Learning about experiencing emotions and understanding how to recognize, manage and cope with them

Define the Social area of well being

Development of self-awareness, including sense of belonging, collaboration, relationships with others and communication skills

Define the Physical area of well being

Development of the body, impacted by physical activity. Sleep patterns, healthy eating, and healthy life choices

The anterior cingulate cortex is known as…

The “oops” area of the brain

What is it called when you wake someone up and they are very mad and grumpy

Rapid Eye Movement

Was Jung interested in Id and ego or personal and collective?

Personal and collective

What is the name of the neurotransmitter that signals the brain to pay attention

Acetocoline

What is the name for the working memory

Short term memory (stm)