General Psych Final Exam

What is psychology?

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Who is considered the father of psychology?

Wilhelm Wundt.

What does the term 'tabula rasa' refer to?

The idea that the mind is a blank slate filled through sensory experiences, proposed by John Locke.

What is dualism in psychology?

The separation of mind and soul, as proposed by Descartes.

What is structuralism?

The first school of thought in psychology focused on analyzing the structure of the mind.

Who were the main figures associated with structuralism?

Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.

What is functionalism?

A school of thought that focuses on the function of the mind and how it helps us adapt to the environment.

Which theory influenced functionalism?

Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

What is behaviorism?

A psychological approach that focuses on observable behavior rather than unobservable mental processes.

Who are the key figures in behaviorism?

John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner.

What is the psychoanalytic approach?

A perspective that argues behavior is shaped by unconscious thoughts and early experiences, developed by Sigmund Freud.

What are the three components of Freud's personality structure?

Id, Ego, and Superego.

What is the biopsychosocial approach?

An approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding behavior and mental processes.

What is the nature-nurture issue?

The debate over the relative influence of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on psychological traits.

What is hindsight bias?

The tendency to believe, after an event has occurred, that one would have predicted or expected the outcome.

What are the two systems of thinking described in dual processing?

System 1 (fast, intuitive) and System 2 (slow, analytical).

What is the significance of the Skinner Box?

It is an experimental apparatus used to study operant conditioning in behaviorism.

What is the role of critical thinking in psychology?

To challenge old beliefs and forge new, fact-related paths in understanding behavior.

What are some common flaws in commonsense thinking?

Hindsight bias, overconfidence, and perceiving order in random events.

What is the focus of cognitive psychology?

How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information.

How does social-cultural perspective influence psychology?

It examines how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures.

What is the importance of psychological research?

It helps address real-world issues and informs theory formation.

What are some subfields of psychology?

Biological psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, health psychology, and industrial-organizational psychology.

What methods did Freud use to explore the unconscious?

Free association and dream analysis.

What is the significance of identical twins in psychological research?

They share the same genes, making them ideal for studying hereditary and environmental influences.

What does the term 'epigenetics' refer to?

The study of how environmental factors can influence genetic expression.

What is the primary goal of the scientific method in psychology?

To systematically ask and answer questions through research.

What is a theory in psychological research?

A well-organized explanation of observed behaviors or events that helps predict future outcomes.

Define hypothesis in the context of psychological research.

A testable prediction derived from a theory that states what results are expected.

What is an operational definition?

A clear, specific, and measurable description of a concept.

What does replicability refer to in research?

The ability of other researchers to repeat a study and obtain similar results.

What is preregistration in psychological research?

Publicly sharing your research plan and hypotheses before collecting data.

List one feature of a good theory.

It effectively organizes observations and leads to clear predictions.

What are descriptive methods in psychological research?

Methods that describe behaviors, often using case studies, naturalistic observations, or surveys.

What is the purpose of correlational methods?

To associate different factors and understand their relationships.

What do experimental methods involve?

Manipulating or varying factors to discover their effects on behavior.

What is a case study?

An in-depth examination of one individual or group.

What is naturalistic observation?

Observing and recording behavior in a natural environment without interference.

Who was Phineas Gage and why is he significant in psychology?

A railroad employee whose brain injury changed his personality, providing insights into brain function.

What happened to Henry Gustav Molaison (H.M.)?

He developed severe amnesia after brain surgery, changing beliefs about memory localization.

What is the Bystander Effect?

A phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present.

What is the purpose of surveys in psychological research?

To obtain self-reported attitudes or behaviors from a representative sample.

What are the types of questions typically asked in surveys?

Questions about behavior, attitudes, characteristics, expectations, self-classification, and knowledge.

What does correlation measure?

The extent to which two events vary together and how well one predicts the other.

What is a positive correlation?

A direct relationship where two variables increase or decrease together.

What is a negative correlation?

An inverse relationship where one variable increases as the other decreases.

What does a correlation coefficient indicate?

The strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, ranging from -1.00 to +1.00.

What is the difference between correlation and causation?

Correlation indicates a relationship but does not prove that one event causes the other.

What is an experiment in psychological research?

A method where researchers vary one or more independent variables to observe effects on a dependent variable.

What is random assignment?

Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance to minimize preexisting differences.

What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

To serve as a baseline for comparison against the experimental group.

What is the placebo effect?

A phenomenon where participants experience changes due to their expectations rather than the treatment itself.

What is a placebo?

A substance with no therapeutic effect used as a control in testing new drugs.

What is a double-blind procedure?

An experimental design where neither the participants nor the experimenters know who is receiving a particular treatment to prevent bias.

What is an independent variable?

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

What is a dependent variable?

The variable that is measured in an experiment; it may change in response to the manipulation of the independent variable.

What is a confounding variable?

A variable other than the independent variable that might influence the study's results.

What is the hypothesis in the screen time experiment?

Participants who spend 2 or 4 hours per day on social media will have increased levels of depression compared to those spending 1 hour per day.

What are operational definitions?

Specific explanations of abstract concepts that a researcher plans to study, defining how variables will be measured.

What is randomization in experimental design?

The process of randomly assigning participants to different conditions to control for confounding variables.

What is the purpose of using control groups in experiments?

To compare results against a baseline and ensure that any observed effects are due to the independent variable.

What are the ethical guidelines for studying humans according to APA?

Researchers must obtain informed consent, protect participants from harm, maintain confidentiality, and debrief participants.

What is the significance of animal research ethics?

Debates exist regarding the moral implications of using animals in research versus the potential benefits for human health.

What is the testing effect?

The improved memory that results from retrieving information rather than simply rereading it.

What does the SQ3R study method stand for?

Survey, Question, Read, Retrieve, Review.

What is the role of psychological principles in everyday behavior?

They help explain general behaviors rather than focusing on specific instances.

What is the biopsychosocial model?

A perspective that sees biological, psychological, and social factors as interconnected influences on behavior.

How many neurons does the adult brain have?

Approximately 86 billion neurons.

What is the significance of synapses in brain development?

The number of synapses per neuron increases dramatically from birth to early childhood, enhancing neural connectivity.

What percentage of the body's energy does the brain use?

The brain accounts for 2% of body weight but uses 20% of the body's energy.

What is the adaptive nature of the brain?

The brain is shaped by experiences and is capable of changing in response to new information.

What is neural communication?

The process by which nerve cells conduct electricity and communicate through chemical messages.

What is the main focus of psychologists working from a biological perspective?

To study the links between biology and behavior.

What is the importance of critical thinking in psychology?

It helps in processing class information actively and evaluating evidence-based suggestions.

What is overlearning?

The process of studying material beyond the point of initial mastery to enhance retention.

What is neuroplasticity?

The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

How does neuroplasticity benefit humans compared to other species?

It enables us to adapt to our changing world more effectively.

What is the role of cultural neuroscientists?

They study how repeated exposure to different traditions, beliefs, and rituals can lead to unique behaviors and brain activation patterns in different cultural groups.

Who is Daniel Kish and what unique ability does he use?

Daniel Kish is completely blind and uses echolocation to navigate, similar to bats and dolphins.

What are the main components of a neuron?

Dendrites, axon, cell body, glial cells, synapse.

What is the function of dendrites?

Fibers that receive and integrate information and conduct it toward the cell body.

What is the axon's role in a neuron?

It is the neuron extension that sends messages to other neurons or to muscles and glands.

Define action potential.

A nerve impulse or electrical signal that travels down an axon.

What are glial cells?

Cells that support, nourish, and protect neurons, providing nutrients and myelin insulation.

What is a synapse?

The junction between the axon tip of a sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of a receiving neuron.

What is the refractory period?

A brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired.

What does the term 'threshold' refer to in neural communication?

The level of stimulation required to trigger an action potential.

What is meant by 'all-or-none response' in neurons?

A neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemicals produced by neurons that cross the synaptic gap to carry messages to other neurons or muscles.

What is reuptake in the context of neurotransmitters?

The reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by the sending neuron.

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

The brain and spinal cord.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

The system that contains all nerves outside the CNS, including sensory and motor neurons.

What is the function of sensory neurons?

They carry incoming messages from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the spinal cord and brain.

What do motor neurons do?

They carry outgoing instructions from the CNS to the body's muscles.

What is the autonomic nervous system (ANS)?

It controls the glands and muscles of internal organs.

What is the sympathetic nervous system responsible for?

It prepares the body for stressful or emergency situations, increasing alertness and energy.

What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?

It conserves energy and promotes relaxation by decreasing heartbeat and blood pressure.

What is the endocrine system?

The body's second communication system, consisting of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.

What are hormones?

Chemical messengers manufactured by the endocrine glands that affect other tissues.

How do neurotransmitters influence our emotions?

Different neurotransmitters carry specific messages that can affect our moods and behaviors.