10/26 exam (units 1-4)

Operational Defintion

A carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study.

Behavior Genetics (p.14,129)

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Cognitive Neuroscience (p.13, 124)

The interdisciplinary of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).

Applied Research (p.24)

Scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.

Positive Psychology (p.16, 605)

The scientific study of human flourishing, with the goals of discovering and promoting strengths and virtues that help individuals and communities to thrive.

Structuralism (p.7)

An early school of thought promoted by Wundt and Titchener; used introspection to reveal the structure of the human mind.

Testing Effect (p.20, 335)

Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply reading, information. Also, sometimes referred to as retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.

Community Psychology (p.25)

A branch of psychology that studies how people interact with their social environment and how social institutions affect individuals and groups.

Functionalism (p.8)

An early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Humanistic (p.11)

A historically significant perspective that emphasized human growth potential.

Empiricial Approach (Empiricism, p.7)

The idea that knowledge comes from experience, and that observation and experimentation enable scientific knowledge.

SQ3R (p.20)

A study method incorporating five steps: survey, question, read, retrieve, review.

Clinical Psychology (p.25)

A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.

Illusory Correlation

Perceiving a relationship where non exists, or perceiving a stronger-than-actual relationship.

Double-Blind Study

An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about wether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo.

Correlation

A measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other.

Dependent Variable

The outcome that is measured; the variable that may change when the independent variable is manipulated.

Standard Deviation

A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean score.

Critical Thinking (p.4)

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Psychology (p.13)

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Scatterplot

A graphed cluster of dots, each of which represents the values of two variables. The slope of the points suggests the direction of the relationship between the two variables. The amount of scatter suggests the strength of the correlation (little scatter indicates high correlation).

Biopsychosocial Psychology (p.17)

An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural viewpoints.

Informed Consent

Giving potential participants enough information about a study to enable them to choose wether they wish to participate.

Independent Variable

The factor that is manipulated; the factor whose effect is being studied.

Survey

A descriptive technique for obtaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.

Experimental Group

In an experiment, the group exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Variable

Anything that can vary and is feasible and ethical to measure.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning an outcome that one could have foreseen it.

Case Study

A descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing things true of us all.

Statistical Significance

A statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

Mode

The most frequently occurring score(s) in a distribution.

Counseling Psychology (p.25)

A branch of psychology that assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving a greater well-being.

Median

The middle score in a distribution.

Neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Sensory Neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Motor Neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Dendrite

a neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

Axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

Myelin Sheath

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Action Potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

Nervous System

the body's speedy, electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

Central Nervous System

the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Somatic Nervous System

a division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles. also called the skeletal nervous system

Autonomic Nervous System

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

Sympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

Parasympathetic Nervous System

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

Endocrine System

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the blood stream.

EEG

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. these waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

CT Scan

a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure

PET Scan

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose go while the brain performs a given task

MRI

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy

shows slices of the brain

fMRI

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure

Brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival survival functions

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Reticular Formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

Cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory

Thalamus

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Limbic System

neural system (includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

amygdala

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
specifically controls fear and agression

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward

cerebral cortex

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

frontal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

parietal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

occipital lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

temporal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

motor and sensory cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements on opposite sides

there is a tissue devoted to each body part

body parts that require most control take up the most space in the cortex

aphasia

impairment of language, usually caused by the left hemisphere damage either to broca's area (impairing speaking) or to wernicke's area (impairing understanding)

broca's area

helps control language expression -- an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

wernicke's area

a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

plasticity

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

corpus collosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

split brain

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

genes

the biochemical units of of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing protein

identical twins

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

fraternal twins

develop from separate fertilized eggs. they are genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, but they share a prenatal environment

heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes. the heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied

natural selection

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in comparison with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations

ADD NEUROTRANSMITTERS

tbd

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gasp between neurons. when released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse

sleep

a periodic, natural loss of consciousness -- as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation

circadian rhythm

our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle

REM sleep

rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state.

NREM sleep

non rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM sleep

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

hyponagogic sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep