Psych Chapter 1,2,12

Father of Psychology

William Wundt

Structuralism

• focuses on the thought process + the structure of the mind

• Edward Titchner

Functionalism

• focuses on the function of mental processes and adapting an individual to an environment

• William James

Psychoanalytic

• the concept of consciousness

• Sigmund Freud

Behaviorism

• Emphasizes objective, observable, environmental influences on overt behavior

• Watson, Pavlov, and Skinner

Humanistic Perspective

• emphasizes positive qualities, capacity for growth, free will, and self actualization

• Carl Rodgers+Abraham Maslow

Cognitive Perspective

interests in areas of thought, perception, and information processing

Neuroscience/Biopyschology

explores the role of biological factors such as genetics and biological brain processes

Evolutionary Psychology

• Charles Darwin

• emphasizes the importance of adaption, reproductions, and survival of the fittest in explaining behaviors

Sociocultural Perspective

looks at ways in which social and cultural environments influence behavior

Psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

• Ex: behavior= walking, mental process= emotions

Empirical Evidence

facts, data, observations

Critical Thinking

objectively process data, analyze, compare, ask questions

4 Goals of Pyschology

• Description: to describe particular behaviors by careful scientific observations

• Explanation: Explain behaviors by conducting experiment to determine their causes

• Prediction: to predict when a behavior being studied will occur in the future

• Change: the change an inappropriate behavior or circumstances psychology investigates behavior with applied or basic research.

Natural Selection

The process by which inviduals with heritable traits that make them better suited to their environment are more likely to survive + reproduce + passing on those favorable traits to their offspring

Basic vs. Applied Psychology

• Basic: conducted to study theoretical questions without trying to solve a specific problem

  • studying perception and memory

• Applied: Utilizes the principles and discoveries of psychology for pratical purposes attempting to find solutions to real world problems

  • clinical interventions for mental health

Scientific Method

1. Conceptualize a problem: broad idea to explain something, hypothesis is an idea that is a testable prediction

2. Collect research information (data): Who are the subjects, how many subjects, how the subjects were selected, RANDOM SAMPLING

3. Analyze the data

4. Draw Conclusions: What did we learn

Counseling vs. Clinical psychologists

• Counseling: helping clients with life changes, stress, and overall personal functioning

• Clinical: diagnose + test serious mental illness and psychological disorders

What is a Theory

• a scientific theory: a well-tested and verified explanation that provides a framework for understanding observations

  • hypothesis: relates because it could develop into a theory if it is repeatedly supported by scientific evidence

Hindsight Bias

the tendency to overstimulate ones ability to have predicted an outcome after the event already occured

Experimental Research

carefully controlled scientific procedure that involves manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect

• independent variable: factors the experimenter manipulates

• dependent variable: measurable behaviors of the participants

• experiment group: has independent variable applied to them

• control group: all participants are treated the same was as the experimental group except the independent variable is not applied

APA Guidelines

• important so the subjects are not taken advantage of

• Human:

  • informed consent

  • voluntary participation

  • debriefing + deception

  • confidentiality

  • students as subjects

• Animals

  • have to be ethical

  • proper care (Ex: hygiene, ventilation, water, food, clean shelter)

3 Research Methods

1. Experimental: carefully controlled scientific procedure that involves manipulation of variables to determine cause and effect

2. Descriptive: Naturalistic observation: observing behaviors in a natural setting, survey: questioner sent to a group of people, case study: in-depth study of a single research subject

3. Correlational Research: degree of relationship between variables, stronger relationship = the more you can predict; 3 types: positive, negative, zero

Safeguards

1. Experimenter Bias: Experimenters expectations influences the outcomes of the research

2. Double-blind study - neither the experimenter nor the participants know if they are the control group or experiment group. Placebo: control (fake pill) vs. experiment (real pill); placebo effect: someone in the control group takes the medication and believes they got the real thing and results show it.

3. Sample bias - sample size does not represent the larger population

4. Random Selection - equal opportunity to be in control or experiment group

5. Participant Bias - experiment is influenced by what the participant thinks they are supposed to do.

neuroplasticity

the brains ability to change and adapt by forming new connections and weakening old ones through structural and functional changes in neurons and systems

3 Types of neurons

• Sensory: detect internal and external stimulus and send that information to the brain

• Motor: receive commands from the brain and send those commands to muscles

• Interneuron: connect neuron to the next

Dendrites

small branching structures attached to the cell body that receive information from other neurons and transmit information to the cells

Soma (Cell body)

determines information to send to the axon

Axon

carries info away from the cell body towards other neurons or to muscles or glands

Myelin Sheath

an insulator that speeds up the messages between neurons, it is wrapped around the axon

Terminal button:

located at the end of the axon and contain neurotransmitters

Synapse

gap between terminal buttons of one neuron and dendrites of another

Neurotransmitters

effect emotions, learning, memory, motivation, can contribute to many diseases, promotes sleep. carries chemical signals from one neuron to next target cell

• Ex: Dopamine: increases movement, learning, attention, and emotion

  • Malfunctions of dopamine: oversupply linked to schizophrenia + undersupply linked to tremors+decreased mobility in parkinsons disease

Reuptake

a neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain (protected by skull) + Spinal Cord (sends messages up+down)

• Reflex: involuntary, automatic movement

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

• Includes all the nerves going to and from the brain and spinal cord

• somatic nervous system: recieves information from the senses and sends commands to the voluntary muscles

• automatic nervous system: controls involuntary tasks like breathing, digestion, and heart rate

parasympathetic vs.sympathetic

• parasympathetic: dominant when you are at rest/relaxed, not under physical+mental stress, dominant most of the time

• sympathetic: takes over when under physical/mental stress, increases heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, slows down digestion, flight or fight instinct

Endocrine System

the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into bloodstream

How is brain activity recorded?

• EEG: an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across brains surface, these waves are measured by electrodes on the scalp

• MRI: a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer generated images of soft tissue, shows brain anatomy

Pons

responsible for your ability sleep, involved with waking, sleeping, and dreaming

Medulla

controls automatic bodily functions, breathing + heart rate

Reticular Formation

network of neurons responsible for screening incoming information + arousing the cortex

Cerebellum

responsible for maintaining smooth muscle movement and balance

Thalamus

lies at the top of brain system, serves as a major sensory relay center for the brain

Hypothalamus

helps regulate your emotions, body temperature, basic drives (hunger, sex, aggression, thirst)

Hippocampus

responsible for forming and storing memories

Amygdala

the emotional center of the brain, responsible for producing and controlling emotional behavior, especially aggression + fear

Cerebral Cortex

deals with higher mental functioning such as thinking + planning, the outer cover of the brain

Corpus Callosum

connects the left and right side of the brain, a band of tissue

Frontal Lobe

front of your brain, higher function, reasoning, processing information, controls voluntary speech and movement, self-awareness, critical thinking

Parietal Lobe

top towards the back, receiving area for sensory information from your limbs and skin

Occipital Lobe

in the back above cerebellum, involved in visual sensation and information processing, including motion, color, and shape

Temporal Lobe

functions work with hearing and language, right + left sides of the brain by temples

Association Areas

helps the brain interpret + integrate and act on information from other parts of the brain, quiet areas

Phineas Gage

suffered from traumatic brain injury, damage to frontal lobe, suffered personality changes

If corpus callosum is severed…

the brain can still operate, but the left and right side cannot effectively share information, this can affect coordination, difficulties with speech

Stress

the bodies nonspecific response to a demand made on it

7 major sources of stress:

1. cataclysmic

2. chronic stressors

3. life changes

4. hassles

5. occupational burnout

6. frustration

7. conflict

cataclysmic

a major stressful event that effects a large group

• Ex: war, bombing

chronic stressors

long duration or frequent reoccurrence

• Ex: injury, illness, family

Life changes

a big event that happens in your life

• Ex: moving, new job

Hassles

daily stressors, could be anything

• Ex: traffic, going to class, what to wear, homework

Occupational Burnout

a state of psychological and physical exhaustion resulting from chronic exposure to high level of stress and lack of personal control

• Ex: working conditions are very hard

Frustration

unpleasant tension and anxiety, usually result of a blocked goal

• Ex: slow drivers, homework, people

Conflict

forced choice between two or more incompatible goals

• approach/approach: has to choose between two attractive choices, but can only pick one

• avoidance/avoidance: have to choose between two bad choices

• avoidance/approach: a single option or circumstance that has both positive characteristics

Hans Selye

created general adaption syndrome

• the bodies reaction to prolonged stress

General Adaption Syndrome

1. Alarm reaction: temporary state of shock, high alert, sympathetic nervous system is activated

2. Resistance: hormones are being released to protect the body, SNS working but not at full capacity

3. Exhaustion: too long exposed to stressor = more susceptible to illness

Stress affect on illness

• Cancer: stress can complicate cancer, more vulnerable and body has harder time fighting it off

• Cardiovascular disease: major cause is when artery is blocked by fat → released from cortisol → which is released from stress

Type A vs. Type B

• Type A = uptight, driven

• Type B = messy lazy

• A is more susceptible to illness, bc higher heart rate due to stress

Health Psychology

the study of the relationship between psychological behavior + physical health illness

Hardiness

personality style that is characterized by a sense of commitment, control, and perception of problems as challenges

PTSD

• A event that either happens to you or you witnessed that causes a trauma stress related response

• Can experience nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia, terror

• Seen a lot in veterans → shell shock

BAL/BAC

how much contents/level of alcohol is in your blood

Binge drinking

• Male drinks 5 or more drinks OR woman drinks 4 or more drinks in a row on at least 3 different occasions during a 2 week period of time

Parts of brain affected by alcohol

1. reason, intellect, judgement

2. emotions

3. motor activity

4. semi-voluntary functions (blinking, swallowing)

5. involuntary functions (stomach + digestive system issues)

6. vital functions (shut down functions that keep us alive)

Chronic Pain

continious or recurrent pain over a perios of 6 months or longer

• makes people more irritable

Treatments for Chronic Pain

1. behavior modification: checking in without asking “how is your pain today?”

2. biofeedback: helps teach breathing + relaxing exercises that will help reduce pain

3. relaxtion techniques: breathing exercises that help focus on other things than the pain

Problem-focused coping

dealing with stress by taking actions to change or eliminate the source of the problem

Emotion-focused coping

dealing with stress by managing your emotional response to the situation rather than the situation itself