psych

Contemporary Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Nature vs. Nurture

name for a controversy in which it is debated whether genetics or environment is responsible for driving behavior

humanistic perspective

stressed individual choice and free will, believe we choose most of our behaviors and these choices are guided by physiological, emotional, or spiritual needs, 4 selves, self esteem, self actualization, self image, self concept

Biological Perspective

explain thought and human behavior through biological processes - genes, hormones, neurotransmitters

genetic psychology

explores how genes influence personality and human development

sociocultural perspective

look at how our thoughts and behaviors vary between cultures, emphasize the influence culture has on the way we think and act

evolutionary perspective

examine human thoughts and actions in terms of natural selection, psychological traits that are advantageous for survival will get passed down

cognitive perspective

examine human thought and behavior in terms of how we interpret, process, and remember environmental events

psychoanalytic perspective

believe that the unconscious mind controls much of our thoughts and action, examine the unconscious mind

Behavioral Perspective

explain human thought and behavior in terms of conditioning, look strictly at observable behaviors and responses to different kinds of stimuli

Gestalt Psychology

examines a person's total experience because the way we experience the world is a result of more than just an accumulation of various perceptual experiences

ethics in research

informed consent
minimizing the risk of harm/discomfort
protecting confidentiality
avoiding deceptive practices

scientific attitude

curious, skeptical, humble

Scientific Method

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.

case study

an in depth analysis of a particular individual or group, criticism is cannot be generalized, good because less bias

experiment

A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

Natural Observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

survey

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

Medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain, involved with facial expressions

Cerebellum

coordinates voluntary movement and balance

reticular formation

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal and ability to focus

thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, 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

hypothalamus

controls metabolic functions , body temperature, libido, hunger, thirst, endocrine system, and biological rhythms

Amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for permanent storage in the cerebral cortex.

pituitary gland

master endocrine gland

limbic system

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

cerebral cortex

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

left hemisphere

controls right side of body, more active during logic and sequential tasks

right hemisphere

controls left side of body, more active during spatial and creative tasks

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

hemispheric lateralization

Functional differences between left and right hemispheres
Each cerebral hemisphere performs certain functions that are not ordinarily performed by the opposite hemisphere

corpus callosum

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

association area

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

frontal lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement

prefrontal cortex

directs thought processes, important in predicting consequences, pursuing goals, maintaining emotional control, and engaging in abstract thought, front part of cerebral cortex

Broca's area

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

Wernicke's area

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

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements, back of frontal lobe

parietal lobe

contains the sensory cortex, important for touch sensations from the body because it contains the sensory cortex

sensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

occipital lobe

back of brain, interpret messages from our visual cortex

temporal lobe

process sound sensed by our ears

brain stem

automatic survival functions

Plasticity

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

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

Reuptake

reabsorption of a neurotransmitter by a neurotransmitter transporter after the neural impulse is transmitted

nervous system

brings information from our senses to the brain, composed of CNS and PNS

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord, all nerves within bone

peripheral nervous system

all nerves not encased in bone, composed of autonomic nervous system and somaticnervous system

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles, motor cortex sends impulses to the somatic nervous system

autonomic nervous system

controls automatic functions of the body, heart, lungs, internal organs, glands, etc. composed of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

sympatheic nervous system

mobilizes bodies response to stress, Ex. accelerates heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration and slows other functions such as digestion

parasympathetic nervous system

causes our body to slow after a stress response

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT or CT)

uses several X-ray cameras that rotate around the brain and combine all the pictures into a detailed three-dimensional picture of the brain's structure

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

brain-imaging method using radio waves and magnetic fields of the body to determine density and location of brain material and create detailed images of the brain

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

measures how much of a certain chemical (ex. glucose) parts of the brain are using

Weber's Law

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount)

sensation and perception

focus on the physical systems and psychological processes that allow us to experience the world

selective attention

the capacity for or process of reacting to certain stimuli selectively when several occur simultaneously.

absolute threshold

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

gestalt

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes.

Esp

the controversial claim that perception can occur apart from sensory input; includes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition

telepathy

mind-to-mind communication- one person sending thoughts to another or perceiving another's thoughts

clairvoyance

the power to see things that cannot be perceived by the senses

precognition

perceiving future events, such as a political leader's death or a sporting event's outcome

Ivan Pavlov

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

John Watson

Early behaviorist; famous for the "Little Albert" experiments on fear conditioning

B.F. Skinner

behaviorist that developed operant conditioning, skinner box

Edward Thorndike

behaviorism; Law of Effect - behavioral responses that were most closely followed by a satisfying result were most likely to become established patterns and to occur again in response to the same stimulus, operant conditioning

Albert Bandura learning

emphasized modeling, Bobo doll study - children are willing to imitate the behavior of adults in particular aggression, self efficacy and reciprocal determinism

Reciprocal determinism

a person influences the environment and the environment influences them

self efficacy

an individual's belief in their capacity to act in the ways necessary to reach specific goals

classical conditioning

people and animals can learn to associate neutral stimuli with stimuli that produce involuntary responses and will learn to respond similarly to the new stimulus as they did to the old one

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Continuous reinforcement

presents reinforcer every time after the desired behavior

fixed ratio reinforcement

reinforcement is delivered after a set number of responses

fixed interval reinforcement

reinforcement is delivered after a behavior is performed following the passage of a fixed amount of time

variable ratio reinforcement

learning

reinforcement is delivered after a variable number of responses

variable interval reinforcement

reinforcement is delivered after a behavior is performed following the passage of a variable amount of time

Skinner box

a box that has a way to deliver food to an animal and a lever to press or disk to peck in order to get food

Ebbinghaus

forgetting curve, serial position effect, spacing effect

Broca

left frontal lobe: associated with expressive language

short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten

long-term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

mnemonics

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

flashbulb memory

A clear and vivid long-term memory of an especially meaningful and emotional event. Ex. 9/11

mood congruency of memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood

prototype

a mental image or best example of a category

Algorithm

A methodical, logical rule or procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

heuristics

shortcut strategies or guidelines that suggest a solution to a problem but do not guarantee an answer

mental set

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for his "Hierarchy of Needs" and the concept of "self-actualization"

homeostasis

A tendency to maintain a balanced or constant internal state; the regulation of any aspect of body chemistry, such as blood glucose, around a particular level

incentives

a positive or negative environmental stimulus that motivates behavior

Yerkes-Dodson Law

the principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases

set point

the point at which an individual's "weight thermostat" is supposedly set. When the body falls below this weight, an increase in hunger and a lowered metabolic rate may act to restore the lost weight.