AP Psych Unit 7.8 - 8.4

Endocrine System

Glands that produce hormones - responsive to message from hypothalamus of the central nervous system

Hormones

1. Bloodstream (not at synapse)
2. Longer lasting effects

Pituitary Gland

Hormones produced regulate/control the activity of other glands - also secretes growth hormones - responds to hypothalamus

Adrenal Glands

Secretes adrenaline and cortisol

Adrenaline

Elevated arousal during/after jumpscare - redirects bloodflow to major muscles while in bloodstream

Cortisol

Longer term stress hormone (chronic stress)

Pineal Gland

Secretes melatonin controls sleep/wake cycle by responding to light in the environment

Parathyroid Gland

Regulates calcium - either producing more or less parathyroid hormone

Gonads

Testes and ovaries

* Dramatic decrease with age
* Contribute to the development of primary/secondary sex characteristics and overall sex drive

Testes

Hormone: Testosterone

Linked with aggression, fatigue, muscle mass

Ovaries

Hormone: Estrogen

Linked with the reproduction system

Instrumental Aggression

Aggression designed to achieve a goal

Hostile Aggression

Aggression designed to inflict physical or mental harm

Sleep

Roughly every 90 we pass through a full cycle of four distinct sleep stages measured by an EEG

Age Influences Sleep

Older people sleep less than younger people

Genetics Influences Sleep

Identical twins have more similar sleep schedules than fraternal twins

Culture Influences Sleep

Modern lighting, late shifts etc.

Circadian Rhythm

Biological clock of physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24/25-hour day/night cycle

* “Jet lagged” (tiredness after changing time zones

Pathway

1. Light is detected by photoreceptors (light receptors in the eye)
2. Received by the hypothalamus that then regulates the production of melatonin from the pineal gland

EEG Displays: Alpha Waves

Resting with eyes closed, meditation

EEG Displays: Beta Waves

Normal wakeness

NREM 1

10 minute transition between wakefullness and sleep, stage goes away as you sleep longer

Hypogogie Sensation

Sudden “awakening” often with feeling of falling

NREM 2

“Baseline sleep” (50% of sleep) EEG: Theta waves

Sleep Spindles

Short bursts of brain activity

NREM 3

Largely unresponsive/deepest stage when growth hormone is secreted from pituitary gland

EEG: Delta waves

REM (Rapid Eye Movement)

Last stage in a cycle that increases in length over night with varying EEG readings - including some brain activity as being awake


1. Dreaming
2. Strongly believed to improve memory for new information
3. Lack of sleep leads to REM rebound (more times than normal spent in REM)
4. Increased blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing mimic wakefullness
5. But lowered muscle tone (sleep paralysis)

Insomnia

Reoccurring problem falling or staying asleep

Treatment: Mimics the effects of melatonin of GABA

Norcolepsy

Sudden, unwarned (often short) attacks of uncontrollable sleep attacks

Treatment: Stimulants (more brain activity) such as ampthemaines

Sleep Apnea

Momentary stops in breathing with brief awakenings and loud snores

Treatment: Breathing masks

Night Terrors

NREM III Disorder

Episodes of sudden high arousal and appearance of freight during NREM-3 (not a nightmare)

Sleepwalking

NREM III Disorder

Performing actions usually done while conscious (ex. walking) - during NREM-3 (not a dream)

Dreaming

Images, emotions or thoughts that occur during mostly REM sleep while the body is paralyzed

Activation-Synthesis Theory

Brains attempt to make sense of meaningless patterns of neural activity from the (pons) and match it to the cerebral cortex functions

Information Processing

Dreams help us retain new information by sorting days events/stresses and consolidating memories

Psychoanalytic - Wish Fulfillment Theory

Sigmund Freud

Dreams gain insight into unconscious motives

Manifest Content

The plot - what actually happens

Latent Content

Deep symbolic meaning (often sexual)

Heretability

The extent to which the differences among people are attributable to genes

Evolutionary Psychology

Study of orgins of behavior and mental processes emphasizing the adaptive or survival value of such traits

Natural Selection

Charles Darwin

Evolutionary process through which adaptive traits are passed on to ongoing generations and maladaptive are supressed

Genotypic Traits

The genetic makeup as determined by inherited genes (Xx,Yy)

Phenotypic Traits

The physical expression of a genotype (Brown eyes)

Dominant Gene

Expressed if it is present at all (capital letter)

Recessive Gene

Expressed only if it is present twice (lowercase letter)

Sickle Cell Anemia

Carriers of the recessive sickle-cell allele are resistant to malaria

Stress

Process by which we perceive/respond to stressors that were appraised as threatening

Episodic-Acute stress

Prolonged-Chronic stress

General Adaption Syndrome (GAS)

Hans Selye

Three phase reaction to stress

(Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion)

Measured cortisol/blood sugar levels in rats over time

Alarm Phase of General Adaption Syndrome

Immediate response to a stress when the body mobilizes resources to respond

Body response:


1. Activation of sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose levels
2. Secretion of stress hormones. Increased adrenaline from the adrenal glands

Resistance Phase of General Adaption Syndrome

Stress is prolonged but stabilized

Body response:


1. Body copes to sustained arousal
2. Cortisol release is prolonged. Increased blood pressure and heart rate

Exhaustion Phase of General Adaption Syndrome

Body can no longer cope with stress/body changes

Body response:


1. Weakening of immune system - increase vulnerablility to disease, death, flu, collapse, etc

Conflict

Kurt Lewin

Episode of incompatible goals/demands

Approach/Approach Conflict

Having to decide between two appealing possibilities

Avoidance/Avoidance Conflict

Having to decide between two undesirable possibilities

Approach/Avoidance Conflict

When one possibility is both desirable and undesirable

Friedman and Rosenman Study

Defined Type A and Type B personalities

Type A Personality

Hardworking, competitive, aggressive, impatient, anger prone

(70% of heart attacks are from type A personalities)

Type B Personality

Easy going, relaxed

Instinct

An unlearned genetically programmed behavior pattern of complex behavior in an animal species (animals only)

Evolutionary Perspective

Enables survival

Drive-Reduction Theory

Physiological needs create a drive that motivates an organism to satisfy the need in order to return to homeostasis

(water creates thirst)

Homeostasis

Aim of drive-reduction theory - a balanced internal state (body temp)

Primary Drive

Unlearned biological needs for survival (including long-term)

(ex. hunger, thirst, sex, sleep, warmth)

Secondary Drive

Learned drives

(ex. fame, fortune)

Yerkes-Dodson Law of Arousal

Optimal performance occurs when arousal is moderate

Low arousal = too sleepy/fatigue

Medium arousal = optimal

High arousal = too nervous/stressed

Arousal Theory

People seek experiences that match their desired level of physiological arousal

High arousal seekers = skydiving

Low arousal seekers = watch tv

Lateral Hypothalamus

Stimulated after hungry hormone ghrelin is secreted - feel hungry

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

When stimulated - feel full

Set Point Theory

Idea that there is a “set weight” and the body increases hunger when below to restore lost weight

External Hunger Cues

1. Social expectation/seeing food (i already ate at home… actually i will order some fries)
2. Memory of routine

Kinsey Reports

Alfred Kinsey

Conducted first major study of human sexuality

Discovered: both genders were more sexual than expected (homosexual, partners etc.)

Evolutionary Mating: Female Preferences

Due to sex - specific parental demands (breastfeeding)

* commitment
* access to resources
* slightly older

Evolutionary Mating: Male Preferences

Due to identifying fertile mates

* fertility/reproductive validity (youth)
* jealousy shared as adaptive evolutionary function

Affiliation

Need to be with other people - particularly when threatened

Evolutionary Perspective

Reduces anxiety/stress (promoting survival)

Achievement

David McClelland

Developed a scoring system for Thematic Apperception tests to measure achievement motivation based on

* Competitiveness/excellence
* mastery of fairly difficult task (not too easy, not too hard)
* high conscientiousness

Industrial/Organizational Psychologists

Psychologists who study business efficiency/management styles

Facial Expressions

Paul Ekman

Studied: Facial expressions across cultures

Found: There was six basic universal innate emotions (happy, sad, anger, fear, surprise, disgust)

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Paul Ekman

Tendency for facial muscle states to trigger the corresponding feeling

Ex) Smile →triggers → happy

James-Lange Theory

1. Arousing situation
2. Physiological arousal
3. Emotion

Cannon-Bard Theory

1. Arousing situation
2. Simultaneously

* Physiological arousal
* Emotion

Schatcher-Singer Two Factor Theory

Stanley Schachter + Jerome Singer


1. Arousing situation
2. Physiological arousal
3. Cognitive appraisal/labeling of the arousal (“Why is my heart racing?”)
4. Emotion

Mislabeling Arousal

If Schachter is correct…

Amusement Park First Date

Arousing activity (heart racing) → date needs to appraise the arousal → “my heart is racing because im in love” (when it is really just the roller coaster)

Lazarus Cognitive Appraisal Theory

1. Arousing situation
2. Cognitive appraisal/labeling of stimulus (“is this safe?”)
3. Physiological arousal
4. Emotion

Zajonc-LeDoux Theory

Some emotional responses occur instantly in a “short path” while others follow the “cognitive appraisal” path