Comprehensive Psychology Key Concepts: Neuroscience, Development, and Perspectives

Know states of consciousness

Waking, sleeping, dreaming, hypnosis, meditation, and drug-induced states.

Dendrites

Receive messages from other neurons.

Axons

Carry electrical signals away from the cell body.

Schizophrenia in regards to dopamine

Linked to excess dopamine activity.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers between neurons.

Cognitive perspective

Focus on thinking, memory, problem-solving, and mental processes.

Jean Piaget

Psychologist who studied children's cognitive development stages.

In the early years, psychology focused on what?

Structuralism and functionalism.

Paradoxical sleep

REM sleep—active brain, paralyzed body.

Evolutionary perspective

Behavior explained through survival and natural selection.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty coating that speeds neural impulses.

Circadian rhythm

24-hour biological cycle (e.g., sleep-wake).

Humanistic psychologists

Free will, personal growth, and self-actualization.

endocrine system

Hormone-releasing glands.

nervous system

Central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems.

sympathetic nervous system

Activates "fight or flight."

Behavioral perspective and behaviorism

Focus on observable behaviors and learning.

Socio-cultural perspective

culture and society influence behavior

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Applying psychology to workplace behavior.

Psychodynamic

Focus on unconscious drives and early experiences.

Cognitive neuroscience

Study of brain activity linked to mental processes.

Dream

Sequences of images, emotions, and thoughts during sleep.

Relationship between sleep and depression and weight gain

Poor sleep increases depression risk and disrupts metabolism.

Placebo

An inactive substance that has effects due to expectation.

Example of conditioned behavior

A dog salivating at a bell after training.

Freudian psychology

Emphasizes the unconscious and childhood experiences.

Psychodynamic perspective

Modern version of Freud's ideas, focus on unconscious & early life influences.

William James

Founder of functionalism and early American psychology.

Who was an Austrian physician?

Sigmund Freud.

Population

The entire group being studied.

Correlational research

Studies relationships but does not prove causation.

Sleep apnea

Disorder where breathing repeatedly stops during sleep.

Endorphins

Natural pain-relieving neurotransmitters.

REM Sleep

Sleep stage with rapid eye movement and vivid dreams.

1st female president of APA

Mary Whiton Calkins.

Central nervous system

Brain and spinal cord.

William Wundt known for what?

First psychology lab, structuralism, introspection.

Positive Psychology

Study of human strengths and flourishing.

Hypnosis helps to recall memories

No, it can create false memories.

Neuroscience perspective

Study of how brain/biology affect behavior.

Neurons

Nerve cells

Psychology

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Functionalism

Study of how mental processes help us adapt and survive.

Hippocampus memories are stored during sleep

Consolidates memories for long-term storage.