psych final

Nervous system

electro-chemical communication system of the body

Nervous system functions?

• send messages from the brain to the body movement

• brings info to brain from senses

Neuron

Nerve cell; basic building block of the nervous system

what are the three basic tasks a neuron performs

1. receive info

2. carry info

3. pass info on to the next neuron

dendrite

branching extensions of a neuron that receive info and conduct impulses towards the cell body (AKA soma)

axon

extension of a neuron in which neural impulses are set

Axon terminal

end point of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored

Action Potential

neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron

how an action potential is created

when a neuron fires, impulse travels down from the dendrites down axon to the axon terminal

what an action potential compared and considered to

• compared to “firing a cannon”

• considered “on” condition of neuron

refractory period

“recharging” phase which after firing the neuron cannot generate another action potential, once finished the neuron can fire again

what can the refractory period be compared to

reloading a cannon

resting potential

state of a neuron when it is at rest and capable of generating an action potential, when the neuron is set and ready to fire

what can the resting potential be compared to

when a cannon is ready to fire

all or none principle

a neuron fires at the same intensity, all action potentials have the same strength, 100%

synapse

tiny fluid filled gap between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendrite of another

what happens in the synapse

the action potential cannot jump the gap

neurotransmitter

chemical messenger that travels across the synapse from one neuron

what does the neurotransmitter influence

whether a neuron will generate an action potential

excitatory effect

neurotransmitter effect that makes it more likely that the receiving neuron will generate an action potential or fire

which neuron is more likely to fire in the excitatory effect

the second one

inhibitory effect

neurotransmitter effect that males it less likely that a receiving will generate an action potential or fire

which neuron is less likely to fire in the inhibitory effect

the second one

receptor cells

specialized cells in every sensory system of the body that can turn other kinds of energy into action potentials (AKA neural impulses) that the brain can process

example of the receptor cells

receptor cells in the eye turn light into a neural impulse that the brain understands

sensory nerves

nerves that carry info from the sense receptors to the spinal cord andbrain

what does the sensory nerves connect

sense organs to the brain and spinal cord

interneurons

nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for processing info

what are the interneurons related to

sensory input and more output

motor nerves

nerves that carry info from the brains and spinal cord to the muslces and glands

what does the motor nerves carry

messages

Central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

what is the brain

location for most info processing

what is the spinal cord

main pathway to and from the brain

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

sensory and motor nerves that connect the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body

what does peripheral mean

outer region

what is the peripheral system subdivied to

the somatic and autonomic systems

Somatic nervous system

controls the bodys skeletal muscles

what does the somatic contain

motor nerves needed for the voluntary muscles

autonomic nervous system

controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs

what are the subdivision of the autonomic nervous system

sympathetic (arousing) parasympathetic (calming)

sympathetic division

part of the system that arouses the body to deal with perceived threats

what does sympathetic control

the fight or flight response

parasympathetic division

division that calms the body

whats does the parasympathetic do

brings the body down to a relaxed state

endrocirne system

one of the two communication systems of the body; a set of glans thay produce hormones chemical messengernes that criculate in the blood

Hormone

chemical messenger that is produced by the endocrine glands anc circulated in the blood

what are hormones similar to

neurotransmitters as they are also messengers, although slower they have longer lasting effects

pituitary gland

controls the other endocrine glands in conjunction with an adjacent brain area

what is the pituitary gland called

master gland

where is the pituitary gland located

base of the brain and connects to the hypothalamus

hypothalamus

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

thyroid gland

endocrine gland which helps regulate the energy level in the body

where is the thyroid gland located

in the neck

adrenal gland

helps to arouse the body during times of stress

what do the adrenal glands release

epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline)

where is the adrenal gland located

just above the kidneys

pancreatic gland

regulates the level of sugar in the blood

sex glands

ovaries (female) testes (male) are the glands that influence sexual behavior and physical development

primary male hormone

testosterone

female hormone

estrogen

Basic research

pure science that aimes to increase the scientific knowledge base

• research w/ the explicit purpose of finding new info

applied research

scientific study that aims to solve practical problems

• research w/ the purpose of using psychology to better the world

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of psychology; opening first lab in 1879 (considered the beginning of the science)

What did wundt do

used introspection, and was the first to use the scientific method to study consciousness

introspection

describing ones conscious experience

edward Titchner

founder of structuralism

what did titchner do

analyzed intensity clarity and quality of the parts of consciousness

what did titchner stress

that psychology was a despcriptive science

structuralism

the theory that the structure of the conscious experience could be understood by breaking down and analyzing the consciousness into its smallest parts

gestalt psychology

psychological perspective that emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of info into meaningful wholes (whole is different from the sum of its parts)

William James

William James is the first American psychologist and

author of the first psychology textbook

what was james the founder of

Founder of functionalism

Functionalism

the theory that emphasized the

functions of consciousness or the ways consciousness

helps people adapt to their environment

Sigmund Freud

the founder

of psychoanalysis

psychoanalysis

controversial theory that believes that abnormal

behavior originated from

unconscious drives and

conflicts

freuds influences

• psychodynamic theory

• unconscious thoughts

• significance of childhood experiences

Ivan Pavlov

russian psychologist, pavlovs dog, classical conditioning, emphasized the study of observable behaviors

John Watson

the founder of behaviorism, alberts rabbit study

behaviorism

the

theory that psychology should restrict its efforts to

studying observable behaviors, not mental processes

what did watson emphasize

Emphasized objective and

scientific methodology

what does behaviorism focus on today

learning through rewards and observation

B.F. Skinner

American behavioral psychologist

who developed the fundamental principles and

techniques of operant conditioning and devised ways to

apply them to the real world

Humanistic Psychology

a perspective that focuses on

the study of conscious experience, the individual's

freedom to choose, and the capacity for personal growth

• Stresses the study of conscious experience and an

individual’s free will

• Healthy individuals should strive to reach their full

potential

• Rejected idea that behavior is controlled by rewards

and punishments

Carl Rogers

a humanistic

psychologist who developed

client-centered therapy

what did rogers stress

the importance of

acceptance, genuineness, and

empathy in fostering human

growth

abraham maslow

a humanistic psychologist who proposed the

hierarchy of needs, with

self-actualization as one of

the ultimate psychological

needs

Jean Piaget

pioneer in the study of developmental

psychology

what did Piaget introduce

a stage theory of cognitive

development that led to a better understanding children’s

thought processes

• Interested in how thinking

develops

• Believed younger children

thought differently that older

children

G. Stanley Hall

the first American with a doctorate in

psychology

G. Stanley Hall

• Opened the first psychology lab in

the United States at John Hopkins

University

• First president of the American

Psychological Association

Mary Whiton Calkins

the first woman to complete

the requirements for a Ph.D. in psychology

• President of the APA in 1905

Margaret Floy Washburn

the first woman to receive

a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States

Francis Cecil Sumner

the first African-American to

receive a Ph.D. in psychology

Inez Beverly Prosser

the first African-American

woman to receive a Ph.D. in psychology

Kenneth and Mamie Philips Clark

researchers whose work

was used in the Brown vs. Board

of Education case that overturned

segregation in schools.

• Educational psychologists

• Studied institutional racism

Cognitive Perspective

a school of thought that focuses

on how people think – how we take in, process, store,

and retrieve information

• Emphasizes how people think about and interpret a

situation

Biological Perspective

a school of thought that focuses

on the physical structures and substance underlying a

particular behavior, thought, or emotion

• Behavior is explained by brain chemistry, genetics,

glands, etc.

Social-Cultural Perspective

a school of thought that

focuses on how thinking or behavior changes in different

situations or as a result of cultural influences

Humanistic Perspective

Behavior is explained as being motivated by satisfying

needs (safety, hunger, thirst, etc.), with the goal of

reaching one’s full potential once basic needs are met

• Focus: How healthy people strive to reach their full

potential

Psychodynamic Perspective

Behavior is explained through unconscious motivation

and unresolved inner conflict's from one’s childhood

• Focus: How behavior is affected by unconscious drives

and conflicts

• Modern version of psychoanalytic perspective