PSYC 1 - Exam #1 Study Guide (Chapters 1 - 4)

Professor's Email

[e-mail]

Professor's Office Hours

Tuesday & Thursday, 12-1pm

Professor's Office Location

DMH 313

Course Webpage

Canvas

Classroom Protocol

1. Attendance is strongly recommended with careful note taking

2. Be considerate of others and the instructor if you must show up late or leave early

3. Laptops are allowed only on the outer two sections

4. Cellphones are not allowed at any time

5. Engage in professional communication especially in emails

Penalty for not completing Research Participation requirement

You lose 6% of your grade (55 points)

Only form of extra credit

By completing all 13 chapters of the homework assignments, the 14th chapter is extra credit

Policy on bathroom breaks during exams

No bathroom breaks allowed during exams

Late work penalty

Assignments turned in after the deadline result in losing 3-4 points immediately and

additionally losing 3-4 points per day

Make-up exams

No makeup exams unless you have a valid medical excuse

Electronics Policy

- No cellphones allowed at any time

- Laptops are allowed only on the outer two sections of the classroom

University Policy on Academic Integrity

Requires honesty in all academic coursework

Exam #1 Date

September 18

Research Participation Hour Date

October 1

Writing Assignment #1 Date

October 2

Exam #2 Date

October 30

Writing Assignment #2 Date

November 13

Research Participation Hours and/or Alternative Assignment Date

December 4

Final Exam Date

December 16

Policy on Changing Final Exam Date due to 3 or more other exams in a day

If you have 3 finals in one day, let one instructor know 3 weeks in advance and provide evidence from your syllabus as proof

Is the mind adaptive and evolved

Yes

Where do the roots of psychology lie

In Philosophy and Physiology & Medicine

What is Mind-Body Dualism

The view that the mind (non-physical) and the body (physical) exist as separate entities

Tabula rasa

The notion that individual human beings are born "blank" and their identity is defined entirely by events after birth

Natural Selection

Feedback process where nature favors one design over another,

depending if it has an impact on reproduction

Scientific Method

a critical thinking process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions

Max Weber

A German political economist and sociologist who is considered one of the principal architect of modern social science

Gustav Fechner

A German philosopher, physicist, and experimental psychologist. An early pioneer in experimental psychology and founder of psychophysics

Charles Darwin

An English Natural scientist who laid down a framework for the theory of evolution

Weber-Fechner Law

States that the change in a stimulus that is just barely noticeable is a constant ratio of the original stimulus

Historical Schools of Thought

1. Evolutionary Theory

2. Structuralism

3. Functionalism

4. Gestalt

5. Behaviorism

6. Psychoanalysis

7. Cognitive Revolution

8. Drug Treatment

9. Evolutionary Psychology

10. Neuroscience

Evolutionary Theory

Based on natural selection, it is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits

Structuralism

The methodology that elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or structure. It works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel

Functionalism

a school of thought, pioneered by William James, that focuses on the purpose and function of mental processes and behaviors rather than just their structure

Gestalt

means form, shape, or pattern

Behaviorism

psychology is only a true science if only examining observable behavior, no influence by ideas, thoughts, feelings, or motives

Psychoanalysis

A clinically based approach to understanding and treating psychological disorders; assumes that the unconscious mind is the most powerful force behind thought and behavior

Cognitive Revolution

The roughly twenty year period during the 1950's and 1960's when cognitivism became the dominant approach to psychology

Drug Treatment

for controlling pain if endorphins, thoughts, and feelings are not enough

Evolutionary Psychology

A theoretical approach to psychology that attempts to explain useful mental and psychological traits as the result of evolution and natural selection

Neuroscience

The study of how the nervous system develops, its structure, what it does, and its impact on behavior and cognitive (thinking) functions

Major Subdisciplines in Psychology

1. Cognitive

2. Developmental

3. Social

4. Clinical

5. Personality

6. Industrial

7. Education

8. Health

9. Biopsychology (Behavioral Neuroscience)

Cognitive Psychology

How we perceive, remember, and think

E.g., what causes memory loss?

Developmental Psychology

Studies the way thought, feeling, and behavior develop through the lifespan (from infancy to death)

E.g., can children remember experiences from their first year of life?

Social Psychology

how real or imagined presence of others influence how we feel, think, or do

E.g., when and why do people behave aggressively?

Clinical Psychology

diagnoses and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders

E.g., what causes depression?

Personality Psychology

studies uniqueness of individuals

E.g., what are the underlying factors of personality

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Examines the behavior of people in organizations & attempts to help solve organizational problems.

E.g., what motivates workers to do their jobs efficiently?

Education Psychology

Examines psychological processes in learning and applies psychological knowledge in educational settings.

E.g., why do some children have trouble learning to read?

Health Psychology

Examines the psychological factors involved in health and disease.

E.g., are certain personality types less vulnerable to disease?

Biopsychology (Behavioral Neuroscience) Psychology

Investigates the physical basis of psychological phenomena. Seeks to understand the mind through understanding the electrical and chemical activity of the nervous system.

E.g., how are memories stored in the brain?

Steps of the Scientifc Method/Research Process

(O-P-T-I-C) Observe, Predict, Test, Interpret, and Communicate

Empirical

based on thoughts and observation/experience

Scientific Attitude

Being honest, thinking critically, respecting evidence, and questioning authority

Pseudo-science

- Claims to be a science

- Lacks cumulative progress

- Lack of skepticism

- Vague explanations for how conclusions were reached

- Loose and distorted logic

Hypothesis

a specific, informed, and testable prediction of the outcome of a particular set of conditions in a research design

Variable

Anything that changes or varies

Independent Variable

What you are manipulating; an attribute that is measured by the experimenter while other aspects

of the study are held constant

Dependent Variable

What you are measuring; the outcome, response, or attribute that changes as a consequence of

variation in the independent variable

Naturalistic/Field Study Design

Describe: What is X?

Correlation Design

Determine relationships: Is X related to Y?

Correlation Relationship

Relationships do not equal causation

Correlation Coefficients

- If one variable increases, what happens to the other variable?

- Ranges between -1.0 to +1.0

- Closer to 0 = Less of a relationship

- Closer to -1/+1 = Better the relationship

Experiment Design

Determine cause and effect: Does X cause Y?

- Random assignment of participants to control and experimental groups

- Experimental control: Manipulation of independent variable

- Outcome variable: Dependent Variable

Validity and Reliability

A test is valid if it measures what it is supposed to measure. It is consistent if repeated outcomes of the test is the same.

What do you do once you have the data?

1. Organize and summarize: Averages and variability

2. Draw conclusions using statistics to rule out chance as an explanation: Use statistics and probability to rule out that findings were due to chance

Principles of Evolution

1. All receiving structures and forms change (usually but not always

gradually) over long periods of time

2. Evolution is "change over time infrequency which particular genes

occur within a breeding species"

3. Genetic changes create new structures

Four species of humans (homo-)

1. Homo Habilis (2.4 million - 1.5 million years ago)

2. Homo erectus (1.6 million - 100,000 years ago)

3. Home neanderthalensis (75,000 years ago)

4. Homo sapiens sapiens (Us, modern humans)

Structure of the DNA

1. Cell

2. Nucleus

3. Chromosome

4. Histones (Coils of DNA)

5. Gene

6. AT-CG base pairs

Cell

The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism

Nucleus

Contains the majority of a cell's genetic material

Chromosome

A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

Histones

DNA tightly coiled many times around proteins that support the structure of chromosomes

Gene

A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring

AT-CG base pairs

Main ingredients of DNA.

- A: Adenine

- G: Guanine

- T: Thymine

- C: Cytosine

Monogenic transmission (Single-gene)

The heredity passing on of traits determined by a single gene

Polygenic transmission

The process by which many genes interact to create a single characteristic

Indirect effect of genes on behavior

Genes have very little direct effect on a person's behavior

General process from genes to behavior

Genes => Proteins => Physiological systems => Behavior

Genome

All the genetic information in DNA

Phenotype

The set of observable characteristics of an individual

E.g., Heigh, eye color, hair color

Heritability

How much of the variation seen in a certain trait within a population can be attributed to genetic variation, as opposed to environment

E.g., twin adoption studies which compare pairs of fraternal and identical twins

Epigenetics

Genetic influence is not permanently determined at birth. What we do and experience turns on/off our genetics

Glial cells (myelin)

Cells of the CNS that facilitates neural transmission, provides structural support, and holds neurons in place and provide them with nourishment

Neurons

Nerve cells that process and transmit information throughout the nervous system

Three kinds of neurons

1. Sensory Neurons

2. Motor Neurons

3. Interneurons

Sensory Neurons

Sensory neurons receive incoming sensory information from the sense organs (eyes, ears, skin, tongue, and nose)

Motor Neurons

Take commands from the brain and carry them to the muscles of the body. Intentional or unintentional, each time you move any muscle in your body, motor neurons are at work

Interneurons

Communicate only with other neurons.

Most common kind of neuron in the brain

Interneurons which outnumbers the other two types by at least 10 to 1

Three major principles of neuroscience

1. Neurons are the building blocks of the nervous system

2. Information travels within a neuron in the form of an electrical signal by active potentials

3. Information transmitted between neurons by means of chemicals called neurotransmitters

Anatomy of a neuron

Soma

Also known as the cell body, it contains a nucleus and other components needed for cell maintenance and function

Axon

A long rod/projection that transmits electrical impulses towards the adjacent neuron

Dendrites

Finger-like projections that receive incoming messages from other neurons

Synapse

A gap/junction between the axon and the adjacent neuron

Terminal button

Located in each synapse at the end of an axon, it contains tiny sacs of neurotransmitters. When electrical impulses reaches the terminal button, it releases neurotransmitters into the gap between neurons

Neurotransmitters

Information transmitted between neurons

Synaptic Cleft

Gap between neurons

Resting potential of a neuron

Inactive; the difference in electrical charge between the inside and outside of the axon when the neuron is at rest

- More negative charge inside membrane due mostly to negatively charged anions A-