psychology unit 1 and 2

what is psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

what does behavior include

outward or overt actions and reactions (talking, facial expressions, movements)

what are mental processes

internal, covert activity of the mind (thinking, feeling, remembering)

what is a psychologist?

has a doctorate degree; no medical training; can specialize in clinical, counseling, or research

what are the 4 goals of psychology

description, explanation, prediction, control

what is structuralism

focuses on structure or basic elements of the mind; uses objective introspection

what is functionalism

founded by william james; focuses on how the mind allows people to function in the real world; natural selection

what is behaviorism

the science of observable behavior only; founded by john b watson; stimulus response learning

what is gestalt psychology

the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; people naturally seek out patterns

what is psychoanalysis

freuds theory; unconscious mind represses urges; importance of early childhood experiences; id, ego, superego

what is the psychodynamic perspective

modern version of freuds ideas; unconscious influence + early experiences, less focus on sex

what is the humanistic perspective?

emphasizes free will, self-actualization, human potential; founded by maslow and rogers

what is the cognitive perspective

focuses on how people think, remember, store and use information

what is the sociocultural perspective

studies how social groups and culture influence behavior and thinking

what is the evolutionary perspective

explains universal human traits through adaptation and survival value

what is a psychiatrist

a medical doctor who diagnoses and treats psychological disorders and prescribe medicine

what is a psychoanalyst

a psychiatrist or psychologist with special training in freuds theories and psychoanalysis

what is a psychiatric social worker

trained in social work; focuses on environmental factors affecting mental health (poverty, stress)

what are 5 steps of the scientific method?

1. perceive the question 2. form hypothesis 3. test hypothesis 4. draw conclusions 5. report results

what is naturalistic observation?

observing behavior in its natural environment without interference

what is labratory observation

observing in a controlled setting; advantage = control, disadvantage = artificial behavior

what is a case study?

detailed study of one individual; cannot be generalized to others

what is a survey in psychology?

Asking questions to a representative sample; pros = reaches many, cons = bias/inaccurate responses.

what is a correlation

measure the relationship betwwen variables; ranges -1.0 to =1.0; correlation

what are the ethical guidelines for human research?

1. rights vs value to science, 2. informed consent, 3. justify deception, 4. right to withdraw, 5. protect from risks, 6. debrief, 7. confidentiality 

nervous system

a network of cells that carries information to and from all parts of the body

central nervous system cns

consists of the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system pns

all nerves outside the CNS; includes cranial and spinal nerves

neuron

basic functional unit of the nervous system; transmits electrical impulses

neuroglia (glial cells)

supporting cells that nourish, protect, and assist neurons.

dendrites

branches that conduct electrical signals toward the cell body

cell body (soma)

contains the nucleus; provides energy and maintains the neuron

axon

carries electrical signals away from the soma to other cells

synapse

junction between axon of one neuron and dendrite of another

schwann cell

glial cell that produces myelin in the body

myelin sheath

fatty insulating layer around axons that speeds up signal transmission 

nodes of ranvier

gaps in the myelin sheath where impulses “jump” to speed conduction

axon terminals (synaptic knobs)

release neurotransmitter into the synapse

oligodendrocytes

glial cells that produce myelin in the brain and spinal cord.

acetylcholine

stimulates muscles; involved in memory; low levels linked to alzheimers

glutamate

main excitatory neurotransmitter; important for learning and memory

gaba

main inhibitory neurotransmitter; reduces anxiety

serotonin

affects mood, sleep, and appetite; low levels linked to depression

dopamine

involved in movement and pleasure; imbalance linked to Parkinsons and schizophrenia

endorphins

natural painkillers; bodys morphine

spinal cord

bundle of neurons carrying messages between body and brain

reflex arc

connection between sensory, interneurons, and motor neurons for fast reflexes

sensory neuron

carries signals from senses to cns

motor neuron

carries commands from cns to muscles

interneuron

connects sensory and motor neurons in spinal cord

medulla

controls vital functions (breathing, heart rate, swallowing)

pons

involved in sleep, dreaming, and coordination

reticular formation

maintains attention and arousal

cerebellum

coordinates fine motor movements and balance 

thalamus

relay station for sensory information

hypothalamus

controls hunger, thirst, sleep, sex drive; regulates pituitary gland

hippocampus

forms long term memories

amygdala

processes fear and aggression

cortex

outermost brain layer; higher thought and sensory processing

corpus callosum

connects left and right hemispheres

occipital lobe

processes visual information

parietal lobe

processes touch, temperature, and body position

temporal lobe

hearing and language comprehension

frontal lobe

decision making, speech, and voluntary movements

motor cortex

controls voluntary movement

somatosensory cortex

processes touch and body sensations

brocas aphaisa

trouble producing fluent speech

wernickes aphasia

trouble understanding lanuage

spatial neglect

inability to recognize objects on one side

multiple sclerosis ms

immune system damages myelin, disrupting signals

somatic nervous system

controls voluntary muscles

autonomic nervous system

controls involuntary muscles and glands

sympathetic division

fight or flight system; prepares body for stress

parasympathetic division

rest and digest system; restores body after stress

endocrine system

gland system that secretes hormones into the bloodstream

pituitary gland

“master gland”; controls other glands and growth hormone

pineal gland

produces melatonin; regulates sleep cycles

thyroid gland

regulates metabolism

pancreas

controls blood sugar through insulin and glucagon

gonads (ovaries/testes)

regulate sexual development and reproduction

adrenal glands

produce stress hormones and secondary sex hormones

hormone

chemical messenger that affects target cells with matching receptors

why is myelin important

acts as insulation for axons, prevents electrical signals from crossing, and speeding up transmission by allowing impulses to jump from node to node

resting membrane potential

the state of a neuron when not firing; inside is negatively charged (-70 mV) compared to outside. maintained by the sodium-potassium pump (3 Na+ out, 2 K+ in)

action potential

a sudden reversal of electrical charge inside the axon, triggered when threshold is reached. the signal travels down the axon, then the cells resets to resting protential

sending the message to the other cells

axon terminals release neurotransmitters stored in synaptic vesicles into the synapse, where they bind to receptor sites on the next cell

cleaning up the synapse

after neurotransmitter deliver their signal, they either drift away, are broken down by enzymes, or are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron (reuptake)

excitatory neurotransmitter

increases the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire

inhibitory neurotransmitter

decreases the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire

agonist

chemical/drug that mimics or enhances neurotransmitter activity at receptor sites

antagonist

chemical/drug that blocks or reduces neurotransmitter activity

hindbrain

lowest part of the brain; includes medulla, ponds, reticular formation, and cerebellum

reticular formation

network running through brainstem; regulates attetion and arousal

limbic system

group brain structures involved in emotion memory and motivation

cortex

outermost brain layer, responsible for higher thought and sensory interpretation

cerebral hemispheres

left and right halves of the brain, connected by the corpus callosum