Exam 1 Psych 1100

First 1/2 material for Psychology 1100

Dependent variable

The thing we are measuring

Independent variable

The thing we are changing (to test)

Control group

group that does not receive the treatment or intervention

Descriptive research

Naturalistic observation or case studies

Double-blind experiment

where neither the participants nor the researchers know which treatment or intervention participants are receiving until the trial is over

External validity

the extent to which a study's results can be generalized to other populations, settings, and times

Internal validity

how confident researchers can be that the observed outcomes in a study are caused by the IV and not by outside factors (noise)

Longitudinal design

collecting data from the same subjects repeatedly over an extended period

Meta-analysis

a quantitative approach used to synthesize data from several separate but similar studies

Correlational research

Explores direction and strength of relationship between 2 constructs (measured on a scale of -1 to 1)

Positive correlation

Variables move in same direction

Negative correlation

Variables move in opposite direction

Placebo effect

a substance or treatment administered to the control group that has no effect

Random assignment

Ensures each participant has an equal chance of being in any group

Operational definition

a clear and specific explanation of how a concept or variable will be measured, observed, or manipulated in a study

Cross-sectional design

captures a snapshot of a population or phenomenon at a specific moment

Case study

Analysis of one person or small group (beneficial for rare conditions)

Third variable problem

where an observed correlation between two variables may actually be explained by another variable that has not been accounted for

Action potential

a rapid, transient electrical impulse that travels along the membrane of a neuron that tells the neuron to keep communicating or stop

Amygdala

processes emotions, particularly fear, and links them to memory, learning, and survival behaviors

Corpus callosum

The connection between the right and left hemispheres of the brain

Brain stem

Controls automatic functions like breathing, digestion, heart rate, and blood pressure

Frontal lobes

higher cognitive functions, voluntary movement, speech, decision-making, social behavior, and emotional regulation

Hippocampus

involved in memory storage, spatial navigation and learning

Neural networks

Signals being sent from the presynaptic neuron through the synapse to the postsynaptic neuron

Electrical transmission

Signals sent within the neurons using action potentials

Chemical transmission

Signals sent across the neurons using neurotransmitters, synaptic vesicles, and receptors (lock and key)

Hypothalamus

regulates behavior, emotion, and physiological states by linking the nervous and endocrine systems, influencing hunger, thirst, sleep, stress, and emotional responses

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that communicate across a synapse

Neuroplasticity

Brain’s ability to change in response to damage and experience

Central nervous system

brain, spinal cord, and 99% of the nerves/neurons in the body (sensory in —> motor out)

Parasympathetic nervous system

influencing mood, emotions, stress management, and social interactions ("rest and digest" system helps the body recover from stress and maintain balance)

Sympathetic nervous system

involuntary bodily functions, preparing the body to respond to perceived threats or stressors through the fight-or-flight response.

Temporal lobe

memory formation, language comprehension, and emotional processing

Peripheral nervous system

Nerves that extend beyond brain and spinal cord that connects the central nervous system to limbs and organs (somatic and autonomic)

Synapses

Binocular cues

Bottom-up processing

Top-down processing

Cones

Rods

Gestalt psychology

Figure-ground relationship

Opponent-process theory

Priming

Selective Attention

Trichromatic theory

Sensory adaptation

Weber’s law

Latent content

Reticular activating system

Theory of mind

REM sleep

Circadian rhythms

Executive function

Meditation

Emotion-focused coping

General adaptation syndrome

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA)

Problem-focused coping

Positive reappraisal

Theory of planned behavior

Social support

Behavioral medicine

Confirmation bias

Availability heuristic

Hindsight bias

Intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder

Intelligence quotient (IQ)

Representativeness heuristic

Base rate neglect

Functional fixedness

Heuristics

Triarchic theory of intelligence

Broaden-and-build model

Extrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation

Homeostasis

Yerkes-Dodson law

Hierarchy of needs

Display rules

Facial feedback hypothesis

Negative affect

Self-actualization