Psychology unit 1 and 2 Test

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Psychology triest to:

Describe, predict, and explain behavior

Top 5 psychological perspectives:

psychodynamic, neuroscience, cognitive, humanistic, behavioral

Neuroscience

studies how the brain and nervous system behavior and mental processes

Cognitive

examines mental processes like thinking, memory, problem-solving, and learning

Behavioral

studies observable behaviors and how they are influenced by environment

Humanistic

emphasizes personal growth, free will, and human potential

psychodynamic

explores how unconscious thoughts and childhood experiences influence behavior 

OPTIC

observe, predict, test, interpret, communicate findings

Theory

a broad explanation and prediction concerning an observation of interest

Hypothesis

a prediction, stemming from a theory, stated in a way that allows it to be tested

Descriptive methods

archival, naturalistic observation, survey, case study

Archival

existing data is examined to test a hypothesis

Naturalistic Observation

an investigator observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change to the situation 

Survey

people chosen to represent a larger population are asking a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, or attitudes

Case study

an in depth, intense investigation of an individual or small group of people. might include psychological testing to gain insight into the personality of the individual or small group

correlational research

the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine if they are associated or correlated 

experimental research

the investigation of the relationship between two (or more) variables by deliberately producing a change in one variable in a situation and observing the effects on the second variable 

Experimental manipuation

the change that an experimenter deliberately produces in a situations

Advantage

the only way psychologists can establish cause-and-effect relationships

Disadvantage

to be valid, requires careful controls

operational definition

the translation of the hypothesis into a specific, testable procedure that can measured and observed 

Neurons

nerve cells are also referred to as neurons. A nerve is a group of neurons. They are adapted to transport electrical impulses around the body

Dendrites

a cluster of fibers at one end of the neuron that receive messages from other neurons 

Glial cells

physically holds the neuron in place, providing nourishment and insulation, and repairs damage

Axon

carries messages received by the dendrites to other neurons

terminal buttons

small bulge at the end that sends messages to received neurons

Myelin sheath

a protective coating of fat and protein that wraps around the axon

All-or-None Law

Neurons follow an all-or-none law meaning that are either on or they are off

Action Potential

an electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron’s axon when it is set off by a “trigger” changing the neurons charge from negative to positive 

Mirror Neurons

specialized neurons that fire not only when a person enacts a particular behavior, but also when a person simply observes another individual carrying out the same behavior

Synapse

the space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages

Neurotransmitters

chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite of a receiving neuron

Excitatory messages

chemical messages that make it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire

inhibitory messages

provide chemical information that prevents or decreases the likelihood that the receiving neuron will fire 

Acetylcholine

helps with learning and memory-its the reason you can remember math formulas

Glutamate

the brains main “go” signal”- it excites neurons and helps strengthen connections

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric Acid)

the main “chill out” signal-it slows things down so you don’t get overstimulated

Dopamine

the reward chemical-releases when you eat your favorite snack, go on a rollercoaster, etc…

Serotonin

the mood stabilizer-helps regulate happiness, calmness, and overall well-being

Endorphins

the bodys natural painkillers-they block pain and create a feel-good rush

Reuptake

when neurotransmitters remain in the synapse, causing ineffective communication between neurons, the reuptake process reabsorbs those neurotransmitters through the sending neuron’s terminal buttons

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

allow certain neurotransmitters to stay active in certain synapses for longer periods of time to reduce symptoms of depression

central nervous system

including the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system

including nerve cells that carry information to and from the central nervous system

Frontal Lobe

Decision-making, planning, self-control, and personality

Parietal Lobe

processes touch, spatial awareness, and math/problem-solving

Temporal Lobe

processes sound, language, and memory

Occipital Lobe

processes vision

Motor Cortex

controls voluntary muscle movements

Sensory cortex

processes touch and physical sensations

Broca’s Area

controls speech production

Wernicke’s Area

understanding language

Thalamus

acts like a relay station sending sensory info to the right parts of the brain

Amygdala

processes emotions especially fear and anger

Hippocampus

stores new memories and helps with learning

Hypothalamus

regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, and hormores

Cerebellum

coordinates balance and movement

corpus callosum

connects the left and right sides of the brain so they can communicate

reticular formation

controls  alertness and attention

ethical guidelines

• protects participants from harm

• respects participants privacy

• ensures voluntary involvement

• informs participants about procedures

• review experiments independently 

informed consent

a document signed by particapents affirming that they have been told the basic outlines of the study and are aware of what the participation will involve

debriefing

after a participation in a study, participants recieve an explanation of the study and the procedures that were involved

somatic division

specializes in the control of voluntary movements and the communication of information ot and from the sense organs 

autonomic division

concerned with the parts of the body that function involuntarily with-out our awareness

sympathetic division

acts to prepare the body in stressful emergency situations, engaging resources to respond to a threat

parasympathetic division

act to calm the body after an emergent situation has engaged the sympathetic division, provides a means for the body to maintain storage of energy sources