Psychology Chapters 1-3

Psychology’s “parents” are __________ and __________

philosophy & physiology

The term __________ refers to mental processes like thinking and memory.

cognition

The careful, systematic self-observation of one’s own conscious experience is called

introspection

A __________ is a system of interrelated ideas used to explain observations.

theory

The father of psychology is __________ and he made ___________ in the year

Wilhelm Wundt

When a sample does not represent the population, this is called __________ bias.

sampling bias

Repeating a study to see if results hold up is called __________.

replication

The __________ of a correlation tells you the direction of the relationship.

sign

The numerical index of how strongly two variables are related is the __________.

correlation coefficient

Individual nerve cells are called __________

neuron

The long fiber that sends signals away from the soma is the __________.

axon

The insulating fatty substance around some axons is the __________.

myelin sheath

The stable negative charge of an inactive neuron is the __________.

resting potential

The division of the nervous system that mobilizes the body for emergencies is the

sympathetic division

The CNS is made up of the __________ and __________.

brain and spinal cord

The PNS is made of two divisions: the ________ nervous system and the _________nervous system

somatic nervous sytem and autonomic nervous system

The largest and most complex part of the brain is the __________.

the cerebrum

Thread-like strands of DNA that carry genetic info are called __________.

chromosomes

Cells that provide support for neurons are __________.

glia

The junction where info passes from one neuron to another is the _________

synapse

The four lobes of the cerebral cortex are: __________, __________, __________, __________

frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobe

The hindbrain consists of the __________, __________, and __________.

medulla, pons and cerebellum

The forebrain part regulating basic biological needs is the __________.

hypothalamus

Explain what makes a control group different from an experimental group.

experimental group is exposed to the independent variable to observe its effect, the control group serves as a baseline or comparison group.

Define an independent variable vs. a dependent variable. Give an example.

IV is the factor that os changes or manipulated while the DV is the factor that os measured to see if it changes in response of the IV effect.

List the main parts of nervous tissue:

neurons, soma, dendrites, axon, glial

What does it mean if a finding is replicated?

other researchers have used the same or similar methods to conduct the study and have obtained consistent results

Why are operational definitions important?

they provide clear, specific, and measurable criteria for variables, enhancing clarity, reliability, and validity

What is the halo effect in research?

when someones overall evaluation spills over to influence more specific things.

What do glia do?

provide support, protection, and nourishment to neurons

What are neurotransmitters?

chemical messengers that neurons use to transmit signals across a tiny gap called a synapse to other neurons, muscles, or glands

What is the endocrine system responsible for?

regulating nearly all bodily processes through chemical messengers called hormones.

Name one ethical principle in human research.

respect for persons

What does positive psychology focus on?

focuses on the character strengths and behaviors that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose

What three types of studies help us understand heredity vs. environment?

twin studies which compare monozygotic and dizygotic twins, adoption studies who compare the individuals to their biological adoptive families, and family studies which examines traits across generations of a family to identify patterns of inheritance and shared environments.

What is the difference between psychiatry and clinical psychology?

psychiatrists are medical doctors that can prescribe medication and use medical interventions, while psychologists are non medical professionals who specialize in non medical treatments and assessments.

What is social desirability bias?

tendency of individuals to provide answers that are perceives as socially acceptable or favorable, rather than theoretical true thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

List the seven major themes in psychology

empirical, theoretically diverse, evolvesmin a sociohistorical context, behavior is shaped by cultural heritage, heredity & environment jointly influence behavior, peoples experience of the world is subjective

What branch of the nervous system controls “rest and digest”?

parasympathetic nervous system

What does a double-blind procedure control for?

keeps both participant and researchers from knowing what the main point of the experiment is

Name two benefits of animal research in psychology.

treatments can be given & they have led to many advances in the treatments of mental neuromuscular and other disorders.

What does each lobe of the brain do?

Frontal: controls voluntary movements, processes emotions, regulates decision making/planning, problem solving & reasoning