Psych 1000 MUN Midterm 1

Behaviour

Anything an organism does (directly observable)

Mental Processes

internal, subjective experiences we infer from behaviour ex: thinking, emotions

Metaphysics

Study of reality

Epistemology

study of knowledge

Hippocrates

Said the brain is the true organ of mental life. Personality arises from blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm

John Locke

Tabula Rasa (blank slate). Knowledge is learned

Aristotle

Said mind and body are the same and knowledge is learned

Rene Descartes

Said mind and body are distinct but interact. Reflex arc. Thought brain controlled body via fluids in tubes

Johannes Muller

Nerves contain energy=sensations

Herman von Helmholtz

Speed of neural impulses are not instantaneous

Gustav Fechner

Described mathematical relationships between physical stimuli and perception

Wilhelm Wundt

Pioneered field of psych as a science. First lab in 1879. Wrote the first psych textbook. Said conscious mind made of simple components

E.B. Titchener

Said structural elements of mind made up of fundamental elements combined to form overall structure. "Structuralism"

Introspection

Self-report method with limits due to the need of very specific people

William James

"Functionalism" function of processes and how they are adaptive

Max Wertheimer

Gestalt psychology. We perceive thing as whole perceptual units

Sigmund Freud

(who) Psychoanalysis (a clinical technique) and impact of early unconscious experiences on mind and behaviour. Was non-scientific

John B. Watson

"Behaviourism" studies only observable behaviour, not mental processes

B. F. Skinner

All behaviour is shaped by experience

Humanistic Psychology

Emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the importance of meeting their needs for love and acceptance

Cognitive Psychology

Focusing on internal thought processes. Studying how we perceive, process and remember information

Karl Lashley

Brain function in relation to structure

Behavioural genetics

The study of the influence of gene expression on the development of the brain and its control of human behaviour

Evolutionary psychology

The study of how the process of evolution has shaped our brain and expression of behaviour

Behaviourist

Studies observable behaviour. Relationships between stimuli and responses and consequences

Humanist

To help people reach their full potential (positive growth)

Neuroscience/Psychological

The neural correlates (causes) of behaviour and mental processes

Cognitive

How we encode, process, store and retrieve information

Social-Cultural

How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

Evolutionary

Examines the adaptive nature of inherited behaviour

Three Main Branches of Psychology

Clinical and Counselling psychology, Academic, and Applied

Core tenets of science

1.) There are natural laws that govern the universe (behaviour, thought processes)

2.) Such laws are discoverable and testable

Hypothetico-deductive

A combination of inductive and deductive reasoning (Thomas Kuhn)

Inductive Reasoning

Involves making generalizations from specific observations ex: all tulips are red

Deductive Reasoning

Applies general principles to specific cases ex: here is a tulip so it must be a flower

Hypothesis

A tentative statement which may be true or false

Theories

1.) Explain a large set of observations

2.) Generate testable hypotheses

3.) Can be refuted or supported

Variables

Conditions or events that may influence a behaviour or mental state

Case HM

Had severe epilepsy in his 20s. Doctors removed parts of his temporal lobe. He was unable to form new memories after surgery but motor memories were intact

Surveys

Asks people about their behaviours and have a target group or population

Naturalistic Observation

Watching and receding the behaviour of organisms in their natural environment

Double blind procedure

Neither the experimenter nor the subject knows to what group the subjects are in due to the placebo effect

Correlations

To determine if there is a relationship between variables. They are not causations

Correlation coefficient

A statistical measure of the correlation. Ranges from -1 to +1

Descriptive statistics

Used to organize and summarize sets of data

Inferential statistics

Statistical tests which determine if differences between groups are reliable or due to "chance"

Research ethics boards (REB)

"Ethics police" which evaluates research to protect rights of participants in studies

Canadian Council on Animal Care

Oversees research involving animals as subjects

Neuropsychological Assessment

Clinical diagnosis of brain damage through psychological behavioural tests. Ex: clock test for dementia

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Uses scalp electrodes to record and amplify activity in the brain (cortex). It does not pinpoint electrical activity (whole brain activity). Helps diagnose epilepsy and sleep disorders

event related potential (ERP)

Measures (detects) changes in electrical activity (EEG) following presentation of a stimulus ("event-locked"). Order of milliseconds and used to diagnose sensory or information processing deficits such as language deficits

structural imaging

Provides picture of brain only (no activity)

Functional Imaging

Reveals areas of brain activity

Computerized Axial Tomography (CT)

Structural image used to visualize sizeable abnormalities with detailed X-ray images from multiple angles

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Structural image of soft brain tissue by using strong magnetic fields and radio waves. Helps diagnose tumours and bulging disks

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)

Detailed view of pathways in brain (white matter) and enables detections of brain injuries like strokes, concussions and Alzheimer's.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Associated with a contemplation of neurocognitive symptoms, including personality change, memory loss, progressive dementia, mood swings, confusion, tremors, speech and gait abnormalities, depression, and suicidal ideation and completion

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Functional imaging the records consumption of RADIOACTIVE GLUCOSE. Diagnosed brain disorders such as cancer and Parkinson's

Lesion

Localized tissue destruction or removal. Electrical, heat and chemicals

Stimulation

Activation of specific regions of the brain. Mainly electrical and chemical

Neurons

The basis of the nervous system that generates action potentials, form synapses with other neurons and body parts and release chemicals called neurotransmitters

glial cells

Cells in nervous system that support neurons. They do not generate action potentials

Astrocytes

A type of glial cell that creates blood-brain barrier, influences communication between neurons and helps heal brain damage

Microgolia

Cleans up dead cells and prevents infection in the brain

Oligodendroglia

Glial cells that provides myelin to speed up transmission of neurons

Dentrites

Fibres which receive information from other cells. They passively convey electric signal toward the cell body

cell body (soma)

"Life-support centre" containing nucleus. It sums electrical inputs from dendrites(other cells) and decides whether a neuron will fire

Axon

Fibre that generates action potentials

multiple sclerosis

Degeneration of myelin sheath

Nodes of Ranvier

gaps in the myelin sheath

Excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)

Depolarize the post synaptic neuron and increase the likelihood of an action potential

Inhibitory postsynaptic potential (IPSP)

Hyperpolarize the post synaptic neuron and decrease the likelihood of an action potential

Agonist

Mimics action of neurotransmitter. Binds to receptor and produces similar effect

Antagonist

Blocks action of neurotransmitter. Competes with neurotransmitter for receptor but exerts no effect of its own

Glutamate

Function: Learning, movement

Associated drug: katamine

GABA

Function: Learning, anxiety regulation

Associated drugs: Valium and ambien

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Function: learning, attention

Associated drug: nicotine

Dopamine

Function: movement, reward learning

Associated drug: Concaine, heroin and methamphetiamine

Serotonin

Function: mood regulation

Associated drug: ecstasy, LSD, SSRI's (antidepressants)

Norepinephrine

Function: attention, arousal

Associated drug: Adderail

central nervous system

Consists of the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

Enables communication between body and CNS. Has 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

Somatic

controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles and transmits sensory information from sense receptors

Autonomic

Controls action of internal glands

Two parts include sympathetic and parasympathetic

sympathetic

Arouses the body and mobilizes energy for defensive action

Parasympathetic

Calms the body and conserves energy (increases digestion)

Reflex arc

Consists of a sensory neuron, an interneuron and a motor neuron to a muscle fibre

Hind brain

Medulla, pons, cerebellum, some reticular formation

Midbrain

Reticular formation, inferior colliculus, substantia nigra

Forebrain

Thalamus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, limbic system, basal ganglia, cerebral cortex

Medulla

Continuous with spinal cord, controls heart rate and breathing (vagus nerve) also sneezing and coughing

Pons

(Means bridge). Enlarged area above medulla that sends signals to and from the forebrain and cerebellum. Origin of nerves for swallowing, chewing, facial expression

Locus coeruleus- produces norepinephrine (arousal and attention)

Cerebellum

"little brain". Important for timing and coordination of movement (learning). Inhibition results in profound loss of coordination. Alcohol suppressed cerebellum (via GABA)

reticular formation

"Network" of neurons that extends into midbrain. Regulates sleep/wake cycle and is the source of serotonin

inferior colliculus

Important relay for hearing

superior colliculus

Important for visual tracking

substantia nigra

Origin of major dopamine pathways to the forebrain

Thalamus

Relay station for sensory information (except smell)

Hypothalamus

Important for motivation (basic drives) and controls of the endocrine system. Controls pituitary

pituitary gland

Regulates hormones. Influences sex, aggression, maternal behaviour