Intro to Psychology Final Study Guide

This set of flashcards covers essential concepts from introductory psychology, including definitions and key theories related to mental health, research methods, cognitive development, conditioning, memory, motivation, emotion, social behavior, and individual differences.

What is the role of clinical psychologists?

They have an advanced degree in psychology and help people with psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, and marriage conflicts.

What distinguishes psychiatrists from clinical psychologists?

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication, whereas most psychologists cannot.

What is the primary function of clinical social workers?

To provide similar services as clinical psychologists but often with less formal education and lower fees.

Define correlation in psychology.

A measure of the relationship between two variables.

What are the two key components of an experiment?

Manipulation of at least one variable and measurement of at least one other variable.

What does IACUC stand for?

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

What is the function of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

To protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects.

What is the difference between independent variables (IV) and dependent variables (DV) in experiments?

IV is controlled by the experimenter; DV is measured to observe outcomes.

What is the occipital lobe responsible for?

Specialized for vision.

What type of conditions does the temporal lobe affect?

Hearing and certain aspects of vision.

What does the parietal lobe specialize in?

The body senses, including touch and the awareness of body location.

What is the role of the frontal lobe?

Important for controlling fine movements, personality, behavior, and complex thinking.

What is the function of the parasympathetic nervous system?

Calms the body and returns it to a normal resting state after stress.

What are excitatory neurotransmitters?

Chemicals that stimulate the post-synaptic neuron to fire.

What characterizes Piaget’s Sensorimotor stage?

Knowledge is acquired through sensory and motor exploration.

What is egocentrism in the context of Piaget's theory?

The failure to distinguish others' viewpoints from one’s own.

What concept describes the understanding that objects continue to exist even when not sensed?

Object permanence.

What is classical conditioning according to Ivan Pavlov?

The learning process of associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

What is the Little Albert Experiment known for?

Demonstrating how emotional reactions can be classically conditioned in people.

Define intrinsic motivation.

The desire to perform a behavior for its own sake, without regard to the outcome.

What is the concept of the 'bystander effect'?

The tendency for individuals to be less likely to help in emergencies when others are present.

What does the term 'comorbidity' refer to in psychology?

The co-occurrence of two or more mental disorders in the same individual.