AP Psych Midterm

psychology

the study of behavior and mental processes

psychology's biggest question

Which is more important in determining behavior, nature or nurture?

psychology's three levels of analysis

biopsychosocial approach
(looks at the biological, psychological, and social-cultural approaches together)

biological approach

genetics, close-relatives, body functions, brain

evolutionary approach

species - helped with survival (ancestors)

psychodynamic approach

(Freud) subconscious, repressed feelings, unfulfilled wishes

behavioral approach

learning through reinforcement

cognitive approach

thinking affects behavior

humanistic approach

becoming a better human (behavior, acceptance)

social-cultural approach

cultural, family, environment

types of research methods

descriptive, correlational, and experimental

descriptive methods

case study
survey
naturalistic observation

case study

studies one person or group in depth
may not be typical of population

survey

studies lots of people; typically asks opinions

naturalistic observation

observe + write facts without interference

correlational method

shows relation, but not cause/effect
scatterplots show research

correlation coefficient

a statistical index of the relationship between two things (from -1 to +1)

experimental method

shows cause and effect

population

type of people who are going to be used in study

sample

actual people who will be used in a stud

random assignment

chance assignment to experimental or control groups

control group

not receiving experimental treatment
receives placebo

experimental group

receiving treatment/drug

independent variable

what the experimenter controls or changes
drug/procedure/treatment

dependent variable

outcome of the experimenter's manipulation
using the drug/treatment

confounding variable

can affect dependent variable beyond experiment's control

theory

general idea being tested

hypothesis

a statement that can be tested

operational definition

a statement of the procedures used to define research variables

mode

the number that appears the most

mean

The average of a set of numbers

median

the middle score in a distribution; half the scores are above it and half are below it

range

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a distribution

standard deviation

how scores vary around the mean

central tendency

a single score that represents a whole set of scores

bell curve

distribution of scores in which the bulk of the scores fall toward the middle, with progressively fewer scores toward the "tails" or extremes

afferent neurons

send messages from sensory receptors to brain

efferent neurons

neurons that take information from the brain to the rest of the body

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

dendrites

receive messages from other neurons, transmit to the cell body

myelin sheath

A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next.

axon

the extension of a neuron, ending in branching terminal fibers, through which messages pass to other neurons or to muscles or glands

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

excitatory neurotransmitter

neurotransmitter that causes the receiving cell to fire

inhibitory charge

decrease the likelihood of receiving neuron firing

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

A division of the nervous system consisting of all nerves that are not part of the brain or spinal cord.

somatic nervous system

voluntary movements

autonomic nervous system

involuntary movements
(sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems)

sympathetic nervous system

arousing; prepares for fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system

calming; helps to rest and digest

neural networks

more connections form with greater use
others fall away if not used

spinal cord

expressway of information
bypasses brain when reflexes involved

endocrine system

slow
uses hormones in the blood system

master gland

pituitary gland

brainstem

extension of the spinal cord responsible for automatic survival

reticular formation

significant role in consciousness

thalamus

sensory switchboard that sends signals throughout the brain

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion

cerebellum

nonverbal memory, judge time, coordinate movements

amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

cerebrum

Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body

cerebral cortex

outer region of the cerebrum, containing sheets of nerve cells; gray matter of the brain

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

glial cells

provide nutrients to myelin sheath

frontal lobe

associated with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving

parietal lobe

portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

temporal lobe

An area on each hemisphere of the cerebral cortex near the temples that is the primary receiving area for auditory information

occipital lobe

A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

Wernicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

Neuroplasticity

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

consciousness

our awareness of ourselves and our environment

circadian rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

Typical sleep cycle

90 minutes

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep

Stage 2 Sleep

Associated with bursts of brain wave activity that indicate a full transition into sleep

Stage 3 sleep

third stage of sleep; deep sleep characterized by low frequency, high amplitude delta waves

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

REM sleep

a stage of sleep characterized by rapid eye movements and a high level of brain activity

stage 1 sleep

The state of transition between wakefulness and sleep, characterized by relatively rapid, low-amplitude brain waves.

beta waves

smaller and faster brain waves, typically indicating mental activity

alpha waves

slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

fall asleep anywhere at anytime

paradoxical sleep

The type of sleep encountered during REM when internally, the brain and body are active; while externally, the body appears calm and inactive

sleep apnea

stop breathing in sleep

night terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during Stage 4 sleep, within two or three hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

Freud's dream theory

Dreams contain symbols (latent content) of memories you have repressed into the unconscious mind.

activation-synthesis theory

a theory of dreaming; this theory proposes that the brain tries to make sense of random brain activity that occurs during sleep by synthesizing the activity with stored memories

information processing theory

dreams help us sort out the day's events and consolidate our memories

threat simulation theory

suggests that dreaming is an ancient biological defense mechanism that allows us to repeatedly simulate potentially threatening situations so that we can rehearse our responses to these events

serotonin

A neurotransmitter that affects hunger,sleep, arousal, and mood.

long-term potentiation

an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

flashbulb memory

type of memory remembered because it was an important/quick moment