MIDTERM AAAA

What is the philosophical belief of Socrates and Plato regarding the mind and body?

They believed that the mind is separated from the body and continues after the body’s death.

What did Aristotle believe about knowledge?

He believed that knowledge isn’t preexisting but grows from memories and experiences.

Who is the founder of the first psychology laboratory?

Wilhelm Wundt.

What is the main focus of Edward Bradford Tichener's structuralism?

It aims to understand human behavior and thoughts by analyzing the structure of the mind.

What did William James contribute to psychology?

He created the idea of functionalism, influenced by Darwin's theory of natural selection.

What was Mary Calkins known for in psychology?

She was the first woman president of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Who is known for the concept of behaviorism?

John Watson, who defined psychology as the study of behavior and mental processes.

What is classical conditioning and who introduced this concept?

It is the idea that a neutral stimulus can be associated with another stimulus to produce a behavior, introduced by Ivan Pavlov.

What does humanistic psychology emphasize?

It emphasizes potential well-being and the influence of environment on personal growth.

What is cognitive psychology focused on?

The scientific study of mental processes related to thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

What are the main differences between basic research and applied research?

Basic research seeks to increase knowledge while applied research aims to solve practical problems.

What is the nature-nurture issue in psychology?

A controversy regarding how genetic inheritance and environmental factors influence behavior.

What is the scientific method?

A systematic process that includes generating questions, creating theories, forming hypotheses, testing hypotheses, and analyzing data.

What does the biopsychosocial approach encompass?

It incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural perspectives to analyze behavior.

What are the components of the central nervous system?

The brain and spinal cord.

Define the term 'neurons'.

Nervous cells that are the building blocks for mental processes.

What is operational definition in research?

A carefully worded statement that specifies how variables will be measured in a study.

What is the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

It serves as a baseline to compare against the experimental group.

What is positive correlation?

A relationship where two variables increase or decrease together.

What is the difference between recall and recognition in memory retrieval?

Recall is retrieving information without cues, while recognition involves identifying previously learned information with cues.

What is the function of the limbic system?

It is involved in emotional control and behavior regulation.

What are neurotransmitters?

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses from one neuron to another.

What did B.F. Skinner contribute to psychology?

He was a major figure in behaviorism and emphasized the role of consequences in influencing behavior.

What is the function of the thalamus?

It acts as the brain's sensory control center, relaying sensory information to appropriate areas.

What is a case study?

An in-depth examination of a single individual or group.

What is the meaning of 'Hawthorne effect'?

The alteration of behavior by the participants of a study due to their awareness of being observed.

Define empathy in the context of humanistic psychology.

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

What is cognitive neuroscience?

The study of brain activity linked to cognition and behavior.

What role does the hippocampus play in memory?

It processes explicit memories and is critical for the formation of new memories.

What is plasticity in terms of the nervous system?

The brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.

What is the main function of the sensory neurons?

They carry messages from the body's periphery to the central nervous system.

What are the four lobes of the brain?

Frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes.

What does the term 'psychodynamic psychology' refer to?

The study of how unconscious drives and conflicts influence behavior.

What is the purpose of a longitudinal study?

To observe and collect data from the same subjects over a long period of time.

What does the term 'metacognition' refer to?

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

What is the main function of the auditory cortex?

To process auditory information from the ears.

What is meant by 'selective attention'?

The focusing of consciousness on a particular stimulus while ignoring others.

What is the difference between excitatory and inhibitory signals in neurons?

Excitatory signals encourage neuronal firing, while inhibitory signals decrease the likelihood of firing.

What did Hermann Ebbinghaus study in psychology?

He investigated the forgetting curve and how quickly we forget information over time.

What is the role of the hypothalamus?

It regulates bodily maintenance activities such as temperature and hunger, and connects to the endocrine system.

What is the procedure called when both the participants and researchers don't know who received the treatment in an experiment?

Double-blind procedure.

What psychological concept describes the frame of mind that can alter how we recall memories?

Mood congruent memory.

What is the main characteristic of classical conditioning?

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, yielding a conditioned response.

What does the concept of 'false consensus effect' refer to?

The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs and behaviors.

What is the importance of the myelin sheath?

It insulates axons and speeds up electrical impulses along the neurons.

Define existential psychology.

A perspective that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice in the context of human experience.

What is the function of endorphins?

They are neurotransmitters that block pain signals and create feelings of pleasure.

What does the term 'genotype' refer to?

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

What is meant by 'heredity'?

The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.

What is meant by 'sensation'?

The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus energies from our environment.

What is the main idea behind evolutionary psychology?

To understand how evolutionary principles such as natural selection influence human thought and behavior.

What is a confounding variable?

An external factor that affects the dependent variable other than the independent variable in an experiment.

What defines the 'all-or-none response' in neural firing?

Neurons either fire at full strength or do not fire at all.

What does the term 'longitudinal study' imply regarding research methods?

It involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods.

What effect does sleep have on memory consolidation?

Sleep helps to process and store memories, facilitating long-term memory retention.

What is the difference between absolute threshold and difference threshold in sensation?

Absolute threshold is the minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time; difference threshold, or just-noticeable difference (JND), is the minimum difference required to detect a change between two stimuli 50% of the time.

What is the major benefit of using a representative sample in research?

It ensures that the sample accurately reflects the diversity of the population, enhancing the generalizability of the findings.

What role does the amygdala play in emotional processing?

It is involved in processing emotions such as fear and pleasure and plays a role in consolidation of emotional memories.

What does 'social-cognitive theory' focus on in psychology?

It focuses on how people learn by observing others and how social environments influence behavior.

What is the significance of the 'placebo effect' in psychological research?

It illustrates how belief and expectation can affect therapeutic outcomes, even when no active treatment is given.

What does the term 'imitation' suggest in terms of social learning?

It reflects the process of learning behaviors by observing and replicating the actions of others.

What neurotransmitter is most associated with mood regulation?

Serotonin.