Psychology Exam 1

psychology

the scientific study of mind and behavior

willhelm wundt

father of psychology

used introspection and structurialism

willhelm wundt

introspection

study of own conscious experience

william james

1st american psychologist

used functionalism

william james

functionalism

how mental activities help an organism fit into an environment

sigmund freud

psychoanalytic theory

studied conscious, unconscious, therapy

sigmund freud

pavlov, watson, skinner

behaviorism

behaviorism

study of behavior and how to control it

maslow and rogers

humanism

humanism

potential for good that is innate to all humans

biopsychology

how biology influences behavior

sensation and perception psychology

physiological aspects of sensory systems and experience of sensory information

cognitive psychology

cognitions (thoughts) and their relation to our experiences and behavior

developmental psychology

study of development across the lifespan

personality psychology

study of patterns of thoughts/behaviors that make people unique

social psychology

how we interact with and relate to others

industrial-organizational (IO) psychology

applies psychology theories and research in workplace settings

health psychology

how biology, psychology, and sociocultural factors impact health

sports and exercise psychology

psychological aspects of sport performance

clinical (counseling) psychology

diagnosis and treatment psychological disorders, other patterns of problematic behavior

forensic psychology

psychology in the context of the justice system

theory

well-developed set of ideas, propose an explanation for a phenomena

hypothesis

tentative, testable statement about a relationship between two or more variables

populations

all the people a study could apply to

sample

group of people intended to represent a population

archival research

use preexisting data

inexpensive, hard to compare

naturalistic observation research

watch behavior in its natural environment, researcher does not interfere

observer influence and bias

case studies

one person or small group of people to gain detailed understanding of their experience

not generalizable: ability to apply findings of a study to others

surveys

questionnaire about themself

pros: can collect data from a large sample, lot of information at once

cons: risk of leading questions, self-reported, may not assess self accurately, social desirability bias

longitudinal

compare same people at several time point/ages

high risk of attrition: dropping out of a study

cross sectional

compare two ages groups at one time point

potential cohort effects: generational differences influence results

correlational

investigates relationships between two (or more) variables

correlation coefficient

measures strength/direction of a relationship

ranges from -1 to +1

experimental

researcher manipulates an independent variable, then observes an outcome (dependent variable)

only way to make cause and effect statements

operational definition

definition specific to the environment

independent variable

variable the experimenter manipulates

dependent variable

the outcome, what is measured

control group

group that does not receive the treatment

experimental group

group that does receive the treatment

reliability

getting the same result every time

validity

measuring what you intend to measure

participant bias

assume what researchers are studying, answer to increase social desirability

experimenter bias

researcher behavior changes based on results of the study

experimental bias

experiment is set up in a way that is biased

deception

hide the true purpose of a study

single-blind experiment

participant does not know if they get the treatment or not

double-blind experiment

researchers and participants are blind to who is receiving the manipulation

placebos

any nontherapeutic medication/procedure that is used to make people think they are getting a treatment

replication

same methods → different subjects/environments

more replication → more support

statistical analysis

using numerical tests to find patterns of multiple studies on one topic

chromosomes

strings of DNA

23 from egg and 23 from sperm

genes

specific collections of DNA in a chromosome

most traits controlled by several genes (polygenic)

allele

version of a gene

genotype

a person’s gene

phenotype

a person’s physical characteristics

influenced by genes and environment

genetic environmental correlation

genes impact environment and vice versa

range of reaction

range in which certain traits/behaviors will fall

where you fall based on environment

epigenetics

same genotype - different phenotype

neurons

information processors, communicators

glial cells

support neurons

insulation

nutrients, remove waste

stabilize environment

cell body (soma)

contains nucleus

dendrites

receive signals from other cells (via receptors)

axon

long extension of cell, signal travels down it

myelin sheath

fatty substance, wraps around axon

insulator

increase speed of signal

terminal buttons

hold synaptic vesicles

synaptic vesicles

hold neurotransmitters (NT)

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers of nervous system

synapse

space between 2+ neurons

reuptake

neurotransmitters that do not go into receptors get re-absorbed into the cell that released them

signaling

dendrites receive input from other neurons

excitatory

tells neuron to generate electrical impulse

inhibitory

tells neuron to not generate an impulse

stimuli

anything that can be sensed

membrane potential

difference in charge between intracellular and extracellular fluid

resting potential

positively charged ions that want to go to negatively charged areas

action potential

electrical signal that moves down the neuron’s axis

action potential steps

1. signal comes in → threshold reached, neuron “fires”

2. channels open = Na+ enters cell

3. inside becomes + charged (depolarization)

4. reaches peak action potential

5. Na+ goes back out (repolarization)

6. overcorrects (hyperpolarization) or refractory period

7. returns to resting potential

psychology disorder

imbalance of NT

psychotropic medications

treat NT imbalances

agonists

drugs and poisons that increase NT activity

antagonists

drugs and poisons that decrease NT activity

reuptake inhibitors

stop NT reabsorption

NT stay in synapse, affect neurons longer

acetylcholine (ACh)

involved in learning, muscle memory, and muscle movement

low ACh

alzheimer’s patients

poor memory

botulinum poision

antagonist, blocks release of ACh at muscle junctions, causes paralysis and death

botox

black widow spider venom

agonist, constant release of ACh, floods synapse, uncontrollable movement, death occurs through paralysis after ACh has been exhausted

dopamine

arousal, mood states, thought processes, physical movement, major role in reward-motivated behavior, excessively high levels associated with schizophrenia, low levels associated with parkinson’s disease

central and peripheral nervous system

two branches of the nervous system

somatic and autonomic

two branches of the peripheral nervous system

somatic nervous system

voluntary movement of muscles

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system

two branches of the autonomic nervous system

peripheral nervous system

motor (efferent) neurons

• CNS to the rest of body

sensory (afferent) neurons

• rest of body to CNS

nerves

bundle of axons

autonomic nervous system

controls autonomic functions (ex: breathing)

sympathetic nervous system

fight-or-flight

digestion slows

heart rate increases

pupils dilate

blood pressure increases

parasympathetic nervous system

rest and digest

digestion increases

heart rate decreases

pupils constrict

blood pressure decreases

phineas gage

tamping iron through frontal lobe of head

personality shift

loss of impulse control