PSYCH 100 Exam 1

How our unconscious thought processes and emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior was the focus of

Freudian psychology.

Psychology is defined as the:

scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

_____ is NOT one of the main elements of the scientific attitude.

Introspection

what are the three main elements of the scientific attitude?

humility

curiosity

skepticism

Titchener is to _____ as James is to functionalism.

structuralism

A psychologist asks research participants to report their immediate sensations, images, and feelings as they taste a new soda. This is a research method called

introspection

The _____ bias is also called the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon.

hindsight

SQ3R is a study method incorporating five steps: survey, question, read, _____, and review.

retrieve

what is correlation research?

assess the relationship between variables

what is dual processing?

processing information on conscious and unconscious tracks at the same time

Discerning the unstated assumptions and values that underlie conclusions BEST illustrates _____, which is an important learning tool

critical thinking

An axon transmits messages _____ the cell body and a dendrite transmits messages _____ the cell body.

away

toward

The brain and the spinal cord constitute the _____ nervous system.

central

The endocrine system is the body's _____ system

"slow" chemical communication

When neuroscientists say that the brain demonstrates plasticity, they mean that the brain is

changeable

Which muscles are controlled by the somatic nervous system?

skeletal system

if you have epilepsy what should you avoid??

MSG

Which of these divisions of the nervous system is the broadest or MOST inclusive

peripheral

Nico's wife wakes him from his peaceful slumber to tell him she heard a noise. As he slowly gets up to investigate, his heart begins to race, his mouth is dry, and he begins to sweat. Clearly Nico's _____ system has been activated.

sympathetic nervous system

A correlation coefficient is a(n):

numerical indicator of the strength and direction of a relationship between two factors.

A correlational study

examines how strongly two variables are related to one another

A hypothesis is a(n):

\n tentative statement that describes the relationship between two or more variables.

A placebo effect is

\n a change in a subject's behavior that is produced by the subject's beliefs and expectations rather than the actual drug, treatment, or procedure.

A useful theory is one that does all of the following EXCEPT

ensures statistical significance in an experiment.

Behaviorism focuses on _____.

\n observable behaviors

Ethical standards for animal research in psychology:

are set by the American Psychological Association and by state and federal laws.

Which of the following events do most historians consider as the formal beginning of psychology as a scientific discipline?

\n the establishment of the first psychology research laboratory by Wilhelm Wundt in 1879

Which of the following is NOT a step in the scientific method

Apply the findings to solve human problems.

Which type of research method is used to show that one variable causes change in another variable

experimental research

Case studies:

\n are commonly used by clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals to develop a complete profile of a psychotherapy client.

Experiments can provide important information, but they also have limitations. Which of the following is one of the limitations discussed in textbook?

\n Experiments are often conducted in highly controlled laboratory environments and thus may have little to do with actual behavior

In a double-blind study

\
both the participants and the researcher who interacts with them are unaware of the treatment or condition to which the participants have been assigned

Positive correlation is to negative correlation as _____ is to _____

\n variables moving in the same direction; variables moving in opposite directions

According to your textbook, which specialty area is the MOST popular choice for psychologists who have recently received their doctorates?

clinical psychology

Which of the following statements about positive psychology is TRUE?

It is focused on developing therapeutic techniques that increase personal well-being rather than just alleviating troubling symptoms

what type of system are humans?

biopsychosocial

what is the function of dendrites?

receives messages from the other cells

what is the function of an axon?

passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

what is the function of the myelin sheath?

covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses

what is the job of the terminal branches of axon?

form junction with the other cells

what is the function of the cell body?

the cell’s life-support center

what is the job of the neural impulses?

action potential; electrical signal traveling down the axon

Acetylcholine (Ach)

Plays a role in learning and memory

Messenger between motor neurons and skeletal muscles

Endorphins

Naturally occurring opiates produced in the brain

Nervous system

Electrochemical communication network consisting of all nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous system

Endocrine system

Slow chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

adrenal glands

inner part helps trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response

(epinephrine and norepinephrine)

pituitary glands

secretes many different hormones, some of which affect other glands

Brain 🡺 pituitary 🡺 other glands 🡺 hormones 🡺 body and brain

Hindbrain

Consists of the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; directs essential survival functions, such as breathing, sleeping, and wakefulness, as well as coordination and balance

Midbrain

Found atop the brainstem; connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movement, and transmits auditory and visual information

Forebrain

Consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus; manages complex cognitive activities, sensory and associative functions, and voluntary motor activities

Brainstem

Oldest part and central brain core; automatic survival functions; crossover point

Medulla

Brainstem base; heartbeat and breathing

Thalamus

Central control center at the top of the brainstem; directs messages to cortex sensory receiving areas and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

Reticular formation

Nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; controls arousal

Cerebellum

Little brain at the brainstem rear; processes sensory input, coordinates voluntary movement output and balance, and enables nonverbal learning and memory

Amygdala

Two bean-sized neural clusters; emotions

Hypothalamus

Neural system below the thalamus; directs maintenance activities; helps guide the endocrine system via the pituitary gland; emotion and reward

Hippocampus

Seahorse-shaped neural structure; explicit, conscious memory

Cerebral cortex

Ultimate control and information-processing center of body

20–23 billion brain nerve cells and 300 trillion synaptic connections

Cerebral hemispheres

Paired and covered with intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells

Cortex of each hemisphere is divided into four lobes separated by fissures.

Motor cortex

Rear of frontal lobes; controls voluntary movements

Mapping the motor cortex

Body areas requiring precise control occupy the most cortical space (Foerster and Penfield)

Brain-machine interfaces

Device implants are under study to detect and facilitate motor cortex activities in humans.

Implant recipients have learned to direct robotic arms with their thoughts.

Auditory cortex

Receives information from ears; circuitous route from one ear to the auditory receiving area above the other ear

In temporal lobes

Prefrontal cortex:

Enables judgment, planning, social interactions, and new memory processing; can alter personality and inhibitions when damaged; disconnects moral behavior from behavior

Attributions for many brain-damage effects

Severed brain and spinal cord neurons do not regenerate.

Specific areas are preassigned for some brain functions

Association areas

Cerebral cortex areas not involved in primary motor or sensory functions

Involved in higher mental functions (learning, remembering, thinking, speaking)

Found in all four lobes

Neural plasticity and reorganization

May occur after serious damage, especially in young children

Makes unused brain areas available for other uses—for example, in case of blindness or deafness, or damage to one hemisphere

Neurogenesis

New neurons may be produced, migrate elsewhere, and form connections.

Right hemisphere

Increased activity with perceptual tasks

Modulates speech; allows for making inferences

Organizes self-awareness

Left hemisphere

Math tasks

Language control; quick, literal interpretations

Gene–environment interaction

Behavioral hallmark of humans is their enormous adaptive capacity.

Genes and environment interact

Twin and adoption studies

Identical (monozygotic) twins

Fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Separated twins: Similarities noted

Biological versus adoptive relatives

A biological psychologist would be most interested in conducting research on the relationship between

\n neurotransmitters and depression.

A brain structure that is NOT part of the forebrain is the

pons

A brief electrical charge that travels down the axon of a neuron is called the

action potential

A limbic system reward center located in front of the hypothalamus is called the

nucleus accumbens

A neuroscientist wants to show that stimulating a brain region of a normally calm dog could make it act aggressively. The neuroscientist should stimulate the dog’s

amyddala

A slap on the back is more painful than a pat on the back because a slap triggers

more neurons to fire, and to fire more to fire often neurons

Among deaf people, a temporal lobe area normally dedicated to hearing may begin to process visual signals. This best illustrates the impact of

neuroplasticity

An MRI is a(n)

technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue.

At the age of 10 months, Jane suffered brain damage as a result of a serious auto accident. Fortunately, Jane’s brain recovered because ________ is strongest in early childhood

neuroplasticity

Barbara has recently suffered a left hemisphere stroke. Barbara can expect impairment in all of the following areas EXCEPT

intuition

DNA is a molecule made up of two strands connected in a

double helix

Environmental influences on personality traits are most clearly highlighted by comparing

identical twins raised together with identical twins raised apart.

Evolutionary psychology studies the evolution of behavior and the mind using principles of

natural selection

Identical twins have been shown to have some amazing psychological similarities. But we should be cautious about attributing these similarities to shared genes because

any two strangers are likely to share many coincidental similarities.

In a recent car accident, Tamiko sustained damage to the right cerebral hemisphere. This injury is most likely to reduce Tamiko’s ability to

perceive emotions

Mathilda believes in the healing effects of acupuncture and frequently advocates for its use. Researchers have been able to confirm its effectiveness and credit ________ for its effects.

endorphins

Mike suffers from Parkinson’s disease and experiences tremors and loss of motor control. This is likely related to

too little dopamine

Neurons are best described as

nerve cells that function as the building blocks of the nervous system.

Neurotransmitters are released from button-like terminals at the end of the

axon

Opiate drugs ________ mood and ________ pain.

elevate; ease

define cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of brain activity linked with mental processes

define conscious experiences

Arise from synchronized activity across the brain

Selective attention

Conscious awareness focused on a particular stimulus; minute aspect of all experiences

Example: Cocktail party effect

what is an example of inattentional blindless?

failing to see visible objects when attention is directed elsewhere

define change blindness

Failing to notice changes in the environment (form of inattentional blindness)