Psychology

for exam 1-3

Psychology

the study of the mind and behavior

Chunking

the process by which the mind divides large pieces of information into smaller units (chunks) that are easier to retain in short-term memory

Encoding

the act of getting information into our memory system through automatic or effortful processing

Incidental learning

 learning that occurs unintentionally, from activities where learning is not a conscious goal for the learner

Intentional learning

 learning that occurs as a result of activities where learning is a deliberate—and often primary—goal for the learner

Hypothesis

a tentative explanation regarding a specific behavior

Theory

a broad explanation for some aspect of the natural world

Empirical method

based on observed and measured phenomena and derives knowledge from actual experience rather than from theory or belief

Structuralism

 to identify the components of conscious experience through introspection(Willhelm Wundt)

 Functionalism

describes the mind as a functional tool that allows us to adapt to our environments

Gestalt

whole

What were  Kohler, Koffka, and Wertheimer known for?

introducing psychologists in the United States to various Gestalt principles

Psychology theory

focuses on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior

Behaviorism

 a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, and conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment

Humanism

 focuses on each individual's potential and stresses the importance of growth and self-actualization

Cognitive revolution

an intellectual shift in psychology in the 1950s focusing on the internal mental processes driving human behavior. The study of human thought became interdisciplinary by directing attention to processing skills including language acquisition, memory, problem-solving, and learning

Biological or neuroscience perspective

relates to the way that people act in terms of how they came to be. With this perspective, genetics in the human body affect the way that they react to certain situations or the way that they act in different situations

**Psychoanalytic theory**

says that our childhood experiences and unconscious desires influence behavior

John B Watson

is famous for having founded classical behaviourism, an approach to psychology that treated behaviour (both animal and human) as the conditioned response of an organism to environmental stimuli and inner biological processes

Noam Chomsky

argued that linguistics should be a branch of cognitive psychology, or the study of mental processes like critical thinking, problem solving, and, of course, language

Margaret Floy Washburn

was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in American psychology

Inez Beverly Prosser

 was the first Black, (African-American), woman to have earned a PhD in Psychology

Biological psychology

biological basis of behavior, thoughts, and emotions

Developmental Psychology

moral reasoning, cognitive skills, and social skills

Personality psychology

 general traits, behaviors and thought patterns unique to each individual

Social psychology

how individuals interact and relate with others and how such interactions can affect our behaviors

Health Psychology

 is directly related to or affected by biological, psychological and sociocultural influences.

Clinical psychology

diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and problematic patterns of behavior

Industrial-organizational psychology

applies psychological research to industrial and organization settings

Deductive reasoning

results are predicted based on a general premise (top down)

Example the world is round (premise) mallean sailed around it conclusion supports premise

Inductive reasoning

conclusions are drawn from observations (bottoms-up reasoning)

Example observe moon and sun rising east and setting in the west; conclude moon and sun orbit around the earth in similar ways

Clinical or case studies

focus on one individual or a small group. It allows for a lot of insight into a case. Difficult to generalize results to the larger population.

Naturalistic observation

 in its natural setting, not a lab It is influenced while under scrutiny or observation

Observer bias

results can be affected to align with expectations

Surveys

can be used to gather a large amount of data from a sample. One major flaw is people tend to lie to make them seem better

Archival research

uses past records or data sets to answer various research questions

Longitudinal

studies in which the same group of individuals is surveyed or measured repeatedly over an extended period of time.

Cross sectional research

compares multiple segments of a population at a single point.

Attrition

reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time

Correlation Coefficient

number indicating the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables (+1.0 to -1.0) Represented by r

Positive correlation

two variables change in the same direction both becoming either larger or smaller

Negative correlation

Two variables change in different directions, with one becoming larger as the other becomes; a negative correlation is not the same thing as no correlation.

Cause and effect relationship

changes in one variable cause changes in the other variable

Confounding variable

 unanticipated outside factor that affects both variables of interest 

Illusory Correlation

seeing relationship between two things when in reality no such relationship exists

Example the relationship between the full moon and a person

Confirmation Bias

tendency to ignore evidence that disproves ideas or beliefs

Illusory correlations can be involved in the formation of prejudicial attitudes that lead to discriminatory behavior

Operational definition

description of what actions and operations will be used to measure the dependent variables and manipulate the independent variables

The spinal cord

The two hemispheres

Forebrain structures

Midbrain and hindbrain structures

Brain imaging

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Central nervous system

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Is encased by bone 

Is associated with processing sensory information

Spinal cord

 Routes messages to and from the brain

Neuroplasticity- how the nervous system changes and adapts

Neurons change in structure  and function

Can change location to help damaged areas 

Most plastic when we are young

Still able to change and reorganize into older adulthood

The two hemispheres

Cerebral cortex- surface of the brain

Gyri and sulci

Longitudinal fissure, deep groove that separates the brain hemispheres

Lateralization of hemispheres

* Left hemisphere- body movements on the right side, forming associations in memory, selective attention, and positive emotions, our ability to communicate 
* Right hemisphere- body movement on the left side, pitch perception, arousal, negative emotions

Corpus callosum

links the two hemispheres

Functions of the frontal lobes

Involved in executive functioning (planning organization, judgment

Parietal lobes

involved in processing various sensory and perceptual information they are located at the top

Temporal lobes

associated with hearing, memory, emotion and some aspects of language

Occipital lobes

sit at the back of the head and are responsible for visual perception, including color, form and motion