Psych unit 1

2 important things would dominate the field until the 1960’s.

* Sigmund Freud and his Psychoanalytic theory
* John Watson and Behaviorism

Behaviorism

* measurable and observable

freudianslip

* accidentally says what’s in there unconscious

Freud

* divisions of the unconscious mind

Great forces in Psychology

* Psychoanalysis
* Behaviorism
* Humanism

Humanism

1. Carl Rodgers - unconditional positive regard
2. Abraham Maslow

Clinical Psychology

* most common subfield of psych
* these psychologists are called “clinicians”
* use position to promote psychological health in individuals and groups

Counseling psychology

* second most common
* focuses on how people function both personally and in relationships

education psychologist

* works with large corporations and institutions to determine appropriateness of materials for intended audience

School psychologist

* works with school building or school district
* with teachers, administration, parents, students to identify and resolve obstacles to learning

Probability of chance

* P = .05 or less 5%

statistical significance

* 95% or more assures it was not caused by chance

descriptive statistics

* reducing a set of data to some meaningful value in order to describe the characteristics of that group of observations

2 types of frequency distributions

* grouped
* ungrouped

Ungrouped frequency distribution

* shows basic
* too much detail
* not easy to use

Grouped frequency distribution

* values are collapsed into intervals
* displays “big picture” but sacrifices some of the details
* should be used when variable has a large # of values

Frequency polygon

* displays frequency distribution of a continuous variable as a line
* not with bars
* “line graph”

UNLIKE HISTOGRAM

* the frequency polygon goes to “zero” at both ends

“the tail”

is the longest side of the curve

“The tail tells the tale”

* about a skew

measure of central tendency

* a single value used to represent the typical score in a set of numbers, mean, median, and mode

\

Measures of variability

* statisticians define variability as how much spread there is in a set of scores

Variance

* is the next last step in determining the standard deviation

Def of psychology

* the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

four goals of Psychology

* describe
* explain
* predict
* control

Pre - 1879

* Philosophers, religous leaders; cultural expectations and legends determined and explained human behavior and thought

1879

* Wilhem Wundt - professor of Philosophy and Physioligy
* Unv of Leipzig in Germany opens worlds 1st Psych lab using scientific method

Wilhelm Wundt

* father of modern Psychology

Structuralism

* 1st and 1st to fail
* Wundt and students use introspection and experiments to uncover the basic elements of thought and sensation

Edward Titchener

* 1 of Wundt’s most prominent students
* brought structuralism to America
* went to Cornell university

* Correlation does not imply causation

* cant determine a casual relationship between 2 variable

* Variability measures of

* range
* variance
* standard deviation

* Inferential statistics

* make inferences about a large group of people (a population)
* on the basis of data collected about a much smaller group (a sample)

T-Test

* reveal if the differences between the 2 means in a study is statistically significant

Type 1 error

* when a researcher mistakenly concludes that the study results are significant
* when they are not

type 2 error

* When a researcher fails to find a significant effect, that does not in fact, exist
* usually caused by limited research, design or measuring tools, too small sample size

Descriptive

* observational

Prediction

* correlational

Causation

* Experimental

Goals of psych

* to explain and predict behavior
* identify underlying biological processes

Neuropsychology combines both of the following

* the study of the relationship between behavior, emotion, cognition
* the study of brain function

sensory neurons aka

* afferent neurons

Motor neurons aka

* efferent neurons

Interneuron aka

* Association neurons (brain and spinal cord)
* “work horse”

Interneuron function

tells you to move head

Dendrites

* receive the info from organs

Terminal buttons

* send signals to output, hands etc

Axon

* takes neuro signals to output (terminal buttons)

Mullein Sheath

* Myelinated neuron goes really fast (zyomph)

Schwann cells

* non-myelinating
* Maintenace of axons
* crucial for neuronal survival

Schwann cells and nerve damage

* Schwann cells that form a tunnel
* leads toward target neurons
* growth of approx. 1mm a day
* CAN ONLY HAPPEN IN PHEPORIAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

What does a neuron want do

* be equal
* equalize the potassium and sodium

“polarized”

* At rest

“depolarized”

* Firing

Refractory equals

will not work

Neuron has 3 functions

* rest
* fire
* reload

Refractory period

* reloads sodium and potassium pumps begin to spin
* \

Relative refractory period

* Neuron will compare the 1st neuron impulse to the 2nd impulse
* 2nd impulse has to be great than (intensity)

Absolute refractory period

* 0.0 - .001 second

Relative refractory period

* .001 - .005 sec

S - sodium

* players on the outside

Players - inside

* Potassium, in field of play

Lock and key mechanism

* binding between the active site of an enzyme and a substrate molecule

The Hind brain

* at the base of the brain
* contains several structures that regulate basic life functions

Makes up the Hindbrain

* Pons
* cerebellum
* Medulla

Reticular Formation

* nerve network that runs through the center of the brainstem
* controls alertness and attention

Pons

* located in brainstem
* controls breathing and heartbeat
* involved in movement, sleep, dreaming

* Cerebellum

* in the back of brainstem
* assists in movement and in timing functions of the brain

Medulla

* right at the top of the spinal cord
* important roles in basic life functions

Hippocampus

* part of the limbic system
* involved in learning and forming new memories

Heart rate

medulla

turn to sound

midbrain

Practiced movement

Cerebellum

Sensory relay

Thalamus

Arousal

Reticular formula

Oxytocin

* involved in reproduction, social movement, and social behavior
* produced by the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland

Brain stem

* region of the brain made up of the hindbrain and the midbrain

Endocrine glands

* combine with the nervous system to coordinate responses to internal and external stimuli

The interface between the 2 systems is

* Nervous system - Hypothalamus
* Endocrine system - pituitary gland

Glial Cells

* provide structural support and nutrition for neurons
* remove waste
* produce the myelin sheath

Functional Plasticity

* Capacity to shift functions from damaged to undamaged brain areas

Structural Plasticity

* capacity to change physical structure

Neurogenesis

* Capacity to develop new neurons through lifespan

Pituitary gland

* Human Growth Hormone

Thyroid

* Thyroxin

Adreanis

* Adrenaline

Pancreas

* Insulin and Glucagon

Ovaries

* Estrogen

Testes

* Testosterone and Androgen

Glucagon

Slows down the rate of insulin

Hypoglycemia

* Low sugar condition

Pituitary Gland - def

* “Executive gland”
* influence and control over all the others organs

Luteinizing Hormone - def

* is released and unfertilized egg is liquefied
* removal of the lining (period)

Labor is caused by the release of this hormone

* oxytocin

Pons - what does it do

* coordinates movement released to arousal
* above medulla
* governs sleep

Thalamus

* “sensory switchboard”
* top of the brainstem

Reticular Formation

* focus attention on stimuli
* controls arousal
* travels through the brain stem
* helps regulate attention and alertness

Cerebellum

“little brain”

motor control

Limbic system

* controls emotional and motivational functions

1 Hippocampus for each side of the brain

* process conscious memories
* Injury = inability to form new memories