exam psyc

Empiricism

philosophical belief that states your knowledge of the world is based on your experiences, particularly your sensory experiences

outer ear

Audio canal

inner ear

cochlea

mid ear

• eardrum,

• malleus,

• incus

• stapes

empirical method

acquiring knowledge is one based on observation, including experimentation, rather than a method.

Voluntarism

that people have free will and should know the intentions of a psychological experiment if they were participating.

Structuralism

understanding the conscious experience through introspection

analytic introspection

the process whereby people are trained to describe their inner feeling and thoughts

Functionalism

focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

focuses on the role of a person’s unconscious/ childhood experiences,

• dominated clinical psychology for several decades.\

Behaviorism

focus on observing and controlling behavior

classical conditioning

learning in which the stimulus or experience occurs before the behavior and then gets paired or associated with the behavior

operant conditioning

form of learning in which the stimulus/experience happens after the behavior is demonstrated

Humanistic psychology

emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.

• Humanism

hierarchy of needs

spectrum of needs ranging from basic biological needs to social needs to self-actualization

client-centered therapy

non-directive form of humanistic psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers that emphasizes unconditional positive regard and self-acceptance

Cognitive revolution

intellectual shift in psychology in the 1950s focusing on the internal mental processes driving human behavior.

Miller’s magical number 7 +/- 2

the number of objects an average human can hold in working memory is 7 ± 2

chunking

organizing information into manageable bits or chunks

Systematic empiricism

learning based on observation

Theory

coherent explanation or interpretation of one or more phenomena

Hypothesis

specific prediction about a new phenomenon that should be observed if a particular theory is accurate

Deductive reasoning

results are predicted based on a general premise

Inductive reasoning

conclusions are drawn from observations

Falsifiability

possible to disprove using evidence

confirmation bias

interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs

Correlational research

measures variables of interest without manipulating them

• Case studies

• Surveys

Experimental research

manipulates a variable and can make causal inferences

Correlational research types

• Survey research

• Naturalistic observation

• Case studies (hard to general generalize)

Directionality problem

knowing whether two variables, X and Y, are statistically related

Third-variable problem

correlation between two variables can actually be explained by a third variable that hasn't been accounted for

Correlation coefficients

indicate the strength and direction of relationships between variables.

• -1to 1

independent variable

researcher manipulates

dependent variable

researcher measures

extraneous variables

researcher controls

5 APA ethical principles

• Beneficence

• Nonmaleficence

• Fidelity & Responsibility,

• Integrity

• Justice

• Respect for People's Rights & Dignity

Tuskegee syphilis study

violated many ethical principles.

Genes

units of heredity that are passed through generations

chromosomes

strands of genes that come in pairs

DNA

sequences of pairs that control observable characteristics known as traits

heritability

estimate of the degree to which variation in a characteristic depends on genetics

Homozygous

same allele on each chromosome

Heterozygous

different allele on each chromosome

Dominant

•shows effect in homozygous or heterozygous condition

Recessive

shows effect only in homozygous condition

polygenic

influenced by many genes

mutation

heritable change in a DNA molecule.

Neurons

receive and transmit info

Glia

act in supportive roles

Plasma membrane

•– barrier between cytoplasm and external environment

Soma

cell body, contains nucleus and other structures

Axon

sends signals

where neurotransmitters are released from

Terminal buttons

Myelin sheath

speeds processing

Nodes of Ranvier

– gaps between myelin

Dendrites

receive signals

where neurotransmitters are received at

Receptor sites

Action potential

Stimulus / event occurs

Charge inside rises to threshold of excitation (-55 mV)

• Sodium channels open

Depolarization

• Sodium rushes into the neuron

• Charge inside rises to +40 mV

Repolarization

Sodium channels close, potassium channels open, potassium rushes out.

• Charge inside decreases

•Hyperpolarization

•Charge inside decreases to -75 mV

Synapse

small gap between neurons

When action potentials reach end of neuron, they trigger the release of

neurotransmitters

Insomnia

by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or returning to sleep

Sleep apnea

impaired ability to breathe while sleeping

Night terrors

abrupt, anxious awakenings from NREM sleep

parasomnia

involves unwanted, disruptive motor activity during sleep

Narcolepsy

frequent periods of sleepiness during the day

REM sleep behavior disorder

moving around vigorously during REM sleep

Psychoactive (or psychotropic) drugs

influence subjective experience by acting on the nervous system

Agonists

mimic or increase effects of neurotransmitter at its receptor site

Antagonists

block or inhibit effects of neurotransmitter at its receptor site

Substance use disorder

compulsive pattern of drug use despite negative consequences

Depressants

suppress central nervous system activity.

• GABA agonists

Opioid

have analgesic affects (they decrease pain).

Stimulants

increase overall levels of neural activity.

Hallucinogens

cause changes in sensory and perceptual experiences.

Biological rhythms

are internal rhythms of biological activity.

Circadian rhythms

biological rhythms that operate on an approximately 24-hour cycle.

suprachiasmatic nucleus

Circadian rhythms are regulated by the body’s “internal clock with this body part

pineal gland

releases melatonin

endocrine system

collection of glands that produce hormones.

Hormone

chemical messenger released by endocrine glands

Consciousness

our awareness of internal and external stimuli

Sleep

low physical activity and reduced sensory awareness

Electroencephalography (EEG)

measures electrical activity on the scalp

Stage 1 Sleep

•Lower brain activity than when awake, higher activity than other sleep stages

•HR and muscle tension begin decreasing

Myoclonia

muscle jerks - stage 1

Stage 2 Sleep

Sleep spindles and K-complexes

K-complexes

high amplitude waves that may occur in response to environmental stimuli

Sleep spindles

bursts of higher frequency waves associated with learning and memory

Slow-wave sleep

•Heart rate, breathing rate, and brain activity are low

•Difficult to wake up

rate/frequency

Changing stimulus intensity affects this

Multiple sclerosis (MS

myelin attacked by immune system, many different impairments

Central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

•connects CNS to rest of body

Somatic

•sensory info, voluntary muscle control

Autonomic

involuntary muscle & organ control

Sympathetic

•fight or flight