PSYCH STUDY GUIDE

What is functionalism?

A theoretical perspective in psychology that focuses on how mental and behavioral processes function to enable individuals to adapt, survive, and flourish in their environments.

What is the cognitive approach?

A psychological perspective that emphasizes understanding mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving. It focuses on how people acquire, process, and store information.

What is structuralism?

An early school of psychology that emphasized the analysis of mental structures and the components of consciousness.

What’s a hypothesis?

A prediction

What’s a construct?

an abstract idea or concept that cannot be seen or touched directly, but is used to explain human behavior and the mind

What does it mean to operationalize something?

To define a concept in measurable terms for research purposes.

What are the different ways to collect data?

Surveys, experiments, observations, and interviews.

What are the pros and cons of survey data?

Provides a fast and cost-effective way to collect large amounts of standardized information from diverse groups, but it can suffer from superficial insights and participant bias

What are socially desirable responses?

Responses that individuals provide in surveys or interviews to present themselves in a favorable light, often aligning with social norms.

What’s a basic experiment?

Involves manipulating one or more independent variables to observe the effect on a dependent variable, typically through controlled conditions to establish cause-and-effect relationships.

What’s the control group?

A group in an experiment that does not receive treatment so scientists can compare results

What is a experimental group?

A group that receives specific treatment in order for scientists to record results

Is there random assignment in quasi experiments?

No, a Quasi-experimental design does not use random assignment

How do you make two groups in an experiment equivalent at the start?

Using Random Assignment

What is an independent variable and a dependent variable?

An independent variable is the cause or the part you change, while a dependent variable is the effect or the part you measure

What does Correlation mean?

The relationship/connection between two different things (Variables) (Ex: Studying and Test Scores)

What are the possible values of correlations?

-1, +1

What are Negative/positive relationships in correlation?

A positive correlation means two variables move in the same direction, while a negative correlation means they move in opposite directions

What is a Scatterplot

Uses dots to show the relationship between two different numerical variables

What are neurons?

A specialized nerve cell that processes and transmits electrical and chemical signals throughout the body

What is the structure of a neuron?

Includes the Cell body, the Nucleus, Dendrites, Axon, The Myelin sheath, and Axon terminals

What are the parts of the central nervous system?

Brain and Spinal Cord

What are the parts of the peripheral nervous system?

Somatic and Autonomic

What is the Somatic Nervous System in charge of?

In charge of voluntary movements and connects the central nervous system to the rest of the body

What is the Autonomic Nervous System in charge of?

In charge of automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, and digestion

You encounter a black bear while walking. Which division of the autonomic nervous system is going to kick into gear?

The sympathetic nervous system

What is the Sympathetic system?

A system that reacts to danger by triggering the “fight or flight” response and increasing your heart rate and blood pressure

What is the Parasympathetic system?

A system that calms you down after stress by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure

How does communication travel in a neuron?

Dendrites receive a chemical signal which gets sent to the cell body then the axon then the axon terminals which then releases neurotransmitters to the synapse

What’s a neurotransmitter? Do neurotransmitters attach themselves to axons?

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your nervous system uses to transmit signals between neurons (nerve cells) or from neurons to muscles. And no, neurotransmitters do not attach themselves to axons.

What are some of the major neurotransmitters?

Acetylcholine (ACh), Dopamine, Serotonin (5-HT), Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Glutamate, Norepinephrine, Endorphins, and Oxytocin

What is Acetylcholine (ACh)?

A chemical messenger that stimulates muscle movement, arousal, attention, and memory

What is Dopamine?

A chemical messenger that helps control mood, movement, and feeling of reward

What is Serotonin?

A chemical messenger/hormone that helps regulate sleep, mood, anxiety, and appetite

What is Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)?

A chemical messenger that slows down the activity in the CNS

What is Glutamate?

A chemical messenger that is in charge of learning and memory

What is Norepinephrine?

A chemical messenger that controls alertness, attention, and the response to stress

What are Endorphins?

A chemical messenger that acts as a pain reliever and a mood booster

What is Oxytocin?

A chemical messenger that manages reproduction, social bonding, and human emotions

What is resting potential?

The stable, negative electrical charge across a cell membrane when it is not sending signals

What is action potential?

A quick, temporary electrical impulse that travels down a nerve or muscle cell membrane to send a signal

Which part of a neuron releases neurotransmitters?

The axon terminal