Intro to Psych Midterm

psychology

the study of the mind and behavior

cognitive psychology

the study of mental processes; ex. concepts, memory, emotion, and reason

biological psychology

the study of biological underpinnings of thought, emotion, and behavior

social psychology

the study of how people think, feel, and act in relation to each other; ex. prejudice, identity, and attitude

developmental psychology

the study of how cognition, emotion, and behavior change over the lifespan

research

the systematic study of some topic in order to find answers

theory

integrated set of principles that predict and explain interrelated phenomenons

model

a representation of all/part of a system

variable

a condition of an experiment

hypothesis

and empirically testable proposition

methodology

a specific process of procedures used with data

data

a set of observations from a sample

sample

participants engaged with the research

scientific method steps (5)

1. observation

2. hypothesis

3. design

4. analyze

5. conclusion

quantitative data

survey, observation, experiment

qualitative data

interview, analysis

ethics

correct rules of conduct necessary when doing research

informed consent

participant knows whats going on

debrief

participant are given rundown of experiment

protection of participants

participants must be protected from harm and stress

confidentiality

data is anonymous

personality

the distinctive characteristics of a person that consistently manifest themselves in different situations

psychodynamic orientation

unconscious determines personality

unconscious

the part of the mind that works in the background and influences thoughts, feelings, and behavior

Frued's structural model of personality

the ID, the Ego, and the Superego

the ID

the unconscious portion of personality that contains basic impulses and urges

the Ego

the conscious and rational part of the personality that is able to postpone gratification

the Superego

the part of the personality that acts as a moral center

Trait Theory (OCEAN)

traits are the structure/building blocks of personality

trait theory - Openness

intellectual curiosity, trying new things

trait theory - Conscientiousness

self discipline and control

trait theory - Extraversion

sociability

trait theory - Agreeableness

capacity for social interaction

trait theory - Neuroticism

emotional instability

schemes

strong outlook/assumption of the self, others, or world

personal constructs

the ways in which people perceive, understand, predict, and attempt to control the world

expectancies

an attitude that determines how people predict what will happen

plans

how people navigate/self-regulate with goals in mind

humanistic approach

focus on the conscious self and the individuals capacity to grow

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

1. psychological needs

2. self-esteem needs

3. social needs

4. self-esteem needs

5. self-actualization

deficiency needs

wanting something that we think we need

growth needs

desires for continued psychological growth and development

Evolutionary Personality Theory

traits evolved for survival and reproduction

Psychoanalytic Theory

the unconscious drives and childhood shape personality

Cognitive/Social Learning Theory

personality is shaped by our observations and beliefs

how much energy does the brain use?

20%

brain stem function

basic life functions (ex. breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, swallowing)

cerebellum function

coordination of voluntary movements and balance

cerebral cortex function

consciousness, language, reasoning, perception

axial

horizontal

coronal

vertical

sagittal

3D

left hemisphere

controls the right side of the body; analytical, language, math, sequencing

right hemisphere

controls the left side of the body; creative, intuitive, spacial

corpus colosseum

connects the hemispheres of the brain (communication)

bilateral transfer

transfer of learning that occurs between left/right limbs

gyri

bumps on the brain

sulci

grooves in the brain

gyri/sulci function

increase surface area of the brain for more development/better processing

limbic system

neural system (hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus) located below the cerebral cortex

limbic system function

emotion, memory, homeostasis

neuron

a nerve cell that is specialized to receive and conduct electrical impulses

dendrite function

receives signals from other neurons

cell body

body of neuron that stores & determines whether to transfer signal

axon function

send signal from the neuron to the next cell

synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

signal pathway

dendrite -> cell body -> axon -> axon terminal

neurotransmitters

chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another

myelin sheath

fatty covers sections the axon of neurons to help speed neural impulses

synaptogenesis

formation of synapses between neurons (communication pathways)

synaptic pruning

the elimination of neurons that are unused/not stimulated to improve efficiency

neuroplasticity

the ability of the brain to change and adapt from experiences

when does neuroplasticity occur?

during development and after injury

processes involved in brain development

myelination, synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, and neuroplasticity

neuroimaging functions

1. examine specific regions and relation to cognition

2. specific disorders/injuries

3. developing treatment

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

uses strong magnetic field and radio waves to create image of the brain

fMRI

measures bloodflow in brain when task is performed

MRI pros

non invasive, no radiation, easy to identify related regions

MRI cons

poor temporal resolution

EEG (electroencephalogram)

measures change in electrical activity produces by the brain

EEG pro

non invasive, good temporal resolution, good for tracking activity in real time

EEG con

poor spatial resolution, cloudy data, difficult to iscolate

PET (positron emission tomography)

injects a radioactive tracer to the blood to see blood flow (scanned during inactivity and activity)

PET pro

good image resolution, receptor mapping, metabolic structures can track

PET con

invasive, time consuming

amygdala function

emotional processing (aggression/fear) and retrieval of memories

which brain structure controls flight or fight?

amygdala

nervous system functions

sensory input, integration, motor output

sensory input

recieves information from a stimulus

integration

integrates sensory input with information (memories, learning, and emotion) to decide if action is needed

motor response

sends a signal to muscles/glands to initiate a response to the stimulus

central nervous system (CNS)

brain and spinal cord

CNS function

integrates signals to/from PNS

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

neural structures outside the brain and spinal cord

PNS function

transmits info to and from the CNS

somatic nervous system (PNS)

controls voluntary movements

autonomic nervous system (PNS)

controls involuntary movements

sympathetic nervous system (ANS)

fight or flight

parasympathetic nervous system (ANS)

rest and digest

pathway of sensing fear

1. amygdala senses fear

2. communicates with hypothalamus (controls NS)

3. activates sympathetic NS

4. sympathetic NS sends signal to adrenal glands

5. high amount of adrenaline