Psychology 1002: Psychology As A Natural Science

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the introductory concepts of psychology as a natural science, including research methods, statistics, brain anatomy, and memory systems of memory.

Psychology

The scientific study of behaviour and the mind.

Behaviour

Actions and responses that can be directly observed.

Mind

Internal states and processes, such as thoughts and feelings, that cannot be seen directly.

Scientific Attitudes

The three essential mindsets required for scientific inquiry: curiosity, skepticism, and open-mindedness.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The psychological phenomenon where the presence of multiple bystanders reduces the likelihood that any one individual will intervene in an emergency.

Correlational Method

A research method used to study relationships among variables without implying causation.

Correlation Coefficient ($r$)

A statistic indicating the strength and direction of a relationship, ranging from $-1.0$ to $+1.0$.

Case Study

An in-depth analysis of an individual, group, or event, such as the studies of $H.M.$ or Phineas Gage.

Independent Variable

The factor that is manipulated or controlled by the experimenter in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

The factor that is measured by the experimenter and may be influenced by the independent variable.

Random Assignment

A procedure used in experiments to control for individual differences by giving each participant an equal chance of being in any group.

Counterbalancing

A technique used when the same participants are in all conditions to reduce effects like boredom or fatigue by varying the order of conditions.

Mean

The arithmetic average of a set of scores, calculated as $M = (Σ X)/N$.

Median

The point that divides a distribution in half when scores are arranged in order from lowest to highest.

Mode

The most frequently occurring score in a distribution.

Standard Deviation

A measure of variability that is the square root of the variance.

Normal Curve

A symmetrical, bell-shaped theoretical distribution where the mean, median, and mode are all the same value, and $50$ percent of scores fall on each side of the mean.

Representative Sample

A sample that reflects the important characteristics of the population being studied.

Internal Validity

The degree to which an experimental procedure actually tests what it is designed to test and supports its conclusions.

Demand Characteristics

An experimental artifact where participants pick up cues about the purpose of the study and change their behavior accordingly.

External Validity

The degree to which the results of a study can be generalized or applied to other people, settings, and conditions.

Experimenter Expectancy Effects

Unintentional ways experimenters influence participants to behave in a way that confirms their hypothesis.

Double-blind Procedure

A technique where neither the participant nor the researcher knows which experimental condition the person is in.

Neurons

The specialized nerve cells and building blocks of the nervous system, numbering about $100$ billion at birth.

Cerebral Cortex

The outermost layer of the brain, about $\frac{2}{3}$ cm thick, made of unmyelinated grey cells.

Lateralization

The relatively greater location of a specific function in one cerebral hemisphere or the other.

Corpus Callosum

The bridge of fibers that pass information between the two cerebral hemispheres.

Action Potential

An electrochemical process where electrically charged particles enter a neuron to create a nerve impulse that continues down the axon.

Synapse

The gap or site between adjacent neurons through which chemical neurotransmitters are released.

Broca's Area

A brain region located in the frontal lobe responsible for speech formation and production.

Wernicke's Area

A brain region located in the temporal lobe responsible for speech understanding and meaningfulness.

Prosopagnosia

Also known as face blindness, it is the inability to recognize familiar faces due to damage in specialized areas of the brain.

Nucleus Accumbens

A structure in the limbic system identified as a pleasure center involved in motivation and reward.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body for 'fight or flight' responses.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The division of the autonomic nervous system that slows down body processes to maintain a calm state.

Medulla

A hindbrain structure that regulates vital functions such as heart rate, respiration, and circulation.

Cerebellum

A structure responsible for coordinating fine muscle movement, balance, learning, and memory.

Thalamus

The brain's sensory switchboard or relay center for incoming sensory information like vision and audition.

Hypothalamus

A forebrain structure that regulates basic biological needs including hunger, thirst, temperature, and sexual behavior.

Hippocampus

A limbic system structure involved in the formation and retrieval of memories.

Amygdala

A limbic system structure that organizes emotional responses, particularly aggression and fear.

Memory

The processes that allow us to record, store, and later retrieve experiences and information.

Sensory Memory

The memory system that holds incoming sensory information (iconic for visual, echoic for auditory) for a fraction of a second to a few seconds.

Short-term/Working Memory

A mental workspace that holds a limited amount of information ($7 ± 2$ items) for about $20$ to $30$ seconds.

Maintenance Rehearsal

The simple repetition of information to keep it active in short-term memory.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Focusing on the meaning of information or relating it to existing knowledge to move it into long-term memory.

Pracy Effect

Superior recall for early words in a list because they were rehearsed and transferred to long-term memory.

Recency Effect

Superior recall for the most recent words in a list because they are still present in short-term memory.

Declarative Memory

A subtype of long-term memory that includes factual information that can be verbalized, divided into episodic and semantic memory.

Episodic Memory

A type of declarative memory containing personal experiences and events we have experienced personally.

Semantic Memory

A type of declarative memory containing general factual knowledge and information like words and math.

Procedural Memory

Non-declarative memory reflected in skills, actions, habits, and classically conditioned responses.

Explicit Memory

The conscious or intentional retrieval of information or past experiences.

Implicit Memory

When memory influences behavior without conscious awareness, often demonstrated through priming tasks.

Mnemonic Device

Any strategy or system used to aid memory, such as acronyms, chunking, or the method of loci.

Method of Loci

A visualization technique where items to be remembered are linked to specific landmarks in a familiar physical environment.

Dual Coding Theory

The theory by Dr. Alain Pavio stating that information is stored in long-term memory in both verbal and non-verbal forms.

Misinformation Effect

When misleading post-event information is integrated into the original memory, potentially creating false memories.

Anterograde Amnesia

The inability to form new long-term memories after the onset of amnesia.

Retrograde Amnesia

The loss of memory for events that occurred before the onset of amnesia.

Proactive Interference

When past material interferes with the ability to recall newer material.

Retroactive Interference

When newly learned information interferes with the ability to recall older information.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

An enduring increase in synaptic strength that occurs as a result of repeated activation of a synapse.