Psych101 Comprehensive Vocabulary Review

Complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts, theories, and terminology from Psych 101.

Structuralism

Wundt/Titchener; broke down mind into basic elements via introspection (having subjects self-report their own sensations/thoughts in a structured way).

Functionalism

William James; focused on why mental processes exist (adaptive purpose).

Psychoanalysis

Freud; unconscious drives/conflicts shape behavior.

Behaviorism

Watson/Skinner; only observable behavior is worth studying (no "mind").

Gestalt Psychology

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"; perception organizes elements into wholes.

Humanistic Psychology

Maslow/Rogers; focus on free will, self-actualization, growth.

Cognitive Psychology

Mental processes (memory, thought, language) as central to behavior.

Biopsychology/Neuroscience

Behavior explained via brain, genetics, hormones.

Sociocultural Perspective

Behavior shaped by culture, social norms.

Evolutionary Perspective

Behavior explained via natural selection, adaptive value.

Clinical Psychology

Diagnosing/treating disorders.

Counseling Psychology

Everyday adjustment issues.

Developmental Psychology

Change across lifespan.

Social Psychology

Influence of others on behavior.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology

Workplace behavior.

Biopsychology

Brain/behavior links.

Psychiatry

Medical branch (can prescribe medication), distinct from psychology.

Theory

Broad explanation based on many observations, generates hypotheses.

Case Study

In-depth look at one individual/group; rich detail, not generalizable.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in real-world setting without interference; high external validity, low control.

Survey/Self-Report

Questionnaires/interviews; risk of social desirability bias, wording effects.

Correlational Research

Measures relationship between two variables.

Positive correlation

Variables move together.

Negative correlation

Variables move oppositely.

Correlation ≠ Causation

A third variable may explain the relationship.

Population

Entire group of interest.

Random Sample

Every member has equal chance of selection (reduces bias).

Independent Variable (IV)

Manipulated by researcher.

Dependent Variable (DV)

Measured outcome.

Experimental Group

Receives treatment/IV.

Control Group

Does not receive treatment; baseline for comparison.

Random Assignment

Randomly placing participants into groups to control for confounds.

Confounding Variable

Outside factor that could affect the DV, muddying results.

Operational Definition

Precise description of how a variable is measured/manipulated.

Placebo

Fake treatment; controls for expectation effects.

Placebo Effect

Improvement due to belief in treatment, not treatment itself.

Single-blind study

Participants don't know their condition.

Double-blind study

Neither participants nor researchers know conditions (controls for experimenter bias).

Validity

Does the study measure what it claims to?

Reliability

Consistency of results.

Dendrites

Receive signals.

Cell Body (Soma)

Integrates signals.

Axon

Transmits signal away from cell body.

Myelin Sheath

Fatty insulation; speeds up transmission.

Terminal Buttons/Axon Terminals

Release neurotransmitters.

Synapse

Gap between neurons.

Action Potential

Electrical impulse traveling down axon (all-or-none principle).

Resting Potential

Neuron's stable, negative charge before firing.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers crossing the synapse.

Dopamine

Reward, movement, motivation.

Serotonin

Mood, hunger, sleep.

Acetylcholine

Muscle action, learning, memory.

Norepinephrine

Alertness, arousal.

GABA

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Glutamate

Major excitatory neurotransmitter.

Endorphins

Pain relief, pleasure.

Reuptake

Neurotransmitter reabsorbed by sending neuron.

Agonist

Mimics/enhances a neurotransmitter's effect.

Antagonist

Blocks a neurotransmitter's effect.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Brain + spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Everything else (outside the brain and spinal cord).

Somatic Nervous System

Controls voluntary muscle movement.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls involuntary functions.

Sympathetic

"Fight or flight," arousal.

Parasympathetic

"Rest and digest," calming.

Hormones

Chemical messengers traveling through bloodstream (slower, longer-lasting than neurotransmitters).

Pituitary Gland

"Master gland," controls other glands.

Adrenal Glands

Release adrenaline/cortisol (stress response).

Thyroid

Regulates metabolism.

Hypothalamus

Links nervous & endocrine systems; controls pituitary.

Brainstem

Basic life support (breathing, heart rate).

Medulla

Controls heartbeat/breathing.

Pons

Coordinates movement, sleep.

Cerebellum

Balance, coordination, motor learning.

Thalamus

Sensory relay station (except smell).

Limbic System

Emotion, memory.

Amygdala

Fear, aggression.

Hippocampus

Forming new memories.

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer; higher-order thinking.

Frontal Lobe

Decision-making, personality, planning; contains Motor Cortex & Broca's Area (speech production).

Parietal Lobe

Touch, spatial awareness; contains Somatosensory Cortex.

Temporal Lobe

Hearing, language comprehension; contains Wernicke's Area (language comprehension).

Occipital Lobe

Vision.

Plasticity

Brain's ability to reorganize/adapt.

Neurogenesis

Growth of new neurons.

Split-Brain

Corpus callosum severed; studies on hemisphere specialization.

Corpus Callosum

Connects left/right hemispheres.

Lateralization

Generalization that the left hemisphere handles language/logic and the right hemisphere handles spatial/creative tasks.

EEG, fMRI, PET scan

Brain imaging/recording tools.

Sensation

Raw detection of stimuli by sense organs.

Perception

Brain's interpretation/organization of sensory input.

Bottom-Up Processing

Building perception from individual sensory pieces.

Top-Down Processing

Using prior knowledge/expectations to interpret sensory info.

Absolute Threshold

Minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus $50\%$ of time.

Difference Threshold (JND)

Smallest detectable difference between two stimuli.

Weber's Law

JND is proportional to the size of the original stimulus.

Sensory Adaptation

Diminished sensitivity due to constant stimulation.

Signal Detection Theory

Detecting a stimulus depends on intensity AND experience/expectations/motivation.

Perceptual Set

Mental predisposition to perceive something a certain way.

Gestalt Principles

Figure-ground, proximity, similarity, closure, continuity.