Psychology Exam Review: Biological Psychology, Brain Structures, Research Methods, and History

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering introductory psychology lecture notes including history, research methods, biological psychology, neural transmission, brain structure, lobes, and memory.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Scientific Attitude

Curiosity, skepticism, and humility when investigating questions.

Critical Thinking

Examining evidence, assumptions, bias, and conclusions.

Wilhelm Wundt

Founded the first psychology lab in 1879.

Structuralism

promoted by Wundt and Titchner. used introspection to reveal structure of human mind

Functionalism

promoted by William James and influenced by Charles Darwin; Studying how thoughts and behaviors help us adapt.

Introspection

self report method, Looking inward at your own thoughts and feelings. failed due to different experiences in persons intelligence and verbal ability

Mary Whiton Calkins

The first female president of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Margaret Floy Washburn

The second female president of the American Psychological Association (APA).

Behaviorism

The view championed by John B. Watson, Rosalie Rayner, and B.F. Skinner that psychology should be an objective science that studies observable behavior without reference to mental processes.

Psychoanalytic Psychology (Freudian)

How unconscious thoughts and childhood experiences affect behavior.

Humanistic Psychology

Focuses on growth, free will, and reaching one's potential.

Cognitive Psychology

Study of thinking, learning, memory, and problem-solving.

Biopsychosocial Approach

Explains behavior using biological, psychological, and social factors.

Theory

An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.

Hypothesis

A specific and testable prediction or statement generated from a theory.

Operational Definition

A clear, specific description of how a variable will be measured or observed in a research study.

Replication

Repeating a study to see if the results happen again, building higher confidence in the original findings.

Case Study

Detailed study of one person or small group. useful for rare cases but unable to generalize to wider populations.

Naturalistic Observation

Observing and recording behavior in organisms' natural environments without manipulation or intervention.

Correlation Coefficient

A statistical index showing the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables, ranging from $-1.00$ to $+1.00$.

Confounding Variable

An outside factor that could affect the independent variable and the results.

Random Assignment

randomly Placing research participants into experimental and control groups by chance to minimize preexisting differences between groups.

Double-Blind Procedure

Neither participants nor researchers know who gets the treatment.

Endocrine System

A relatively slow-acting Glands that release hormones into the bloodstream.

Pituitary Gland

The endocrine system's most influential gland ('master gland'); controlled by the hypothalamus, it releases growth hormones and regulates other glands.

Adrenal Glands

Endocrine glands triggered by the autonomic nervous system to release epinephrine and norepinephrine to increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar during stress.

Pancreas

Gland that controls food consumption breakdown and regulates blood sugar fluctuations. (bethany)

Thyroid Gland

Endocrine gland in the throat that influences metabolism.

Thymus Gland

Endocrine gland in the chest that produces white blood cells to attack viruses and cancer; very active in childhood and shrinks with age.

Pineal Gland

Endocrine gland in the head that produces melatonin for sleep regulation.

Dendrites

Branching fibers of a neuron that receive chemical/electrical signals and conduct them toward the cell body.

Axon

The extension of a neuron that Carries messages away from the cell body.

Myelin Sheath

A layer of fatty tissue covering that speeds neural signals. (tossing bag explination)

Resting Membrane Potential

Neuron's resting electrical charge, about -70 mV.

Action Potential

Electrical signal traveling down the axon. when sodium ions ($\text{Na}^+$) enter the membrane, shifting interior charge to $+40\,mV$.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Neurotransmitter enabling muscle movement, learning, and memory; deterioration of ACh-producing neurons is linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter influencing movement, learning, attention, and emotion; oversupply linked to schizophrenia, undersupply linked to Parkinson's disease.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter affecting mood, hunger, sleep, and emotional stability; undersupply is linked to depression.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

Major inhibitory neurotransmitter; undersupply is linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia.

Glutamate

Major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in memory; oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord, encased in bone.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Sensory and motor neurons connecting the CNS to the rest of the body; nerve cells are not encased in bone.

Somatic Nervous System

Division of the PNS controlling voluntary movements of skeletal muscles via afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) nerves.

Autonomic Nervous System

Division of the PNS controlling involuntary, automatic body functions such as heartbeat and digestion.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates the body for “fight or flight.” It is responsible for increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, and redirecting blood flow to muscles during stressful situations.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Branch of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body ('rest and digest') by contracting pupils, slowing heartbeat, and stimulating digestion.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

The oldest neuroimaging tool; measures amplified electrical signal waves generated by neuronal activity using scalp electrodes.

CT Scan (Computed Tomography)

A series of X-ray photographs combined to construct a single composite image showing a structural 'slice' of the brain.

PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography)

Visual display of brain activity that tracks where radioactive glucose flows while the brain performs cognitive tasks.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

Technique that uses radio waves to disrupt magnetically aligned atoms in the brain, creating high-resolution photos of brain structure.

fMRI (Functional MRI)

Brain imaging technique that tracks real-time changes in blood flow and oxygen to display brain function during tasks.

Medulla

Located at the base of the brainstem; Controls breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Pons

Brainstem structure that plays a key role in sleep, receives sensory signals, and coordinates movement with the cerebellum.

Reticular Formation

Nerve network running through the brainstem that Controls alertness and arousal.

Cerebellum

Structure attached to the back of the brainstem (touched in class) responsible for fine motor control, balance, coordination, and voluntary movement skills.

Thalamus

Sensory relay station sitting on top of the brainstem that routes incoming sensory messages to the cortex (except smell).

Limbic System

Neural system located below the cerebral cortex and wrapped around the thalamus, including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala; associated with emotions and drives.

Amygdala

Limbic system structure responsible for processing emotions, particularly aggression, fear, and emotional memories.

Hippocampus

Limbic system structure responsible for forming (not storing) new explicit memories and spatial memories.

Hypothalamus

Limbic system structure that controls the pituitary gland and maintains homeostasis (hunger, thirst, body temperature, sexual orientation). (rat photo)

Frontal Lobe

Lobe of the cerebral cortex involved in Planning, judgment, movement, and decision-making.

Parietal Lobe

Lobe of the cerebral cortex containing the somatosensory cortex; Processes touch and body sensations from skin and internal organs

Occipital Lobe

Lobe of the cerebral cortex containing the primary visual cortex; receives and processes visual information from the eyes.

Temporal Lobe

Lobe of the cerebral cortex containing the primary auditory cortex; processes hearing and language comprehension.

Broca's Area

Region in the frontal lobe that controls mouth muscles via motor cortex to generate spoken and written language.

Wernicke's Area

Region in the temporal lobe responsible for processing written or spoken language and comprehending its meaning.

Broca's Aphasia

Language impairment resulting from damage to Broca's area; person retains language comprehension but has labored, disrupted speech (aware of speech difficulties).

Wernicke's Aphasia

Language impairment resulting from damage to Wernicke's area; person has difficulty understanding language and produces disorganized speech/'word salad' (unaware of speech difficulties).

Corpus Callosum

A wide band of axon fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, enabling communication between them.

Split-Brain Research

Studies what happens when someones corpus callosum is cut.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to adapt, reorganize, and build new neural connections following damage or through experience.

Contralateral Organization

The anatomical arrangement where each cerebral hemisphere controls motor and sensory processing for the opposite side of the body.

Iconic Memory

Visual sensory memory with a span of 30-60 items and a duration of $\frac{1}{2}\text{--}1$ second.

Echoic Memory

Auditory sensory memory lasting $5\text{--}10$ seconds. no clue how many items it can hold

Agonist

A chemical molecule that increases or mimics the effect of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A chemical molecule that blocks or inhibits the effect of a neurotransmitter.

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals in a population that can be attributed to genetic differences.

Behavior genetics

Genes & enviroment interact to produce individual differences in behavior

Evolutionary perspective

Behavioral tendencies are passed through genes molded by natural selection

social-cultural

behavior varies across situations & cultures

neuroscience approach

behavior is controlled by the computations of neural works

5 goals of psychology

Description, Explanaiton, Prediction, Control/change behavior, and improve human condition

Eclectic

pick and choose best explanations from each paradigm

validity

knowing the thing were measuring is measuring what its supposed to measure

empirical approach

evidence based method that draws on observation and experimentation

labratory observation

observation conducted in a labratory setting

survey methods

self-reported attitudes or behaviors are collected

excitatory signals

most messages being passed through neurons, increase neuron’s ability to fire

inhibitory signals

block excitation form happening

when myelin sheath breaks down:

problems with movement (multiple sclerosis)

somatosensory cortex

processes sensations from skin and internal organs on opposite side of the body

angular gyrus

involved in reading; turns written words into auditory code

pathway of memory:

sensory first, unlimited space. few important things to to short term, makes its way to long term for however long needed

left hemisphere

speech comp./production, phonology, syntax, reading, writing, actions, facial exp, moiton detection

right hemisphere

coarse language skills, simple speech/writing, tone of voice, perceptual skills, self awareness

when do people with corpus callosum cut behave differently

when info is presented to only one visual field

memory illusion

false but convincing memory

atkinson and shiffrin model of memory

model used for showing how information is processed throughout the mind

serial position effect

prediction that we remmeber the first and last items on a list