Psychology - 150

Essentialism

Things/people/concepts that exist outside of our perception/labels.

social constructionism

Things/concepts that only exist in our perception. gender & money

Structuralism

an early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind

Funcationalism

early school of thought promoted by James and influenced by Darwin; explored how mental and behavioral processes function- how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish

psychoanalytic theory

A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior; early experiences matter

Behaviorism

the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only

Pavlov

classical conditioning

B.F. Skinner

operant conditioning

Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory

Holds that behavior, environment, and person/cognitive factors are the key factors in development: Bobo doll

sociocultural theory

how society affects mental processes and behavior

Humanistic - Existential perspective

Emphasizes the role of subjective (personal) experience

cognitive perspective

A psychological approach that emphasizes mental processes in perception, memory, language, problem solving, and other areas of behavior

biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological and psychological processes

Biopsychosocial

an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis. Internal and external factors

Scientific Method

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.

Independent Variable (IV)

the variable that a researcher actively manipulates, will cause a change in the dependent variable

Dependent Variable (DV)

the research variable that is influenced by the independent variable and the impact can be measured

Sample

a subset of the population

Population

The overall group of individuals that researcher is interested in

random sample

method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected

random assignment

assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences between those assigned to the different groups

representative sample

a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole

naturalistic observation

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Clinical Case Studies

in-depth investigation of an individual or small group

Surveys

collect data from subjects who respond to a series of questions about behaviors and opinions, often in the form of a questionnaire; self representative

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables

correlation coefficient

a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other

experimental group

In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Control group

In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; placebo effect

confounding variable

a factor other than the factor being studied that might influence a study's results

single-blind study

a study in which the participants are unaware of whether they are in the control group or the experimental group

double-blind study

An experiment in which neither the participant nor the researcher knows whether the participant has received the treatment or the placebo

Statistical Significance

a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result occurred by chance

descriptive statistics

describes the sample (mean, median, mode)

inferential stats

used to interpret data and draw conclusions

p = .05

significant difference, results are reliable

p = .01

no significant difference

Resting Potential

Not firing (-70mv); at rest

Action potential

Spike in electrical energy that passes through the axon of a neuron. In action, sending a message

Refractory period

Just fired, can’t fire again, on the way back to resting potential

Sanaps

where neurons meet

All or none phenomenon

fires or doesn’t

Reuptake

after action potential, excess neurotransmitters drift way, are broken down, or absorbed

Excitatory neurotransmitters

causes other neurons to fire

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

prevents other neurons from firing

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Relays messages from motor neurons to muscles, enabling movement, involved in memory

Endorphins (N or H)

occurs naturally within the brain & bloodstream, Inhibits pain

Dopamine

Underlies feeling of rewards and pleasure

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Inhibits neurotransmitters firing; contributes to motor control vision and sleep

Glutamate

main excitatory neurotransmitter found in 50% of snapes. Plasy central role in learning and memory

Norepinephrine

“goldie locks” Have variety of effects on CNS; help body prepare for stress

Agonist

A drug that mimics or strengthens the effects of a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

A drug that blocks or impedes the normal acidity of a given transmitter

Sensory

sense organs to brain

Motor

brian to body

receptor site

Neurotransmitters bind to this, like a lock and key dendrite

Myelin

A fatty white coating that protects and insulates the axon

Neurotransmitter

chemical messages of the nervous system like dopamine or serotonin

Synaptic Celft

gap between two communicating neurons

pons

hindbrain structure that involved in regulating brain activity during sleep

reticular formation

structure in the brain stem that is important in regulating the sleep/wake cycle, arousal, and alertness

Cerebellum

Hindbrain structure that controls our balance, coordination, movement, and motor skills, and it is thought to be most important in processing some types of memory

amygdala

structure in the limbic system involved in our experience of emotion (particularly anger and fear), threat detection and trying emotional meaning to our memories

medulla

hindbrain structure that controls automated processes such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate

Cerebral cortex

surface of the brain that is associated with ou =r highest mental capabilities

thalamus

Sensory replay for the brain; most sensory signals go through this part before being transferred to the cerebral cortex

hypothalamus

forebrain structure that regulates sexual motivation and behavior

Corpus Callosum

a thick band of neural fibers connecting the brian’s two hemispheres, allows for the two hemispheres to communicate

Broca’s area

region in the left hemisphere that is essential for language production

frontal lobe

part of the cerebral cortex involved in reasoning, motor control, emotion, and language; contains motor cortex

Wernicke’s area

important to speech comprehension

occipital lobe

part of the cerebral cortex associated with visual processing; contains the primary visual cortex

parietal lobe

part of the cerebral cortex involved in processing various sensory and perceptual information, particularly touch; contains the primary somatosensory cortex

temporal lobe

part of the cerebral cortex associated with hearing, memory, emotion, and some aspects of language; contains primary auditory cortex

hippocampus

structure in the temporal lobe associated with learning and memory

Terminal button

sends messages to the other neurons (the talker when two neurons are communicating

Soma

Countians all the nucleus with genetic instructions for the cell

Dendrite

receives messages from the neurons (the listener when two neurons are communicating)

endocrine system

series of glands that produce chemical substances known as hormones, effects are slower than the nervous system, but last longer

Hormone

chemical messenger released by endocrine glands ( adrenaline, testosterone)

Homeostasis

state of equilibrium- biological conditions, such as body temperature are maintained at optimal levels

flight or flight

activation of the sympathetic division of the automatic nervous system, allowing access to energy reserves and highlighted sensory capacity

electroencephalography (EEG)

recording the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes on the scalp

positron emission tomography (PET) scan

involves injecting individuals with a mildly radioactive substance and monitoring changes in blood flow to different regions of the brain

functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

shows brain activity by detecting blood oxygen levels through the use of magnetic fields

computerized tomography (CT) scan

imaging technique in which a computer coordinates and integrates multiple x-rays of a given area

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

magnetic fields used to produce a picture of the tissue being imaged