PSY 200- General Psychology Study Guide Chapters 1 & 2 Psychology in Everyday Life

states of consciousness

levels of consciousness ranging from alert wakefulness to deep sleep

Dendrites

a short branched extension of a nerve cell, along which impulses received from other cells at synapses are transmitted to the cell body.

Axons

the long threadlike part of a nerve cell along which impulses are conducted from the cell body to other cells.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impairs daily functioning, and can be disabling.

Neurotransmitters

A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell.

Cognitive perspective

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

Jean Piaget

Jean William Fritz Piaget was a Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called "genetic epistemology".

In the early years, psychology focused on what?

mental life

Paradoxical sleep

REM when muscles are deeply relaxed but there are high levels of brain activity

Evolutionary perspective

a theoretical approach in psychology that examines cognition and behavior from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify human psychological adaptations with regards to the ancestral problems they evolved to solve.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction, often implied by a theory

Myelin Sheath

the protective, fatty coating surrounding your nerve fibers, similar to the protective insulation around electrical wires. This coating enables the electrical impulses between nerve cells to travel back and forth rapidly.

Circadian rhythm

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (for example, of temperature and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle

Humanistic psychologists focuses on what? Know the Humanistic theory

core principles are important: respect for life and human dignity; equal rights and social justice; respect for cultural diversity, as well as a sense of shared responsibility and a commitment to international solidarity. These principles are all fundamental aspects of our common humanity.

What does the endocrine system consist of?

glands that secrete hormones

What does the nervous system consist of?

brain, spinal cord, nerves, sensory receptors

What does the sympathetic nervous system consist of?

system's primary process is to stimulate the body's fight or flight response. It is, however, constantly active at a basic level to maintain homeostasis.

Behavioral perspective and behaviorism

A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior, the idea human and animal behavior can be explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings, and that psychological disorders are best treated by altering behavior patterns.

Socio-cultural perspective

Focuses on the roles of social and cultural influences on human behaviour and mental processes.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

a subfield of psychology that studies and advises on workplace behavior. Industrial/organizational (I/O) psychologists help organizations select and train employees, boost morale and productivity, and design products and assess responses to them

Psychodynamic

term describes the perspective on psychology in which inner feeling and unconscious tensions are emphasized

Cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

Dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. Dreams are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it.

Relationship between sleep and depression and weight gain

Sleep deprevation

Placebo

A harmless pill, medicine, or procedure prescribed more for the psychological benefit to the patient than for any physiological effect.

Be able to identify and example of a conditioned behavior that can be seen or observed

Be able to identify what Freudian psychology looks like

In Freudian theory, the human mind is structured into two main parts: the conscious and unconscious mind. The conscious mind includes all the things we are aware of or can easily bring into awareness. The unconscious mind, on the other hand, includes all of the things outside of our awareness—all of the wishes, desires, hopes, urges, and memories

Psychodynamic perspective

the approach based on the view that behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control

William James

founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment

Who was an Austrian physician?

Sigmund Freud

Population

group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area

Correlational research

the study of the naturally occurring relationships among variables

Sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

Endorphins

"morphine within"--natural, opiatelike neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

REM Sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

1st female president of APA

Mary Whiton Calkins

Central nervous system

made up of the brain and spinal cord

William Wundt

1832-1920; Field: structuralism, voluntarism; Contributions: introspection, basic units of experience; Studies: 1st psychological laboratory in world at University of Leipzig

Positive Psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive

Hypnosis

helps to recall memories which is critical thinking

Neuroscience perspective

the approach that views behavior from the perspective of the brain, the nervous system, and other biological functions

Neurons

Individual cells in the nervous system that receive, integrate, and transmit information.

Psychology

the science of behavior and mental processes

Functionalism

A school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Hippocampus memories

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage, are stored during sleep