Psych 201 Chapters 1-3

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes

The definition of Psychology reflects what?

The origins and history of Psychology

What are the goals of Psychology

Describe, Predict, explain, and control

Aristotle

Sleeping and Dreaming

Descartes

Separation of mind and body; Laid the groundwork for nature v. nurture

Wilhelm Wundt

The Founder of Psychology

Structuralism

Titchener; Study of basic components of conscious experiences; Focused on basic sensory and perceptual processes

Functionalism

William James; Emphasized study of the purpose or function of behavior and mental experiences (Consciousness)

Sigmund Freud

Emphasized the role of unconscious behavior; Psychoanalysis

Behaviorism

Emphasized the study of observable behaviors

Ivan Pavlov

Clasical Conditioning; Dog experiement; Behaviorism

John Watson

Behaviorism; How behavior is acquired and modified in response to environmental influences

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorism; Operate Conditioning; Behavior and its consequences

Carl Rogers

Humanistic; Emphasized persons conscious experiences, potential for psychological growth, importance of choice in human behavior

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic; Importance of psychological growth; Theory of Motivation

Nature vs Nurture

Is it genetic or learned behavior

Major steps of the Scientific Method

Formulate

Design

Analyze

Report

Empirical Evidence

Tried and True; its been test and the outcome is repeatedly the same

Clinical Psychology

Focuses on the Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of psycological disorders

Descriptive Research

Focuses on the who, what, when, where; Notes only; Naturalistic Observation, Case Studies, Surveys

Sample

Selected segment of the population used to represent the group being studied

Representative Sample

A sample that closely parallels the population being studied on relative characteristics; WEIRD

Random Selection

Subjects are randomly selected from a large group; equal chance of being selected

Positive Correlation

The two factors go in the same direction

Negative Correlation

The two factors go in opposite directions

Correlation does not equal………

CAUSATION

Experimental Research

Experiements

Independent Variable

factor that is manipulated to change an experiment

Dependent Variable

Factor that is observed/measured for change

Confounding Variables

Variables that are not the focus of an experiment but can affect the outcome

Biological Science

Scietific study of the biological bases of behavior and mental Processes

Neuroscience

Scientific study of the nervous system

Central Nervous System

Brain and Spine

Peripheral Nervous System

Everything Else

Somatic Nervous System

Voluntary Movements; In Peripheral Nervous System

Autonomic Nervous System

Involuntary Movements; In Peripheral Nervous System

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight or Flight

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Calms you down

Sensory Neurons

Go from your body to your brain

Motor Neurons

Go from your Brain to your body

Neuron

What transmits information in the nervous system

Interneuron

Communicates information between neurons

Basic Components of a Neuron

Cell body (Soma): Nucleus, Chromosomes

Dendrites

Axon

Action Potential

The moment it fires

Stimulus Threshold

minimum level of stimulation required to activate a neuron

Resting Potential

Ready to be fired

Synapse

A communication point between the two neurons separated by the synaptic gap

Synaptic Gap

Fluid gap

Reuptake process

Recycle

Presynaptic Neuron

Sending

Postsynaptic Neuron

Recieving

Acetylcholine

Learning, Memory, Muscle Contractions

Dopamine

Movement, thought process, rewarding sensations

Serotonin

Emotional States, Sleep, Sensory Perception

Norepinephrine

Physical Arousal, learning, memory, Regulation of Sleep

Glutamate

Excitatory Messages

GABA

Inhibitory messages

Endorphins

Pain Perception, Positive Emotions

The Endocrine System

Gland located throughout the body and uses hormones to transmit information through the bloodstream

Pineal Gland (Endocrine System)

In the Brain; Produces melatonin

Hypothalamus (Endocrine System)

In the Brain; Controls the pituitary gland; links nervous and endocrine systems

Pituitary Glands (Endocrine System)

In the brain near the ear; Regulates activities of other glands; produces growth hormone, prolactin, and oxytocin

Thyroid Gland (Endocrine System)

In the throat; Controls body metabolism rate

Adrenal Glands

Behind the pancreas and kidneys; produces adrenaline and norepinephrine; involved in fight or flight response

Pancreas (Endocrine System)

In front the Kidneys; Regulates blood sugar and insulin levels

Ovaries (Endocrine System)

Female; Secrete estrogen and progesterone; regulate female sexual development, reproduction, and behavior

Testes (Endocrine System)

Male; secrete testosterone; regulates male sexual development, reproduction, and behavior

Neuroplasticity

The brain can change

Functional Plasticity

Brains ability to shift functions from damaged to undamaged brain areas

Structural plasticity

Ability to change its physical structure in response to learning, active practice, or environmental influences

Brainstem

Region of the brain made up of the hindbrain and the midbrain

Hindbrain

Region at the base of the brain that contains structures that regulate basic life functions; connects brain to spinal chord; Pons, Cerebellum, Reticular formation, medulla

Forebrain

uppermost and largest brain region; Corpus Callosum, Cerebral Cortex

Midbrain

Contains structures involved in processing visual and auditory information

Medulla

In the Hindbrain; controls vital life functions: breathing and circulation

Pons

In the Hindbrain; helps coordinate movements on each side of the body

Cerebellum

In the hindbrain; muscle coordination and maintaining posture and equilibrium

Reticular Formation

In the Hindbrain; nerve fibers located in the center of the medulla; regulates attention, arousal, and sleep

Limbic System

Group of forebrain structures around the brainstem; involved in emotion, motivation, learning, and memory

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system; embedded in temporal lobe; Forms new memories

Thalamus

In the limbic system; in the cerebral hemispheres; processes sensory information and distributes motor information

Hypothalamus

Limbic System; located below the thalamus; Helps regulate both autonomic nervous divisions; links brain and endocrine system

Amygdala

Limbic system; At the base of the temporal lobe; emotional responses; brains lookout; learning and forming memories

Cerebral cortex

Hills and valleys; gray and white matter

Cerebral hemispheres

Left and right halves of the brain

Corpus Callosum

The highway between hemispheres

Occipital Lobe

Lobe of Cerebral Cortex; at the back of each hemisphere; receiving area for visual information

Parietal Lobe

Lobe of the Cerebral Cortex; located above temporal lobe; processes bodys sensations

Temporal Lobe

Lobe in the Cerebral Cortex; located around the Temples; Auditory Information

Frontal Lobe

Lobe in the Cerebral Cortex; Largest Lobe; voluntary muscle movements

Cortical localization

Different functions are located in different areas of the brain

Aphasia

Partial or complete inability to articulate ideas or understand spoken/written language because of brain injury or damage

Lateralization of Function

Specific psychological or cognitive functions are processed primarily on one side of the brain

Broca

Cant speak but can comprehend; lower left frontal lobe

Wernicke

cant comprehend but can speak; left temporal lobe damage

Sensation

Process of detecting a physical stimulus

Perception

Process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensations

Sensory Receptors

Specialized cells unique to each sense organ that respond to a form of sensory stimulation

Transduction

Physical energy is converted into a neural signal that can be processed by the nervous system

Sensory Threshold

To be detected, a stimulus must be able to activate a sensory receptor cell