Psych

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

4 goals of psychology

describe, understand (explain), predict, and modify (change) behavior

Psychoanalysis

Freud's theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts; the techniques used in treating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions

Behaviorism

Approach initially proposed by Watson who claimed introspection was unscientific. He believed objective scientific methods should be used in the field of psychology and that more focus should be given to environmental factors. As mental states are not observable then only behaviour could be used to study psychology. Basic principles were established through studying simpler organisms such as rats, which could then be extrapolated to humans, thus making it a comparative approach. He focused on learning in terms of classical and instrumental/operant conditioning and his most famous study was that of Little Albert. Criticised for ignoring the role of cognition and other internal processes in human behaviour.

Humanism

a theory that stresses the potential of all humans for good and the belief that all people have the same basic needs, regardless of culture, gender, or background

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Cognitive Approach

An approach to psychology emphasizing the mental processes involved in knowing: how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems.

sociocultural perspective

perspective that focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture

biopsychosocial approach an integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis

evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

Wilhem Wundt

Wundt was important because he separated psychology from philosophy by analyzing the workings of the mind in a more structured way, with the emphasis being on objective measurement and control.

* opened the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879

Edward Titchener

Student of Wilhelm Wundt; founder of Structuralist school of psychology.

William James

First American psychologist and author of the first psychology textbook

Knows as father of Psychology

His pragmatic philosophy, often associated with the concept of "pragmatism," focused on how ideas work in real-life situations

Mary Whiton Calkins

Student of William James

Became president of the American Psychological Association 1905

Completed her doctoral studies but Harvard refused to award her a Ph.D. because, at the time, they did not grant doctoral degrees to women

Mary conducted experiments on associationism (ideas or sensations as the primary basis of meaning, thought, or learning). The research involved recording each night, immediately after waking from a dream, every remembered feature of it.

Francis Cecil Sumner

Considered the Father of African American psychology

First African American to earn a PhD in psychology

Chaired psych department at Howard University

Kenneth and Mamie Clark

Conducted a series of tests nicknamed the ¨Doll Test¨

The test studied the psychological effects segregation had on children by forcing them to choose between different colored dolls. While answering several prompts.

Opened Northside Center for Child Development

Kenneth was the first black President of the American Psychological Association.

Findings in the Doll Test were used in Supreme Court case that eventually ended school segregation.

Evelyn Hooker

She was an american psychologist who is known for her research on homosexuality.

During the time of the researches she did, most people thought being homosexual was a disease.

She compared both a gay man and a straight man's mental health through psychological tests

Her work helped with the removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder

Her research also helped with change in perception and advancement in LGBTQ+ rights

Martin Seligman

American psychologist born in 1942

Researched on how people and animals can feel helpless after continuous negative behavior

Also, thorough studies, found out that those repeated negative behaviors could cause mental illnesses like depression

Moved on to positive psychology

Introduced PERMA model which stands for Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning ,and Accomplishment

Influenced psychology to talk not only about mental illnesses, but about the benefits of psychologists.

correlational studies

a research method that examines how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them or assign causation between them

Biological Perspective

looking at human behavior from genetics

Neuron

the basic cell that makes up the nervous system and that receives and sends messages within that system

there are over 100billion of them

Dendrites

small branches that receive messages from other neurons

Soma

cell body of a neuron and I responsible for keeping the neuron alive

Axon

carries the message from the cell body to the axon terminals and they release the message

myelin sheath

protects the axon, insulates the message and speeds up neural impulses

without it we would have multiple sclerosis

Reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

clinical psychology

a branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders

Examples

Child Psychologist.

Behavioral Health Therapist.

Clinical Social Worker.

Marriage and Family Therapist.

Organizational Psychologist.

Psychotherapist.

Neuropsychologist.

Learning Disabilities Specialist.

Cognitive Psychology

the scientific study of all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Examples

University instructor

Cognitive therapist

Industrial-organizational manager

Psychometrist

Cognitive Rehabilitation Technician.

Mental Health Therapist

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Examples

School counselor,

group home worker,

psychometrician,

Adolescent Development Specialist,

substance abuse

social worker,

hospice director,

School psychiatrist,

behavioral therapist

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Examples

marketing manager- organize and manage marketing campaigns

-industrial organizational psychologist- focus on the behavior of employees in the workplace

-social worker- helps clients in need of help

-business consultant- manages organizations

-public relations specialist- create and maintain a positive public image

-college professor- university or college educator

industrial-organizational psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

Examples

Human Resources Manager

Team Development Manager

Workforce Insights Analyst

Market Researcher

biopsychology

study of how biology influences behavior

Examples

Psychiatric nurse

Behavioral specialist

Psychiatrist

Researcher

Neuro rehabilitation manager

Mental health technicians

Animal Behavior specialist

forensic psychology

area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within and related to the justice system

Examples

Victim Advocate

Detectives and Investigators

Correctional officer

Jury Consultant

naturalistic observation

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

Cerebrum

Area of the brain responsible for all voluntary activities of the body

Cerebellum

A large structure of the hindbrain that controls fine motor skills.

limbic sysem

a group of subcortical structures (such as the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdale) of the brain that are concerned especially with emotion and motivation

Amygdala

two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.

Hippocamus

a brain structure in the limbic system that is involved in forming and indexing memories

Hypothalamus

A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

Brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

Thalamus

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

basal ganglia

a set of subcortical structures that directs intentional movements

prefrontal cortex

part of frontal lobe responsible for thinking, planning, and language

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

sensory cortex

area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

reticular formation

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

Wernicke's area

controls language reception - a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression; usually in the left temporal lobe

Broca's area

Controls language expression - an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech.

nervous system

Central nervous system- brain and spinal cord (interneurons)

Peripheral nervous system- everything else (sensory and motor)

Spinal reflexes

whenever our body has an automatic response that occurs below the neck

neuroplasticity

the ability within the brain to constantly regenerate neurons after they've died.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Autonomic NS- internal automatic functions

splits into sympathetic (fight to flight) and parasympathetic which slows you down.

examples- 

breathing, digestion, heartbeat, pupils dilation, blood pressure

Somatic NS- has to do with your skeleton

examples- 

voluntary movement, writing, dancing

Biofeedback

helps people control certain autonomic functions

endocrine system

releases hormones directly into the bloodstream to regulate bodily functions

pituitary gland

Master Gland, mainly for growth hormone, directs all the other glands

pineal gland

produces melatonin, responsible for the sleep wake cycle, responds to light

thyroid gland

thyroxin

metabolism= brain development

hypothyroidism=fatigue and weight gain

hyperthyroidism= fast metabolism and weight loss

pancreas

insulin

blood sugar ⬆ diabetes

blood sugar ⬇ hypoglycemia

gonads

sex glands

ovaries= estrogen

testes= testosterone

mood and energy

both are sex hormones

adrenal glands

adrenaline= cortisol

too much cortisol affects the immune system

Nature vs. Nurture

genes (nature)

environmental factors (nurture)

Monozygotic

identical twins

Dizygotic

fraternal twins

illicit drugs (birth)

increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, cognitive an behavior issues, slows down child growth

heroin (birth)

neonatal abstinence syndrome

low birth weight

breathing problems

otc meds (birth)

accutane causes face heart and brain problems

antibiotics (birth)

discoloration of teeth

impaired bone growth

tuna and swordfish (birth)

impaired brain development

cognitive and motor delays

lead (birth)

reduced iq

behavior problems

radiation (birth)

increased risk of miscarriage

slow growth

physical abnormalities/malfunctions

cognitive impaires

Stages of Prenatal Development

germinal, embryonic, fetal

Language acquisition

cooing- 2 months

babling- 6 months

one word- 1 yo

2/3 word phrases- 18-24 months

whole sentences- 2+

THIS PROCESS IS UNIVERSAL

psychosocial development

8 stages

Stage 1

trust vs mistrust

birth to 1

Stage 2

autonomy vs shame and doubt

1-3 years old

Stage 3

initiative vs guilt

3-5 years old

Stage 4

industry vs inferiority

5-12 years old

Stage 5

identity vs role confusion

12-18 years old

Stage 6

intimacy vs isolation

young adults

Stage 7

generativity vs stagnation

middle age

Stage 8

integrity vs despair

late adulthood

respiratory system

they can breathe out of the womb

blood circulatory system

regulate body temp

REFLEXES

Grasping reflex

morrow- startle reflex

rooting reflex

stepping reflex

sucking reflex

motor development

growth

raising head on chest

supporting body weight

rolling over

sitting up straight and without support

crawling

walking

preferential looking

habituation

kids stop paying attention to things that do not change

schema

assimilation

accommodation

modifying schema to add more room for more info

Babisnki

a touch on the bottom of the foot

an infants toe will spread out and curl in

Cognitive Development

Study of how thinking evolves through stages.

Piaget's Stages

Four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, formal.

Object Permanence

Understanding objects exist when not visible.

Conservation

Understanding quantity remains unchanged despite appearance.

Abstract Reasoning

Ability to think logically about hypothetical concepts.

Psychosocial Development

Erikson's theory on emotional and social growth.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Infancy conflict affecting future relationships.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Adolescence conflict impacting self-concept.

Temperament

Innate personality traits influencing behavior.

Parenting Style

Approach caregivers use to raise children.

Brain Structures

Key areas regulating functions like emotions and decisions.

Prefrontal Cortex

Area responsible for decision-making and impulse control.

Neuroplasticity

Brain's ability to adapt and reorganize.

Neuron Structure

Parts include dendrites, axon, soma, and synapse.

Neurotransmitter Functions

Chemical messengers affecting mood and behavior.

Freud's Psychodynamic Theory

Focus on id, ego, and superego interactions.

Self-Actualization

Rogers' concept of realizing personal potential.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Pyramid of human needs from basic to self-fulfillment.

Locus of Control

Rotter's concept of perceived control over outcomes.

Big Five Personality Traits

Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism.

Moral Decision-Making

Influence of personality on ethical choices.

Conservation Tasks

Piaget's experiments demonstrating concrete operational thought.