exam 1 Flashcards
psychology definition
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
goals of psychology
describe, understand, predict, control
psychology was developed from…
philosophy and biology
plato/descartes belief of knowledge
Knowledge is innate (nature)
aristotle/locke belief of knowledge
knowledge acquired through experience (nurture)
plato’s idea of knowledge
we inherit character and intelligence
certain ideas are inborn
descarte’s idea of knowledge
some ideas are innate
aristotle idea of knowledge
there’s nothing in the mind that does not first come from the external
locke idea of knowledge
mind is a blank sheet on which experience writes
who established the first psychology lab?
wilhelm wundt
why did wilhelm wundt start psychology??
he wanted to study consciousness scientifically
wundt’s early experiment
how do you measure the speed of thought?
people told to listen for tone and hit button as fast as they can; some people told to just hit button; difference is how long “perception of sound takes”
just hit button was shorter
structuralism
the mind (consciousness) is composed of many parts, we can study the individual parts to understand the whole
emphasis on structure and organization of mind
which psychologist is associated with introspection
titchener
how did titchener use introspection
he just asked people what they thought/felt
used introspection to search for the mind’s structural elements
what is wrong with introspection
its unreliable
it required smart, verbal people
results varied greatly
what psychologist is associated with functionalism
william james
functionalism
the study of the purpose of mental processes in adaptive behavior (not the elements)
who thought that consciousness cannot be dissected and studied, but must be studied as a whole
william james
why did william james say that thinking developed
becuase it was adaptive (darwinian)
which psychologist was associated with psychoanalysis
freud
sigmund freud emphasized the importance of:
the unconscious mind and its effects on human behavior
psychoanalysis
ways our unconscious thought processes and emotional responses to childhood experiences affect our behavior
which psychologist is associated with behaviorism
watson
how did watson redefine psychology
as the scientific study of observable behavior
what do behaviorists think?
all behavior is a result of learning
our experiences with rewards and punishments shapes our behavior
scientists shouldnt study what they cannot see (consciousness)
cognitive revolution
dissatisfaction with behaviorism becuase it couldnt explain all behavior
led field of psych back to its early interest in mental processes
1960s onward
modern computer as metaphor of mind
receives input, processes info, outputs info
active processes occur in software that arent visible
cognitive psychology approach
explores the ways we percieve, process, and remember information
levels of analysis
different complementary views for analyzing phenomena
biopsychosocial approach
integrated approach that incorporated biological, psychological, and sociocultural levels of analysis
united goal of all subfields of psychology
describing and explaining behavior and the mind underlying it
what do biological psychologists do
explore the links between brain and mind
what do developmental psychologists do
study changing abilities from womb to tomb
what do cognitive psychologists do
study how we perceive, think, and solve problems
what do personality psychologists do
investigate our persistent traits
what do social psychologists do
explore how we view and affect one another
what do clinical psychologists do
studies, assessses, and treats people with psychological disorders
what do counseling psychologists do
help people cope with academic, vocational, and marital challenges
what do educational psychologists do
study and help individuals in school and educational settings
what do industrial/organizational psychologists do
study and advise on behavior in the workplace
what do human factors psychologists do
study human capabilities and limitations in complex settings
hindsight bias
“i knew it all along”
after learning the outcome of an event, many people believe they could have predicted that very outcome
leads to overconfidence in intuition
overconfidence
sometimes we think we know more than we actually know
(length of time to do anagram)
purpose of research in psychology
to examine the world in a critical and discerning manner
scientific method
specific, self-correcting method for asking questions and getting answers
theory
an explanation that can predict behavior or events
hypothesis
a testable prediction, often prompted by a theory, to enable us to accept, reject, or revise the theory
variables
specific factors that are manipulated and measured in research
operational definitions
hypothesis must be stated in terms of the operations and methods which will be used to measure it
in the scientific method, what do you have to do if your hypothesis is confirmed>
replicate findings
extend findings
test alternative explanations
in the scientific method, what do you have to do if your hypothesis is disconfirmed>
reformulate hypothesis
determine meaning for theory
research process
theories –> hypothesis –> research and observations
then, confirm/reject/revise, and get back to theories
ways of gathering evidence
naturalistic observation
case studies
surveys
experiments
naturalistic observation
process of watching without interfering as behavior occurs in natural environment
advantages of naturalistic observation
lots of rich data
difficult to duplicate in lab setting
disadvantages of naturalistic observation
people may act differently if they know
observations can be distorted by observer’s expectations
case studies
intensive study of behavior or mental processes in a particular infividual, group, or situation
often combine observations, tests, interviews, and analysis of written records
advantages of case studies
useful when phenomenon is new/complex/rare
disadvanatages of case studies
not always representative
surveys
ask people ab their behavior, attitudes, beliefs, etc through interviews and questionnaires
advantages of surveys
low cost, lots of data
p quick
disadvantages of surveys
phrasing v important
participants must represent population being studied
people may be reluctant to admit undesirable things
return rate very low
experiment
researcher changes one factor (IV)
measures the effect of this change on another variable (DV)
2 kinds of statistics used in psychology
descriptive
inferential
descriptive statistics
summary of data
describes data
inferential statistics
evaluating the possibility that the observed results represent a real and reliable phenomenon (or it was chance)
statisticially significant
the likelihood of getting a certain result by random chance has low probability
what is statistically significant criteria in psychology
0.05 (p < .05)
what does p= .05 mean
5% likelihood results are due to chance
95% likelihood results are real and not due to chance
correlation coefficient
statistical measure of the relationship between two variables
represented by r
r value can range from what to what
-1 to +1
value of r represents:
strength of relationship
sign of r represents:
its direction (positive or negative)
illusory correlations
seeing a relationship when none exists
result of bad science; bias
biological psychology
study of the cells and organs of the body and the physical and chemical changes involved in behavior and mental processes
basic unit of nervous system
neuron
nervous system is made up of
brain and spinal cord
longest axon in humans
spine to big toe
sensory neurons
neurons that carry incoming info from sensory receptors to brain and spinal cord
motor neurons
neurons that carry outgoing info from brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands
interneurons
neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between sensory inputs and motor outputs
dendrites
neuron’s branching extensions that RECEIVE messages and conduct impulses toward cell body
listen/receive messages from other cells
axon
the neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles/glands
cell body
cell’s life-support center
neural impulse (action potential)
electrical signal traveling down axon
myelin sheath
fatty tissue layer encasing axon of neurons
helps speed neural impulses
terminal branches of axon
form junctions with other cells
multiple sclerosis is caused by what
degredatio of myelin sheath
at rest, what is the charge difference between the inside and outside of a neuron
-70 mV
when does a neural impulse fire?
when threshold exceeds a certain value, neural impulse fires and travels down axon
how do neurons communicate w each other (depolarization, etc)
- neuron stimulation causes brief change in electric charge. if strong enough, this produces depolarization and action potential
- this produces another action potential further down axon. gates open and charged sodium atoms rush in. pump transports sodium bavk outside cell
- as action potential vpntinues down axon, first section has now copmltely recharged
how do neurons code intensity
rate of on-off impulses
number of neurons transmitting
synapse
junction between axon tip of the sending neuron and dendrite of receiving neuron
neurotransmitter
chemical messengers that cross synapses
reuptake
the sending neuron reabsorbs excess NT after flooding synapse
reabsorbs andbreaks down NT
NT involved in muscle actions, learning, memory
acetylcholine
NT involved in movement, learning, attention, emotion
dopamine
NT involved in mood regulation, sleep
serotonin
NT involved in memory (excitatory)
glutamate
inhibitory neurotransmitter (calms activity in brain)
GABA
NT involved in alertness, arousal
norepinephrine
undersupply of what NT is linked to siezures, tremors, insomnia
GABA
endorphins
natural, opiatelike NT linked to pain control and pleasure
in the lock and key mechanism, what is the lock?
receptor
in the lock and key mechanism, what is the key?
neurotransmitter (NT opens receptor site)
agonist molecules
molecules similar enough to a NT to bind to its receptor and mimic its effects
morphine is a ___ for endorphins
agonist (it mimics endorphins)
antagonist molecules
molecules that are structurally similar enough to a NT to bind to its receptor site, but they do it to block the NT from binding.
3 functions of nervous system
input
processing
output
central nervous system
brain and spinal cord
peripheral nervous system
sensory and motor neurons that connect CNS to rest of body
somatic nervous system
division of PNS that controls body’s skeletal muscles
autonomic nervous system
division of PNS that controls the glands and muscles of internal organs
sympathetic nervous system
division of autonomic nervous system that arouses body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
how does sympathtic nervous system affect the body?
increase heart rate
increase bp
slow digestion
increase blood sugar
increase perspiration
parasympathetic nervous system
division of autonomic nervous system that calms body, conserving its energy
how does parasympathetic nervous system affect the body?
opposite of sympathetic
nervous system that sends sensory info TO CNS for processing and sends messages FROM CNS to muscles to direct motion
somatic nervous system
nervous system that controls activities that are generally autonomous or independedndt of one’s control
autonomic nervous system
nervous system that mobilizes the body for action in face of stress (fight or flight)
sympathetic nervous system
nervous system that regulates the body’s functions to conserve energy (relax)
parasympathetic
part of nervous system involved in simple reflexes that bypass the brain
spinal cord
clusters of neurons working together (neural networks)
CNS
how many neurons, connections, and synapses are there in CNS
40 billion neurons
each with 10k connections
40 trillion synapses
parts of brain
forebrain
midbrain
hindbrain
parts of hindbrain
reticular formation
cerebellum
locus coeruleus
medulla
brainstem is located where
at base of brain
oldest part of brain
brainstem
brainstem function
autonomic regulation, arousal, motor movement
where is the medulla located
brainstem
medulla
base of brainstem
controls heartbeat and breathing
where is reticular formation located
brainstem
reticular formation
nerve network in brainstem that plays important role in controlling arousal (awakeness)
where is thalamus located
brainstem
thalamus
brain’s sensory switchboard
directs messages to sensory areas in cortex; transmits replies to cerebellum and medulla
“little brain” attached to rear of brainstem
cerebellum
function of cerebellum
helps coordinate voluntary movements and baalnce
componenets of midbrain
limibic system
hypothalamus
pituitary gland
amygdala
hippocampus
hypothalamus
maintenence activities like eating, drinking, body temp, emotion control
controls endocrine system via pituitary gland (hormones)
how does hypothalamus control endocrine ssytem
pituitary gland
hormones
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through blodstream and affect other tissues
amygdala
2 lima bean sized neural clusters linked to fear and anger
endocrine system
the body’s slow chemical communication system
set of glands that secrete hormones into bloodstreamq
hippocampus
critical in new memory formation
located in midbrain
nervous system’s way to communicae with other parts of body
endocrine system
brain lesion
tissue destruction; naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue to study behaviors
Phineas Gage
survived frontal lobe lesion
became v angry
electroencephelogram (EEG)
amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brain’s surface, measured by electrodes placed on scalp
PET scan
detects radioactive form of glucose while brain performs a given task
shows us each brain area’s consumption of glucose
MRI scan
uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-genrated images that distinguish among diff types of brain tissue
neural networks
interconnected neurons form networks in the brain
these networks are complex and modify with growth and experience
cerebral cortex
the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres
the body’s ultimate control and information processing center
structure of cerebral cortex
frontal lobe
parietal lobe
occipatal lobe
temporal lobe
where is frontal lobe
forehead
where is parietal lobe
top to rear head
where is occipital lobe
back of head
where is temporal lobe
side of head
motor cortex
area at rear of frontal lobes that control voluntary movements
sensory cortex (parietal cortex)
receives info from skin surface and sense organs
t/f more intelligent animals have increased association areas of cortex
true
association areas
areas of cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions
theyre involved in higher mental functions usch as learning, remmebring, thiinking, speaking
which areas of brain affect language
Broca’s area
Wernicke’s are
broca’s area
controls speech expression (controls muscles of speech via motor cortex)
wernicke’s area
interprets speech (auditory/visual)
brain activity when hearing words
auditory cortex
wernickes area
brain activity when seeing words
visual cortex
angular gyrus
brain activity when speaking words
brocas area
motor cortex
brain activity when speaking words
brocas area
motor cortex
angular gyrus
transforms visual representations into auditory code
corpus callosum
large band of neural fibers connecting the 2 brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
in split brain patients, objects presented in ___ visual field can be names; objects in ___ visual field cannot
right; left
which hemisphere controls speech
left
consciousness
awareness of the outside world and of one’s mental processes, thoughts, feeelings and perceptions
cocktail party affect- and what is it an example of?
your ability to attend to only one voice among many when they say your name
selective attention
selective attention
the focusing of conscious awareness on a aprticular stimulus
dual processing
the principle that info is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
conscious track of dual processing
(your convo)
not much info, but we are awware of it and it immediately guides our actions
non conscious track of dual processing
(your name being called)
a massive amount of sensory info but you are unaware (unless it is brought into consciousness)
inattention blindness
failing to see visible objects when our atention is directed elsewhere
info that is not attended to dissipates quickly- you are “blind” to it
change blindness
failing to notice changes in the environment
circadian rhythms
the biological clock
regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24 hr cycle
include sleep and wakefulness
t/f circadian rhythms can be altered by artificial light
true
sleep
periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness
sleep theories
sleep protects
sleep helps us recover
sleep helps us remember
sleep may play a role in the growth process
effects of sleep deprivation
fatigue and death
impaired concentration
emotional irritability
depressed immune system
greater vulnerability to accident
REM sleep
rapid eye movement
recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams occur
every 90 min we cycle thru 4 sleep stages- what are they?
REM, NREM 1, NREM 2, NREM 3
alpha waves
the releatively slow waves of relaxed, awake state
what is the first stage of sleep
NREM 1
during NREM 1, you may experience ___
halluciantions
during NREM 2, you may experience _____
sleep spindles
during NREM 3, which waves are produced
delta waves
a meditating person exhibits _____ brain activity
alpha
beta waves
awake and aroused
also seen in REM sleep
theta waves
during early, light sleeo
seenin stages NREM 1 - NREM 2
a person who is daydreaming shows ___ activity
theta
