Exam 1 Flashcards
What two disciplines is psychology deeply rooted in?
Philosophy and physiology 
Who is the father of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
First definition of psychology 
The study of the mind or the scientific study of conscious experience 
Structuralism 
Analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these elements are related 
Introspection
The process by which a person gains knowledge about his or her mental emotion or emotional state as a result of the examination or observation of their conscious thoughts or feelings.
Functionalism
Investigate the function of consciousness rather than its structure 
Who won the battle of the schools?
No one 
Who founded psychoanalytic theory?
Sigmund Freud
What does psychoanalytic theory focus on?
On unconscious determinants of behavior
Raises the idea that not everything in our behavior is under conscious control 
Who founded behaviorism? 
John B Watson
What do behavioral believe psychological research should study
Scientific psychology should only study observable behavior 
What is behavior?
Overt response or activity by an organism
According to BF Skinner, what drives behavior
Behaviors are driven by consequences not by conscious decisions 
What myth did Leta Stetter Hollingworth research debunk ? 
Debunk the myth that women are not a smart as men 
Clinical psychology how was it born and what is it? 
Emerged during and after World War II to screen, military recruits and traumatize soldiers
It is a branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders

Define cognition 
Refers to the mental process involved in acquiring knowledge 
What do cognitive psychologist argue that psychology should study?
They argue that psychology must include the study of internal mental events to fully understand human behavior 
Humanism
Emphasizes unique qualities of humans, such as individual freedom, and potential for personal growth 
Positive psychology 
Focus on how to make humans thrive rather than how to fix them
Evolutionary psychology
Theoretical perspective, that examines behavioral processes in terms of their adaptive value
Patterns of behaviors are products of evolution 
Cultural psychology 
Emphasizes understanding how other cultures interact and behave 
What is the difference between a psychologist and psychiatrist? 
Psychiatrist can prescribe medication and have a medical degree
Psychologist have a PhD PSYD or EDD 
What is the current definition of psychology?
The study of behavior, including the psychological and cognitive process that underlie it 
Behavior is shaped by 
Culture
The five steps of a scientific investigation
Hypothesis, method, collect, analyze, and report 
Theory
System of interrelated ideas, used to explain a set of observations 
Hypothesis
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables based on a theory 
Operational definition
Operations by which a variable will be measured
Ex. Someone my operationally define height as a number of inches from a persons heels to the top of their head 
Independent variable
The cause, the variable that is manipulated
Dependent variable
The effect, the variable that is affected by the manipulation 
Experimental group
Participants or subjects receive special treatment
Control group
Participants or subjects receive no treatment 
Extraneous Variable
Any variable other than the IV that could potentially influence the DV in a specific study 
Confounding variable
An extraneous variable, which is linked with the IV in such a way that it is difficult to determine which variable is influencing the DV 
Random assignment 
A procedure, in which all subjects in a study, have an equal chance of being assigned to any group or condition 
Correlation
The extent to which two variables are related to each other 
Correlation coefficient
The strength of a correlation which ranges from -1.00 or from +1.00 
Positive correlation
Indicates that two variables tend to increase and decrease together 
Negative correlation
Indicates that one variable increases the other tends to decrease 
What two aspects of correlation are researchers, primarily interested in
Direction and strength 
Correlation does not imply
Causation
Naturalistic observation
Careful observation of behavior without intervening directly with subjects/ participants
Case studies
An in-depth investigation of an individual or special group 
Surveys
Questionnaires or interviews to gather data on attitudes , beliefs or behaviors
Sampling bias
Taking a sample that may not be representative of the population
Placebo effects
Participants expectations lead them to experience change rather than an actual effects of the IV 
Social desirability bias
Attendance to give socially approved answers to questions about oneself 
Experimenter bias
A researchers expectations or preference about the outcome of a study that influence the results obtained 
Neurons
Individual cells in the nervous system that receive integrate and transmit information

Soma
Contains the nucleus and chemical machinery common to most cells 
Dendrite
The part of the neuron that receives information 
Axon
Long thin fiber that transmit signals to other neuron, muscles or glands 
Myelin Sheath
Insulating material that surrounds the axon

Synapse
A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to another 
Terminal buttons
Small knobs that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters 
What do glial cells do?
Provide various types of support for neurons
Supply nourishment
Remove waste product
Provide insulation around axon 
Resting potential
Stable negative charge when the cell is inactive 
Action potential
Brief shift in neurons electrical charge that travels along the axon 
Absolute refractory period
Minimum length of time, after an action potential, during which another action potential cannot begin 
Reuptake
When neurotransmitters are sponged up from the synaptic cliff by the pre-synaptic membrane 
Post synaptic cell 
the cell that receives the signal from the synapse
Pre-synaptic cell
the cell that transmits a signal toward a synapse
Neurotransmitter
Chemicals that transmit information
Synaptic vesicles
Small sacs where neurotransmitters are stored in the terminal button 
The neuron is more _________ charged when it is at rest 
Negative
What is the basic idea of the all or nonlaw?
neurons will either transmit an impulse over the synapse to the next neuron completely or not at al
Can a neuron half fire?
No
What is the final step of neurotransmission?
Reuptake
What is dopamine involved in?
Reward, pleasure, motivation, voluntary movement 
What is serotonin involved in?
Regulation of mood, sleep, arousal, hunger 
Somatic nervous system
Nerves to voluntary muscle and sensory receptors
Afferent nerves - incoming nerves from periphery to CNS
Efferent nerves - outgoing from CNS to periphery 
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Nerves to heart, blood vessels, smooth, muscles, and glands
Sympathetic division - mobilizes, fight or flight response
Parasympathetic division - conversion of bodily resources 
The three divisions of the brain
Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain (biggest)
Cerebellum
Movement and physical balance
Medulla
Regulating heart rate and breathing
Pons
Sleep/arousal
Reticular formation
Responsible for modulation of muscle reflexes, breathing, pain perception
Thalamus
Relays sensory information from the body to different areas of the brain for processing
Hypothalamus
Regulation of biological needs
Four F’s : fighting, fleeing, feeding, and mating 
Hippocampus
Involved in learning and memory 
Amygdala
Involved in fear responses 
Four lobes of the brain
Occipital lobe
Parietal lobe
Temporal lobe
Frontal lobe
Occipital lobe
Visual signals and processing 
Parietal lobe
Includes the area that registers our sense of touch 
Temporal lobe
Auditory processing
Frontal lobe
Voluntary movement, verbal expression, and executive functions 
What is the difference between MRI and fMRI?
MRI the use of magnetic fields, radio waves and computerize enhancement to map out brain structure and fMRI a variation of MRI that can monitor blood flow and oxygen, conception, and brain to identify areas of high activity 
What is the endocrine system?
the scientific study of the interaction between hormones and behavior
Consciousness
Awareness of internal and external stimuli 
Sleep
A natural and reversible state of reduced responsiveness to external stimuli and relative inactivity, accompanied by a loss of consciousness 
What does EEG measure?
Monitors the electrical activity of the brain overtime by way of electrodes attached to the surface of the scalp 
What sleep stages are the following EEG waves associated with?
THETA
Drowsiness
What sleep stages are the following EEG waves associated with?
DELTA
Sleep, dreaming
Biological rhythm
Periodic fluctuation in physiological functioning
Circadian rhythm
24 hour biological cycle found in humans and many other species 
How does melatonin influence level of tiredness?
Hormone which helps control, sleep, and wakes cycle 
Stage one
5 to 10 minutes
Brain power down to 50% or more producing theta waves
Hypnagogic imagery
Stage two
10 to 30 minutes
Body temp drops heart rate slows
Sleep spindles
Stage three
15 to 30 minutes
Muscle relax
Deep, slow, wave sleep DELTA WAVES
REM SLEEP
A deep stage of sleep, mark by rapid eye, movement and high frequency brain waves 
What is hypnagogia?
the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep
Does activity in the amygdala and hippocampus increase or decrease during REM sleep?
Increase
Adaptive theories
all species have adapted to sleep during periods of time when wakefulness would be the most hazardous
Restorative theories
sleep allows for the body to repair and replete cellular components necessary for biological functions that become depleted throughout an awake day
Memory consolidation theory
the process by which a temporary, labile memory is transformed into a more stable, long-lasting form
Insomnia
Chronicle problems and getting adequate sleep that results in daytime, fatigue, and impaired functioning
Narcolepsy
Mark by sudden and irresistible onset of sleep during normal normal waking periods 
Dream protection theory
Chief, purpose of dreams as wish fulfillment
Activation synthesis
Dreams reflect the brains at attempt to make sense of random and internally generated neural signals during REM
Sedatives
Relaxation, anxiety, reduction, and pain relief
Stimulants
Elation, excitement, increase, alertness, increase energy, and reduce fatigue 
Hallucinogens
Increase sensory awareness, euphoria, altered, perceptions, hallucinations, and insightful experiences 
What are the symptoms of substance use disorder?
Significant impairment or distress, which occurs as a result of drug use
Tolerance
More of the drugs needed to achieve intoxication
Dependency 
Drug is used to avoid withdrawal symptoms 
