Exam 1

Question 1

Why is operational definition important?

Answer 1

It defines and shows how the independent variables are implemented.

Question 2

Falsifiability

Answer 2

Confirms a scientific theory by finding ways to prove it to be false

Question 3

Case study

Answer 3

A single person is studied in an in depth way - background facts are collected: interviewing others involved in the case, viewing legal and medical documents, personality and clinical tests and interviewing the subject

Question 4

Limitations of the case study

Answer 4

The case study is specific to one person an cannot be representative people at large.

Question 5

Naturalistic Observation

Answer 5

In depth study of a phenomenon in it’s natural setting.

Question 6

Limits of Naturalistic Observtion

Answer 6

Correlation does not prove causation

Question 7

Survey

Answer 7

Subjects are given a questionnaire in large numbers to asses attitudes and behaviors

Question 8

Limitations of the Survey

Answer 8

Not good at identifying causes of people’s behavior

People are less than honest in surveys

Question 9

Random assignment

Answer 9

Technique for assigning participants to experimental groups so that results are not biased.

Question 10

Independent variable

Answer 10

The controlled variable of an experiment

Question 11

Defendant variable

Answer 11

The measured variable in an experiment

Question 12

Afferent nerves

Answer 12

Carry messages to the brain

Question 13

Efferent nerves

Answer 13

Carry messages away from the brain

Question 14

Dendrites

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Cell body

Answer 15

The factory of the neuron. It produces all the proteins for the dendrites, axons, and synaptic terminals

Question 16

A on

Answer 16

Conducts electrical impulses away from the neurons cell body

Question 17

Dopamine

Answer 17

controls the brains reward and pleasure centers

Question 18

Serotonin

Answer 18

Depression, sleep and memory

Question 19

Norepinephrine

Answer 19

Contracting blood vessels, raising blood vessels

Question 20

Acetylcholine

Answer 20

Causes muscle action

Question 21

GABA

Answer 21

Inhibits excitatory responses

Question 22

fMRI

Answer 22

Functional Magnetic Resonance imaging - detects brain activity with associated changes in blood flow

Question 23

Brainstem

Answer 23

Controls heartbeat and breathing

Question 24

Cerebellum

Answer 24

Coordinating voluntary movement and balance and tells brain want to expect from body’s movements

Question 25

Limbic System

Answer 25

Hippocampus Amygdaloid Hypothalamus

Question 26

Cerebral cortex

Answer 26

Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Occipital lobe Temporal lobe

Question 27

Hippocampus

Answer 27

Essential to forming new memories

Question 28

Amygdala

Answer 28

influencing aversion and fear

Question 29

Hypothalamus

Answer 29

Regulates thirst, hunger, sexual behavior, pleasure

Question 30

Frontal lobe

Answer 30

Plans judgements, "moral compass"

Question 31

Parietal lobe

Answer 31

Includes sensory cortex

Question 32

Occipital lobe

Answer 32

Visual processing

Question 33

Temporal lobe

Answer 33

Auditory processing

Question 34

Absolute threshold

Answer 34

Smallest amount of stimulus to be detected

Question 35

Subliminal stimuli

Answer 35

Any sensory stimuli below conscious perception

Question 36

Sensory adaptation

Answer 36

Changes in sensitivity of receptors in relation to stimulus.

Question 37

Bottom up processing

Answer 37

Building from sensations

Question 38

Top down processing

Answer 38

Using expectations and knowledge to fill in the blanks

Question 39

Figure ground perception

Answer 39

Perceptual grouping which is vital for recognizing objects through vision

Question 40

Perceptual adaptation

Answer 40

Unique function of the brain that accounts for the differences viewed in the world, as it relates to the senses.

Question 41

Contexts effects

Answer 41

Describes the influence of environmental factors on ones perception

Question 42

Operational Definition

Answer 42

A description of an experimental procedure for the translation of a variable into measurement or numeric value.