Exam 1 Flashcards
Critical Thinking
Evaluating evidence, sources, and assumptions
William Wundt
The father of psychology, opened the first lab in Germany in 1879, ball drop experiment to determine a new psychological phenomenon
Introspection
Personal thoughts and self reflection. Failed because people have differing levels of verbal and intelligence.
Structuralism
Used introspection to define the mind’s makeup
Functionalism
Focused on the mental processes and how they help humans to adapt, survive and flourish
The two main forces in psychology from 1920-1960
Behaviorism and Freudianism
humanistic psychology
talking through to access the best qualities of humans
Cognitive/neuroscience
Anatomy of the mind and psychological brain activity
Biopsychosocial Model
The 3 levels of analysis which give the most complete view of things
what are the 3 keys to scientific thinking
curiosity, skepticism, and humility
empirical approach
careful observation and testing
the first women in psychology
Mary whiton calkins and margaret floy walshborn
william b watson
changed psychology from the science of mental life to the science of observable behavior
Nature v Nurture
Nurture works on what nature provides.
Martin Selligan
Studied positive psychology
Wundt studied
Functionalism
Edward Titcher studied
structuralism
Hindsight bias
thinking you know something all along after learning the outcome
Over confidence
Being more confident than correct
precieving order
humans tend to make patterns that are not actually there
Theory
an explanation using using an integrated set of principles that organize observations and predict events
hypothesis
a testable prediction
Operational Definition
A carefully worded statement of a procedure/experiment
meta-analysis
a statistical procedure for analyzing results from multiple studies
A useful theory can do what 3 things
organize observations, predict, and be replicated
case study
provides an in depth look at one person or group
naturalistic observation
observes and records behavior in naturally occurring situations without any manipulation or control
survey
self reported attitudes of a particular group through random sample
correlation
the extend of which 2 things are related or predict each other, cannot explain why
double blind
neither the researcher or participant know the treatment or procedure
descriptive
used to observe and record behavior
ethics code of the APA
informed consent, protect from unnecessary harm, confidentiality, and debrief
Testing effect
enhanced memory from retrieving information
SQ3R
study, question, read, retrieve, review
the scientific method helps to
Summarize, organize, and analyze data to avoid bias
positive correlation
both variables are going in the same direction
Negative correlation
Both variables are going in opposite directions
independent variable
the manipulated variable
Dependent variable
the unmanipulated variable
random sample
taking a small group out of a larger group that is still representative
generalization
something that can be applied to another situation or experiment
Franz Gall
studied Phrenology, which is bumps in the skull
Pathways
The way our neuro pathways change and adapt as we grow and learn
neurons
the building block of the nervous system
cell body
supports the cell and contains the nucleus
dendrite
the long spikes that receive information from other neurons
axon
the extension that passes messages through the neuron
myelin sheath
the fatty protective layer around the axon that accelerates that electric impulses
glial cells
support and nourish neutrons
Sir Charles Sherrington discovered
the synapse gap
neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap and transfer to a new neuron
Central Nervous System
the brain and spinal chord
Peripheral Nervous System
holds sensory and motor neurons that connect the rest of the body to the CNS
Endocrine System
The slow Chemical communication system
Hormones
chemical messengers that go through the blood stream
Everything psychological is simultaneously
biological
Action Potential
the minimum level that must be reached for a neuron to fire. it is an electrical charge that fires through the axon
threshold
the measure of an excitatory neutron v inhibitory neutron
how many connections are within one neutron
10,000
how many neurons are in the body
10’s of billions
sensory neurons
carry incoming information
motor neurons
carry out information
pituitory gland
controls growth and endophins
seretonin
effects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal
Dopamine
effects learning, emotion, memory and movement
autonomic nervous system
automatic body functions
Somatic nervous system
controls extremities and skeletal movements
Lesions
natural or experimental destruction of the brain tissue
EEG
recording of electrical wave activity across the brain
MEG
measure of the magnetic field activity in the brain
PET scan
A display of the brain activity while the brain does a task through radioactive glucose
MRI
Magnetic fields and radio waves are used to produce a computer generated picture of the soft tissue anatomy of the brain
FMRI
Reveals the blood flow of the brain
Brainstem
the oldest part of the brain, responsible for automatic /survival functions
Medulla
controls heartbeat and breathing
Pons
Coordinates movements and sleep
Thalamus
egg shaped structures that act as the sensory control center
Reticular formation
a nerve network that controls the thalamus and controls arousal
cerebellum
Processes sensory output, coordinates movements and balance, as well as non verbal learning and memory
limbic system
the neural system associated with emotion and drive
amygdala
neural clusters linked to emotion
hypothalmus
governs the endocrine system, directs several maintenance functions, and is linked to emotion and rewards and helps remain in homeostasis
Nucleus accumbens
reward senory
Hippocampus
helps process facts of events and memories, decreases in size with age
Acetycholine
paralyzes muscles, botox
nerepinepherene
controls alertness and arousal
glutamate
major excitatory
GABA
major inhibitor
eendorphins
Influences pain and pleasure
Neurotransmitters are like
a lock and key
Agonist
acts like a neurotransmitter and blocks the reaction
Antagonist
acts like a neurotransmitter and enhances the reaction
