Exam 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3 Flashcards
0
Q
What is the scientific method?
A
-Way of learning about the world through collecting observations, proposing explanations for observations, developing theories to explain them, and using the theories to make predictions
1
Q
What is psychology?
A
-Scientific study of behavior, though, and experience
2
Q
Hypothesis
A
- testable prediction about process that can be observed and measured
- can be confirmed or rejected
- must be testable
3
Q
Theory
A
- Explanation for a broad range of observations that also generates new hypothesis and integrates numerous findings into a coherent whole
- built from confirmed hypothesis
- can be proved false with new evidence
4
Q
Biopsychosocial model
A
-Explaining behavior as a product of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors
5
Q
Scientific literacy
A
-Ability to understand, analyze, and apply scientific info
6
Q
Critical thinking
A
- exercising curiosity and skepticism when evaluating the claims of others, and with our own assumptions and beliefs
- be curious
- not all research has equal quality
- examine assumptions and biases
- tolerate uncertainty
- consider alternate viewpoints/interpretations of evidence
7
Q
Empiricism
A
- A philosophical belief that knowledge comes through experience
- “seeing is believing”
- what we see or measure should be observable by others using the same methods
8
Q
Determinism
A
- belief that all events are governed by lawful, cause and effect relationships
- behaviors are determined by internal and external influences
9
Q
Zeitgeist
A
- general set of beliefs of a particular culture at a specific time in history
- science evolves
10
Q
Materialism
A
- Belief that humans and other livings are composed exclusively of physical matter
- no emotions
11
Q
Psychophysics
A
- study of relationship between the physical world and the mental representation of that world
- created by Fechner and coined the term
12
Q
Evolutionary psychology
A
- feel fear because we have a predisposition that causes us to fear something
- Charles Darwin
- behaviors and emotional expression is shaped by natural selection
13
Q
Clinical psychology
A
-field of psychology that concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders
14
Q
Brain localization
A
-Certain parts of the brain control specific mental abilities and personality characteristics
15
Q
Phrenology
A
- Brain consists of 27 “organs” corresponding to mental traits and dispositions that can be detected by feeling surface of skull
- no longer common, changed with research
16
Q
Franz Mesmer
A
- Psychosomatic medicine: prolonged exposure to magnets could redirect the flow of metallic fluid in the body, therefor curing disease and insanity
- hypnosis: putting a patient into a trance
17
Q
Sigmund Freud
A
- psychoanalysis: psychological approach that explains behavior and personality are influenced by unconscious processes
- medical model: use of medical ideas to treat disorders of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors
18
Q
Sir Francis Galton
A
- Eminence: combo of ability, morality, and achievement
- Nature and nurture relationships: inquiry into how heredity (nature) and environment (nurture) influence behavior and mental processes
- Eugenics: promoted social programs encouraging intelligent, talented, individuals to have kids
19
Q
Willhelm Wundt
A
- first laboratory
- introspection: to look within
- developed reaction time methods to measure mental effort
20
Q
Edward Titchener
A
-Structuralism: attempt to analyze conscious experience by breaking it down into basic elements and to understand how these elements work together
21
Q
William James
A
- first textbook: The principles of Psychology
- functionalism: study of purpose of behavior and conscious experience
22
Q
Edwin Twitmyer
A
-reflexes: natural involuntary body functions
23
Q
Ivan Pavlov
A
- behaviorism: focused on studying only observable behavior, with little to no reference to mental events or instincts as possible influences on behavior
- what are you doing and why
24
John B. Watson
- Rise of behaviorism in US
- only observable behaviors were important for scientific study
- internal events were subjective and unmeasurable
- interested in knowing behaviors and how we learn to have emotions through specific associations
25
B.F Skinner
- Pure behaviorist
- observable behaviors should be studied
- studied animal behavior (pigeons) and translated to human behavior
- what motivates us?
26
Resistance to behaviorism
- there is no free will
- behaviors are only controlled by external rewards
- no choice in what we do
27
Humanistic psychology
- Focuses on individual humans, each persons freedom to act, rational thought
- humans are different from animals
28
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
- focused on positive aspects of humanity not just humane differences
- what are ways to maximize human potential
29
Cognitive revolution
- Looking at cognitives such as language, memory, thoughts, feelings, perceptions
- excludes behavior
30
Herman Ebbinghaus
- forgetting curve
- focused on memory
- why/how do we forget
31
Frederick Bartlett
-Believed memory influenced cultural knowledge
32
Gestalt psychology
- an approach that psychologists need to focus on the whole of perception experience, rather than parts
- sum is more important than parts
33
Norman Triplett
- first experiment in social influences
| - cyclists
34
Kurt Lewin
- founder of modern psychology
- role of individual wishing environment
- behavior is a function of individual and environment
- it's observable no testable
35
Researching psychologist
- universities, corporations, and governmental agencies
- applied psychology: uses psychological knowledge to address problems and issues across various settings and professions
36
Academic psychologists
Colleges and universities only
37
Psychiatry
- Concerned with mental treatment of mental and behavioral disorders
- prescribes meds
38
Psychology
- trained in mental health disorders and diagnosis
| - can't prescribe meds
39
Forensic psychology
- Encompasses work in criminal justice system
| - interacts with legal system and its professionals
40
School psychologist
-work with students with special needs, emotional, social, or academic problems
41
Health psychology
- aka behavioral medicine
| - study of how individual, biological, and environmental factors affect physical health
42
5 characteristic of quality scientific research
1. Based on measurements that are objective, valid, and reliable
2. Can be generalized
3. Uses techniques that reduce bias
4. Made public
5. Can be replicated
43
Objectivity measurements
-measure of an entity or behavior that is consistent across instruments and observers (within an allowed margin of error)
44
Variables
-object, concept of event being measured
45
Self reporting
-responses are provided directly by people who are being studied, through face to face interviews, phone surveys, paper/pencil tests, web based questionnaires
46
Operational definitions
- statements that describe the procedures and specific measurements that are used to record observations
- psychological, behavioral, and self reported measures
47
Reliability
-consistent and stable results
48
Validity
-true measurement
49
Generalizability
-degree to which results can be applied to other situations, individuals, or events
50
Population
-Group that researchers want to generalize about
51
Sample
-a select group of population members
52
Random sample
- every individual of population has equal chance of being included
- best representation of population
53
Convenience sample
- individuals who are the most readily available
| - settle for easier sample
54
Laboratory research
-Controlled environment where observations are made
55
Naturalistic research
-participants are observed in natural setting
56
Ecological validity
-Degree to which results of a laboratory study can be applied to or repeated in natural environment
57
Researcher bias
-researcher put bias on their study and manipulates results to meet what they want
58
Subject bias
-Subject acts a certain way to help an experiment
59
Hawthorne effect
-describes situations in which behavior changes as a result of being observed
60
Demand characteristics
- researcher bias
| - clues given to participant that explain how the participants are expected to behave
61
Social desirability
-participant respond in a way that increase their chances of being favored
62
Techniques reducing bias
- anonymity
- confidentiality
- single blind study: participants don't know purpose of study
- double blind study: participants and experimenter don't know purpose of study
63
Peer review
- process where papers are submitted for publication in scholarly journals are read and critiqued by experts in field of study
64
Replication
-repeating a study and finding a similar outcome each time
65
Descriptive data
- from observations
| - no attempt to explain why
66
Case study
- in depth report about details of a specific case
- extensive details
- lack generalizability
67
Naturalistic observation
-Psychologists unobtrusively observe And record behavior as it occurs in subjects natural environment
68
Correlational research
- involves measuring the degree of association between two or more variables (between -1.0 & +1.0)
- strong: +0.8 -> +1.0
- moderate: +0.5 -> +0.7
- weak: -0.1 -> +0.4
69
Illusionary correlations
-relationships that exist only in the mind rather than in reality
70
Random assignment
- Technique for dividing sample into two or more groups
| - no biases
71
Confounding variables
-Variables outside the researchers control that might affect results
72
Dependent variable
- measurement that is being compared
| - stable, doesn't change
73
Independent variable
-variable that gets manipulated
74
Experimental group
- group that is exposed to the independent variable
| - manipulated
75
Control group
- group that is left alone
| - used to compare
76
Quasi experimental method
- technique where two or more groups that are compared are selected based on predetermined characteristic
- not random
77
Institutional review board (IRB)
-committee of researchers and officials at an institute charged with the protection of human research participants
78
Informed consent
- must inform volunteer of purpose, risks, tasks
- give consent without pressure
- minimal stress to participants
79
Deception
- Misleading or only partially informing participants of true topic under investigation
- must inform participant after
80
Welfare of animals in research
- Oversees ethical treatment including housing, feeding, sanitation
- risk and discomfort managed humanely and must be justified
81
Frequency
- Number of observations that fell within a certain range
- normal: bell curve, symmetrical distribution of values clustered around a mean
- negative: curve is extended to left
- positive: curve is extended to right
82
Central tendency
- measure of central point of distribution
- mean: average
- median
- mode: most common
83
Variability
- degree to which scored are dispersed in a distribution
| - standard deviation: measure of variability around mean
84
Statistical significance
-Mean of groups are further apart than expected from random chance
85
Hypothesis test
-evaluating wether differences among groups are meaningful or just chance
86
Genes
- Basic unit of heredity
- guides process of creating proteins that make up physical structures and regulate development and psychological process throughout lifespan
87
Chromosomes
- Structures in the cell nucleus that are lined with genes and individual inherits
- organize genes
88
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
- molecule formed in double helix shape containing 4 amino acids
1) adenine
2) cytosine
3) guanine
4) thymine
89
Genotype
-Genetic makeup of organism
90
Phenotype
- Observable characteristics, physical structures and behaviors
- what we see
91
Behavioral genetics
-Study of how genes and environment influence behavior
92
Monozygotic twins
- from a single ovum
| - 100% identical
93
Dizygotic twins (fraternal)
- From 2 separate eggs by 2 different sperm cells in the same womb
- 50% genetically the same
94
Heritability
-Statistic between zero and 1 representing genetic differences between individuals contributing to individual differences
95
Behavioral genomics
- the study of DNA and the ways in which specific genes are related to behavior
- how traits are inherited
96
Single genes and behavior
- poly genetics
- no single gene is responsible
- combination of genes working together
97
Neurons
-send and receive messages throughout body
98
Cell body (soma)
- part of neuron that contains nucleus
| - holds genetic material
99
Dendrites
- small branches radiating from cell body
| - receive messages from other cells and transmit message towards cell body
100
Axon
-structure that transports info from the neuron to other neurons in form of electrochemical reaction
101
Neurotransmitter (NT)
-chemicals that function as messengers allowing neurons to communicate with each other
102
Synapses
-Microscopically small spaces that separate individual nerve cells
103
Glial cells
- mount immune system responses in the brain
| - remove wastes and synchronize activity
104
Myelin
- fatty wheats protecting axons from each other
| - increase speed and efficiency
105
Resting potential
- stable, inactive state
- not transmitting or receiving messages
- negative inside, positive outside
106
Action potential
- wave of electrical activity to axon
- positively charged ions rush into cell (hyper polarized)
- nerve cell has to many +charge ions so they are pushed out of nerve cell (depolarized)
107
Synaptic cleft
- minute space between terminal button and dendrite
| - neurotransmitter passes here
108
Refractory period
- Brief period when neuron can't fire or receive info
| - rest
109
All or none principle
-nerve cells fire at same strength everytime an action potential is reached
110
Reuptake
-NT molecules in synapse that weren't received by neuron are reabsorbed into axon terminal
111
Acetylcholine
- Movement
| - attention
112
Dopamine
- Control of movement
- reward seeking behavior
- cognition and attention
113
Norepinephrine
- memory
- attention to new or important stimuli
- regulation of sleep and mood
114
Seratonin
-regulation of sleep, appetite, mood
115
Glutamate
- Excites nervous system
- memory
- autonomic nervous system reactions
116
GABA (gramma-amino Butyric acid)
- inhibits brain activity
- lowers arousal, anxiety, excitation
- regulates sleep
117
Agonist
-mimic or increase effect of certain neurotransmitters
118
Antagonist
-inhibits or decrease effect of neurotransmitter
119
Endorphins
- hormone produced by pituitary gland and hypothalamus
| - reduce pain and induce pleasure
120
Hypothalamus
-4 F's (fighting, feeding, fleeting, fucking)
121
Pituitary gland
- controls other glands
| - produces hormones and determine where hormones go
122
Adrenal gland
- stress gland (working out)
| - release cortisol and epinephrine
123
Testosterone
- facilitates behavior (doesn't cause)
| - sociocultural factors
124
Peripheral nervous system
- transmits info to and from central nervous system
| - splits into autonomic nervous system and somatic nervous system
125
Autonomic nervous system
- Regulates activity of organs, glands, other physiological processes
- splits into sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system
126
Somatic nervous system
-transmits sensory info and controls skeletal movement
127
Sympathetic division
- fight or flight
| - prepares body to reacts and expand energy during stress
128
Parasympathetic division
- maintains body functions
| - resting
129
Central nervous system
-brain and spinal cord
130
Brain
- interprets and stores info
| - communicates with muscles, glands, and organs
131
Spinal cord
-connects brain and peripheral nervous system
132
Hindbrain
- essential for sustaining life
- brain stem
- cerebellum
133
Brain stem (medulla and pons)
- breathing
- HR
- sleep/wakefulness
134
Cerebellum
- balance
- coordination
- timing of movements
135
Midbrain
- relay sensory and motor info
| - voluntary movement
136
Forebrain
- emotion, memory, and thinking
- basal ganglia
- limbic system
- amygdala
- hippocampus
- thalamus
137
Basal ganglia
-facilitates planned movements and skill learning
138
Limbic system
-emotion and memory
139
Amygdala
- memory formation of emotional events
- fear responses
- recognizes and interprets emotional stimuli
- facial expressions
140
Hippocampus
-learning and forming new memories
141
Thalamus
-relays sensory info to regions of brain
142
Cerebral cortex
- wrinkled outer layer of brain
| - though, language, personality
143
Corpus callosum
-nerve cells connecting two hemispheres
144
Frontal lobes
- higher cognitive functions
- planning
- inhibition of impulses and emotions
- language production
- voluntary movement
145
Temporal lobes
- hearing
- language
- object/face recognition
146
Parietal lobes
- experiences of touch
| - orientation of space (organization)
147
Occipital lobes (rear of brain)
-processes visual info
148
Nueroplasticity
- ability of brain to change and rewrite itself
| - after brain injury
149
Electroencephalogram
- measures of brain activity with the use of multiple electrodes attached to scalp
- graph of electrical activity
150
Positron emission tomography (PET)
-monitor brain during activities
151
Magnetic response imaging (MRI)
- doesn't require radioactive substance
- magnets
- provide images of brain functioning
152
Magnetocephaliography (MEG)
-uses magnetic field to measure electrical brain activity while looking at actual brain
153
Lesioning
-intentionally damage brain to see what happens
154
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
-sending an electrical pulse to targeted region of brain in hopes of treating a disorder
