Exam 1 Study Flashcards
What is the definition of psychology?
scientific study of behavior and mental processes
What 3 things does psychology promise?
scientific investigation, diversity and practacality
What are the 3 theories regarding understanding relationships?
nature vs nurture
free will vs determinism
conscious vs unconscious
What are the 4 goals of psychology?
DUPC Describe Understand Predict Control
What is experimental research
Using a controlled environment to establish cause and effect
What variable does the experimenter change
independent variable
what variable does the subject behavior show
dependent variable
What are the 7 steps for experimentation
Hypothesis identify variables operationalize variables define subjects draw a sample perform experimentt draw conclusions
What is mean
average
what is mode
most frequent
what is median
middle score
What is descriptive research?
Describes the world as it is.
What are the 3 main types of descriptive research?
Survey
Naturalistic observation
Case Study
What is a survey
question/interview to gather information
easy to do
not precise
What is a naturalistic observation
prolonged observation without intervention
not precise
What is a case study
In depth look at specific case
very precise
lacks prediction
Does correlational research show causality
NO!!!!!
Give examples of correlational research
church and crime
ice cream and drowning
attendance and grades
What is correlational research
tries to identify relationship between two or more variables
What is a correlational coefficient?
Strength from 0.0 to 1.00
Direction can be positive or negative
direction is NOT related to strength.
What is positive correlation
variables go in the same direction
what is negative correlation
variables move inversely from each other
Is deception ok in research?
yes but debriefing must follow
What are the parts of a neuron?
Soma (body) Dendrites (receptors) Axon (transmitter) Myelin sheath (fatty layer of cells) Synapse gap - neurotransmitters
What are the two types of neurons
receptors (sensory)
effectors (motor)
What are the two main components of the nervous system?
CNS and PNS
What is in the CNS
Brain and spinal cord
What is responsible for reflexes
spinal cord
What are the two main components of the PNS
Autonomic and Somatic
What does the autonomic system do
involuntary, self regulated control. Internal organs and glands. - Controls Fight or Flight. Actions can be sympathetic(arousing) or parasympathetic (calming)
What does the somatic system do
Voluntary control (soma = body)
What are the 3 main structures of the brain
hindbrain
midbrain
forebrain
What does the hindbrain do?
Most primitive
respiration/heartbeat
Filters incoming and outgoing messages
What does the midbrain do?
Pathways - road system for the brain
What does the forebrain do?
Processing
Wrinkled part
where information gets interpreted
What links the two main hemispheres?
corpus callosum
What are the 4 lobes of the brain
frontal
parietal
occipital
temporal
What does the frontal lobe control
motor skills
what does the parietal lobe control
touch/feeling
what does the occipital lobe control
vision
what does the temporal lobe control
hearing
how many of each lobe to we have?
2, 1 on each side of the brain
What are the language areas of the brain
Left hemisphere only
Wernickes area
Brocas area
Where is wernickes area and what does it do
Temporal Lobe
Hearing and lnguage comprehension
Where is Brocas area and what does it do
Frontal lobe
Speaking
What are the steps in the sensory process
Sensation (detection)
Perception (Interpretation)
What is an absolute threshold
Minimum needed to cause detection
What is a Difference Threshold (JND)
Just noticeable difference
Minimum difference or change in stimulation that can be detected
Define/ Draw Signal detection theory
Signal Present Signal Absent
Resp Y HIT | False Alarm
————————————-
Resp N MISS | Correct Reject
What are Gestalt principles
Figure-Ground - automatic tendency to make sense
What is the law of simplicity?
Brain takes simplest form possible Closure - close enough similarity - brain groups like objects proximity - group by proximity continuity - brain sees things as contiuous
What things influence our perception?
beliefs
expectations / needs
emotions
environment
