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Psych 101 > EXAM 1 Terms > Flashcards

EXAM 1 Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Wilhelm Wundt

A

Established the first psychology laboratory

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2
Q

Mary Whiton Calkins

A

First woman to be president of the American Psychological Association

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3
Q

Margret Floyd Washburn

A

The first woman to recive psychology ph.D

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4
Q

B.F. Skinner

A

A leading behaviorist, Skinner rejected introspection and studied how consequences shape behavior

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5
Q

Cognitive Neuroscience

A

The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language.)

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6
Q

Psychology

A

The science of behavior and mental processes.

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7
Q

Nature-Nurture issue

A

The longstanding controversy over the relative contribution that genes and experiences make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors.

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8
Q

Levels of Analysis

A

The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural for analyzing a given phenomenon.

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9
Q

Biological Influences on behavior

A
  • Natural selection of adaptive traits
  • genetic predisposition to responding to environment
  • brain mechanisms
  • hormonal influences.
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10
Q

Psychological Influences on behavior

A
  • Learned fears and other learned expectations
  • emotional responses
  • cognitive processing and perceptual interpretations
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11
Q

Socio-cultural Influences on Behavior

A
  • presence of others
  • cultural societal and family expectations
  • peer and group influences
  • compelling models (such as media)
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12
Q

Hindsight Bias

A

The tendency to believe after learning an outcome that one would have foreseen it.

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13
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation

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14
Q

Localization of Function

A

The idea that certain brain regions have specific functions

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15
Q

Biological Perspective

A

Concerned with the links between biology and behavior. Includes psychologists working in neuroscience, behavior, genetics, and evolutionary psychology.

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16
Q

Neuron

A

A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

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17
Q

Dendrites

A

A neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses towards the cell body.

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18
Q

Axon

A

The neurons extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

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19
Q

Myelin

A

A fatty tissue segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

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20
Q

Action Potential

A

A Neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon

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21
Q

Threshold

A

The level of stimulation required to trigger and neural impulse

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22
Q

Synapse

A

The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at the junction in called a synaptic gap.

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23
Q

Neurotransmiteres

A

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse to bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

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24
Q

Reuptake

A

A neurotransmitte’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

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25
Q

Acetylcholine

A

Enables muscle action, learning and memory.

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26
Q

Dopmine

A

Influences movement, learning, attention and emotion

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27
Q

Serotonin

A

Affects mood, hunger, sleeep and arousal

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28
Q

Glutamate

A

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory

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29
Q

Endorphins

A

Natural opioid-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.

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30
Q

Central Nervous System

A

The brain and spinal cord

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31
Q

Peripheral Nervous System

A

The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

32
Q

Nerves

A

Bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands and sense organs.

33
Q

Sensory Neurons

A

Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.

34
Q

Motor Neurons

A

Neurons that carry incoming information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glads.

35
Q

Interneurons

A

Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory impulses and motor outputs.

36
Q

Somatic Nervous System

A

The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeletal, nervous system.

37
Q

Autonomic Nervous System

A

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the musucles of the internal organs such as the heart. Its sympathetic division arouses, its parasymathetic division calms.

38
Q

Sympatheics Nervous System

A

The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

  • Dilates pupils
  • accelerates heartbeat
  • inhibits digestion
  • stimulates glucose release in liver
  • simulates secretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine
  • relaxes bladder
  • Stimulates ejaculation in males
39
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous system

A

The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body conserving its energy

  • Contracts pupils
  • slows heartbeat
  • stimulates digestion
  • stimulates gallbladder
  • contracts bladder
  • allows bloodflow to sex organs.
40
Q

Reflexes

A

A somple automatic responce to a sensory stimulus

41
Q

Endocrine System

A

The body’s “slow” chemical communications system. A set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

42
Q

Thyroid Glands

A

Affects Metabolism

43
Q

Adrenal Glands

A

A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidney and secrete hormones. Triggers fight or flight response

44
Q

Pancreas

A

Reguates blood sugars in the body

45
Q

Pituitary Gland

A

The endocrine systems; most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.

46
Q

EEG (electromagnagraph)

A

An amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity that sweep across the brains surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp.

47
Q

PET (positron emission tomography scan)

A

A visual display of the brains activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

48
Q

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

A

A technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue. MRI scans show brain anatomy.

49
Q

fMRI (functional MRI)

A

A technique for revealing for revealing blood flow and therefore brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function.

50
Q

Brainstem

A

The oldest part and the central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cords swell as it enters the skull. The brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.

51
Q

Medulla

A

The base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing

52
Q

Thalamus

A

The brains sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.

53
Q

Reticular Formation

A

A nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal.

54
Q

Cerebellum

A

The “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing input and coordinating movement.

55
Q

Limbic System

A

Neural System (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drive.

56
Q

Amygdala

A

Two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotions.

57
Q

Hypothalamus

A

A neural structure lying below the thalamus. It directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature) helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland and is linked to emotion and reward.

58
Q

Corpus Callosum

A

Axon fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres

59
Q

Glial Cells

A

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning and thinking

60
Q

Frontal Lobes

A

A portion of the cerebral cortex laying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments.

61
Q

Parietal Lobes

A

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and towards the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.

62
Q

Occipital Lobes

A

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receives sensory input for touch and body position

63
Q

Temporal Lobes

A

Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear.

64
Q

Sensory Cortex

A

Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

65
Q

Association Areas

A

Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions. Rather, they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking and speaking.

66
Q

Plasticity

A

The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.

67
Q

Neurogenesis

A

The formation of new neurons

68
Q

Corpus Callosum

A

The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

69
Q

split brain

A

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers, mainly in the corpus callosum, connecting them

70
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition, including perception, thinking, memory, and language

71
Q

absolute threshold

A

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

72
Q

signal detection theory

A

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise), Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation, and alertness.

73
Q

subliminal

A

below one’s absolute threshold for conscious awareness

74
Q

priming

A

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory or response.

75
Q

difference threshold

A

the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50 percent of the time

76
Q

Weber’s law

A

the principle that, to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage, rather than by a constant amount.

Psych 101 (4 decks)

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