Exam I (Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5) Flashcards
psychology
a science that describes and explains how we think, feel, and act; the science and behavior of mental processes
John Locke and the blank state theory
english philosopher/physician, born august 1632
blank slate- theory that the human mind at birth is a blank slate without rules for processing data
Wilhelm Wundt and the birth of psychology
said that psych is the science of mental life, he conducted the first experiment in 1879 (which serves as the birth of psychology)
William James and functionalism
studied human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and asked what functions they served and how they could have helped our ancestors survive
emphasized the function of something rather than human consciousness
introspection
a process by which a person looks inward at their mental processes (thoughts, feelings, etc.) to gain insight into how their mind works
structuralism
the study of the structure of the conscious mind
how did Edward Titchener relate introspection and structuralism
he tried to use introspection to structure the mind
Mary Calkins
was admitted into William James’ grad seminar at Harvard (by James, against the will of Harvard), became the first female president of the APA
Margaret Washburn
first woman to earn her PhD in psych, the second woman to serve as the APA president
Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis
emphasized the power of the unconscious mind and the influence of early childhood experiences on behavior and personality
believed dreams contained hidden meanings and symbols
free association
free association
say exactly what you are thinking, it will reveal what your unconscious brain is thinking
psychosexual stages of development
oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital
oral (psychosexual stages of development)
Year 1
dependency needs
anal (psychosexual stages of development)
Year 1 - Year 3
potty training; control
analretentive vs analexpulsive
analretentive (anal, psychosexual stages of development)
parents get mad if accidents happen and kid basically gets OCD as an adult
analexpulsive (anal, psychosexual stages of development)
parents are too lax about potty training, kid is super chill as a result (but so chill that it is a recurring issue later in life)
phallic (psychosexual stages of development)
Year 3 - Year 5
Oedipus complex (if a boy)
Electra complex (if a girl)
basically; development of moral consciousness, says that girl can not develop a moral conscious because they do not have a fear of castration of testicles because they do not have balls
oedipus complex (phallic, psychosexual stages of development)
solved through castration anxiety (scared that dad will fuck up their balls if they replace their dad)
latency (psychosexual stages of development)
elementary years
genital (psychosexual stages of development)
middle, high school
seek attachment outside of the family
john watson
classical conditioning
classical conditioning
learning process when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together
phobias develop through classical conditioning (i.e. lightning and thunder)
b.f. skinner
operant conditioning
operant conditioning
associate action or behavior with consequence
what type of therapy did aaron beck develop?
cognitive therapy; he believed that a person’s experiences result in cognitions/thoughts
biopsychosocial approach
considers all factors of our development
bio- evolution, genes, hormones, brain
psycho- experiences, beliefs, feelings, expectations
social- parental and peer influences, cultural individualism or collectivism, gender norms
scientific method
having a theory, developing a hypothesis, testing it, and repeating it
types of research
descriptive, correlational, experimental
descriptive research
describes things that exist- case studies, naturalistic observations, surverys and interviews
correlational research
examines the statistical relationship between two traits/behaviors
experimental research
the researcher manipulates one or more factors (independent variable) to observe the effect on another factor (dependent variable); causality is examined
independent vs dependent variable
independent- change in medicine dose
dependent- blood pressure change
experimental and control conditions or groups
one group gets the treatment, one gets the placebo
random sample
pick people to participate in research at random
random assignment
randomly assigning people into control or experimental group
single blind experiments
the participants do not know if they are in the control or experimental group
double blind experiments
the participants AND researchers do not know if they are in the control or experimental group
placebo effect
people taking the placebo, thinking they are getting relief
neurons
a nerve cell, transmits nerve impulses
dendrites
receives messages from other cells
cell body
the cell’s life-supporter
axon
passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
myelin sheath
covers the axons of some neurons; helps speed up neural impulses
synaptic vessels
the tiny gap at the junction of the synapse
synapse
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons; they are stored in synaptic vesicles in the axon terminal
glial cells
cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory
axon terminal
form junctions with other cells
receptor sites
sites that receive the messages
t or f
there are ~400 trillion synaptic connections within the brain
true
t or f
a majority of neurons contain only some neurotransmitters
false; the vast majority contain only neurotransmitters
action potential
occurs when a neuron sends an info down an axon, away from the cell
four ways in which neurons are stimulated
other neurons, pressure, heat, or light
excitatory neurotransmitters
excite or stimulate a receiving neuron to fire a neural impulse
nonstop firing leads to seizures
inhibitory neurotransmitters
inhibit or prevent a receiving neuron from firing a neural impulse
nonstop firing would lead to lethargy, drowsiness, etc.
endorphins
neurotransmitters that lessen pain and boost mood, they are released during exercise or when the body feels pain/stress
agonist
a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action by increasing its production or release by blocking reuptake (SSRIs) or mimicking the neurotransmitter at the receptor site
examples of agonists
anti-depressants/anxiety (i.e. Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft)
antagonist
a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action through blocking its production or release or through blocking the reception site
examples of antagonists
allergy meds
brainstem
very well protected, the oldest and innermost brain region
medulla
tells your glands when to release hormones, regulates your breathing, and tells your heart how fast to beat
thalamus
sensory switchboard of the brain; directs sensory messages to the cortex and replies to the cerebellum
reticular formation
tells you when to wake up, controls arousal
cerebellum
aids in judgement of time, sound and texture discrimination, and emotional control
coordinates voluntary movement, posture, and balance
helps process and store info outside of awareness
limbic system
linked to emotions, memory, and drives
hippocampus
processes conscious, explicit memories for storage
amygdala
consists of two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion (especially aggression and fear)
hypothalamus
partly controls hunger, thirst, sexual behavior, and body temperature
linked to emotion and reward
cerebral cortex
the outer layer that lays on top of your cerebrum
cerebrum
the largest part of your brain with two hemispheres (left and right)
four lobes of the cerebral cortex
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
frontal lobe
involved in speaking, muscle movements, and in making plans and judgements
responsible for executive functioning of the brain, “information processing center of the brain”
Phineas Gage
Railroad worker, was building Transcontinental Railroad in 1800s when a metal rod shot up and entered his skull; it went straight through his left prefrontal cortex
His personality completely changed; he used to be humble, friendly, likeable; after the accident, he was rude, aggressive, impulsive, dishonest
parietal lobe
receives sensory input for touch, temperature, and body position
occipital lobe
visual processing
temporal lobe
auditory processing, primarily from the other ear
left hemisphere
speaking, calculating, language, reading, math, analytical tasks
right hemisphere
visual-spatial tasks (i.e. reading a map, geometry), perception, face recognition, expressing emotion, copying drawing, perceiving emotions, perceiving differences
split brain patients
Two neurosurgeons believed that major epileptic seizures were caused by activity bouncing back and forth between the two hemispheres; they believed that if you severed the corpus callosum, the seizures would stop; the procedure worked
corpus callosum
nerves that connect the two hemispheres
effects of a severed corpus callosum
When a Severed Corpus Callosum patient is seeing two objects, they have difficulty saying what they say in their left visual field because speech is only processed in one half of the brain- this becomes an issue with reading, etc.
They can see it, point to it, etc.; they just can not say it
brain plasticity
the brain’s ability to change and recognize after damage diminishes later in life; plasticity is much greater in children than it is adults
e.g. the brain can form new neurons through neurogenesis
hemispherectomies
getting rid of one hemisphere in the brain (because of seizures) and relying on the other hemisphere, only done on children because of neuroplasticity
endocrine system
uses hormones to control and coordinate your body’s metabolism, energy level, reproduction, growth and development, and response to injury, stress, and mood
hormones
chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues
adrenal glands
helps “arouse body in terms of strouse” (aka- fight or flight)
pituitary gland
controls growth and development and the functioning of other endocrine glands
nature
genetic inheritance influences your personality
nurture
your upbringing, who you are around, etc. influence your personality
nature and nurture work to _________
form one’s personality and being
identical twins are more alike than fraternal twins in terms of:
Extraversion (sociability)
Neuroticism (emotional instability)
Behaviors/outcomes (i.e. divorce)
Abilities (i.e. intelligence test scores)
Personalities
Attitudes
Interests
Specific fears
Brain waves, heart rate
types of twin studies
identical vs fraternal, separated twins
some studies have shown that twins that have shared the placenta are ___ similar than twins with different placentas
more
some studies have shown that twins that have shared the placenta are more similar than twins with different placentas (because they have shared the same prenatal nutrients, oxygen levels, etc.)
5 criticisms of separated twins studies
- some were reunited before testing.
- same prenatal environment for 9 months
- similar/same appearance evokes same response
- similar twins were placed in similar homes
- are categories so general that only 2 stranger would have things in common?
adoption studies
compare kids to birth parents and adoptive parents
are adopted children more similar to their birth or adoptive parents in terms of personality?
genetic
in which ways are adopted kids more similar to their adoptive parents?
religious/political beliefs
values
manners
attitudes
habits
temperament
person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity; apparent from first weeks of life and generally persists into adulthood
types of temperament
easy- cheerful, relaxed, predictable
difficult- more irritable, very reactive, unpredictable
slow-to-warm-up- low activity level, low mood intensity, low adaptability
t or f
temperament is half determined by nature and half nurture
true
parents have more influence on:
Education and career path
Cooperation
Self-discipline
Responsibility
Charitableness
Religion
Values
Interaction style with authority figures
peers have more influence on:
Learning cooperation skills
Learning the path to popularity
Choice of music and other recreation
Choice of clothing and other cultural choices
Good and bad habits
Less/more substance abuse
t or f
kids do NOT need to be held or touched
false
stages of prenatal development
germinal
embryonic
fetal
germinal (prenatal development)
first 2 weeks after conception
zygote, starts cell division, implants into the side of the universe
embryonic (prenatal development)
end of 2nd week - 8th week after conception
life support systems formed (placenta, umbilical cord, amniotic sac, organs formation starts, embryo)
fetal (prenatal development)
9th week - birth
organ formation is complete, organ functioning is fine-tuned, officially a fetus
XX
female
XY
male
t or f
X sperm can live for 72 hours, Y sperm are faster, have less genetic material, and are lighter
true
authoritarian parenting style (AKA military)
low warmth, high control, no verbal give and take
children usually have less social skills and lower self-esteem
E.g. Grammie, Melissa
authoritative parenting style
High warmth, high control, allows verbal give and take, encourage and allow discussion
Children usually have the highest self-esteem, self-reliance, and social competence
permissive/indulgent parenting style
High warmth, low control
Children usually lack self-control, rarely respect others, and are more aggressive, immature, and egocentric
neglectful parenting style
Low warmth, low control
Parents tend to have children who are socially incompetent, lack self-control, and lack independence
teratogens
anything that causes a birth defect or harm (i.e. drugs, alcohol, pesticides, x-rays, malnourishment, maternal diseases, maternal age)
fetal alcohol syndrome
more likely to be born with small head, characteristics facial features, poor attention, developmental disability, increase risk of miscarriage
piaget’s theory of cognitive development (stages)
sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational, formal operational
sensorimotor stage (piaget’s theory of cognitive development)
birth - 2 years
Coordinating motor movements with what they are picking up (e.g. picking up a toy, using another thing to drag a toy over to them that is out of reach)
developmental phenomena: object permanence, stranger anxiety
preoperational stage (piaget’s theory of cognitive development)
2 years - 6 years
becomes capable of understanding basic symbols, but lacks logical reasoning
developmental phenomena: pretend play (when this is not present, ASD is questioned), egocentrism, language development
concrete operational stage (piaget’s theory of cognitive development)
7 years - 11 years
thinking logically about concrete events, grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operations
developmental phenomena: conservation, mathematical transformations
conservation
understanding that the amount of a substance does not change with the container
formal operational (piaget’s theory of cognitive development)
12 years - adulthood
abstract reasoning
developmental phenomena: abstract logic, potential for mature moral reasoning
Harlow/monkey study
Harlow constructed fake mothers for monkeys; he found that the monkeys would hold onto a warm fake mother that did not have a bottle (over an uncomfortable fake mother with a bottle) just for physical contact
Harlow generalized this and compared this to humans, emphasizing the importance of physical contact and touch for infants and babies
secure attachment style
Baby leaves mom’s side, but checks back in with mother periodically, using the mother as a “home base” for exploration
Noticed when mom left; briefly cried when mom left; they would approach mom when she re-entered and wanted to be held, mom could calm down the baby very quickly
anxious-avoidant style (insecure)
Baby would leave mom’s side to play, but would not check back in with mom; barely noticed when mom left; hardly noticed when mom left or approached mom
anxious ambivalent style (insecure)
Did not leave mom to play with toys; cried when mom left; approached mom when she returned, wanted to be held by mom, but gave mixed signals (kicked mom, etc.), mom could not soothe or calm down the baby
erikson’s psychosocial theory of development
Trust vs mistrust- year 1, if needs are met, trust will develop
Autonomy vs shame and doubt- year 2, learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves or they doubt their abilities
Initiative vs guilt- year 3 -5, learn to initiate tasks or they feel guilty about their efforts
Competence vs inferiority- 6 years - puberty, learn to apply tasks or they feel inferior
Identity vs role confusion- teens - 20s, refine sense of self or get confused
Intimacy vs isolation- 20s to 40s, form close relationships or feel socially isolated (this is generally why people get married)
Generativity vs stagnation- 40s to 60s, discover a sense of contributing to the world or feel a lack of purpose (this is generally why people have kids)
Integrity vs despair- late 60s and up, when reflecting on their life, one may feel satisfied or like a failure
perspectives in psychology
the structure of a neuron
action potential
functions of neurotransmitters
left and right hemispheres’ visuals
left and right hemispheres’ reading
kohlberg’s level of moral thinking
