Exam Revision Flashcards
Exam revision from Quizlet
Split-brain surgery
Cutting the band of nerve tissue (corpus callosum) connecting the two hemispheres.
Medulla
Continuation of the spinal cord, connecting it to the brain; controls bodily functions required for survival.
Broca’s area
Speech production
Sampling
The process of selecting participants from a population of interest.
Mental health problem
A mental health concern that interferes with functioning but is mild and temporary.
Experiment
Used to test a cause-effect relationship between variables under controlled conditions.
Extraneous variable
Any variable other than the IV that can cause a change in the DV and therefore affect the results in a negative way.
Reticular formation
Helps screen incoming information, alerts higher brain centres to important information, helps maintain consciousness, and regulates arousal and muscle tone
Psychotic disorder
Symbolic thinking
In Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability to use symbols such as words and pictures to represent objects that are not physically present.
Synaptic pruning
Pruning’ of weak or unused synaptic connections in the brain.
Wernicke’s area
Area of the brain involved in speech production and comprehension.
Sensorimotor stage
The first stage in Piaget’s theory (0-2 years), when infants explore and learn about the world primarily though their senses and motor activities.
Attachment
In psychology, the emotional bond that forms between an infant and another person, usually their main caregiver.
Ethics
The standards that guide individuals to identify good, desirable or acceptable conduct.
Midbrain
Connects upper and lower brain areas and houses structure involved with movement, processing of visual, auditory and tactile sensory information, sleep and arousal.
Primary visual cortex
Receives and processes visual information from the eyes.
Pre-operational stage
The second stage in Piaget’s theory (2-7 years) when children become increasingly able to mentally represent objects and experiences.
Sympathetic nervous system
A sub-division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body for vigorous activity or to deal with a stressful or threatening situation.
Psychosocial crisis
In Erikson’s theory, a social dilemma or problem an individual faces in adjusting to society involving a struggle between two opposing tendencies, one of which comes from internal personal needs and the other former demands of society.
Development
Psychological or physical change that occurs over time.
Electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB)
Stimulation or detection of electrical activity in the brain using an electrode.
Biopsychosocial model
A way of describing and explaining how biological, psychological and social factors combine and interact to influence an individual’s behaviour and mental processes; sometimes called the biopsychosocial approach or theory.
Case study
An intensive, in depth investigation of some behaviour or event of interest in an individual, group, organisation or situation.
Maturation
The genetically predetermined orderly and sequential developmental changes which occur in the nervous system and other bodily structures.
Brain
An intricate network of cells that plays a vital role in processing information received through nerve pathways from the body and in directing actions within the body.
Sensory neurons
Receives sensory information from both the external and internal environments and carries it to the central nervous system.
Computerised Tomography (CT)
Neuro imaging technique that uses x-ray equipment to scan the brain at different angles and produce scans showing structure only; also called computerised axial tomography (CAT).
Heredity
Transmission of characteristics from biological parents to their offspring via genes at the time of conception. Also referred to as nature.
Population
The entire group of research interest from which a sample is drawn and to which the researcher will seek to apply (generalise) the results of their investigation.
Conclusion
A decision about what the results obtained from a research study mean.
Mental disorder
A combination of thoughts, feelings and/or behaviours which impair the ability to function effectively in everyday life; also called psychological disorder and mental illness.
Synaptogenesis
Formation of new synapses between the brain’s neurons.
Accommodation
In Piaget’s theory, changing a pre-existing mental idea to fit new information.
Sample
A subsection or smaller group of research participants selected from a larger group of research interest.
Observational study
Involves collection of data by carefully watching and recording behaviour as it occurs.
Representative sample
A sample that is approximately the same as the population from which it is drawn in every important variable.
Adaptive plasticity
Ability of the brain to compensate for lost function and/or maximise remaining functions following injury.
Cerebral cortex
Outer layer of the brain involved in complex mental abilities, sensory processing and voluntary behaviours.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Neuro imaging technique that uses magnetic fields to vibrate atoms in the brain’s neurone and generate a computer image showing brain structure only.
Classification
In Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability to organise objects or events into categories based on common features that set them apart from other categories.
Dendrite
Thin extension of a neuron that receives information from neighbouring neuron and transits it to the soma.
Forebrain
A collection of upper level structures that include the hypothalamus, thalamus and cerebrum; involved in complex cognitive processes, emotion and personality.
Dependent variable
The variable that is used to observe and measure the effects of the IV.
Stratified sampling
Involved dividing the population to be sampled into different subgroups, or strata, then selecting a separate sample from each subgroup (stratum) in the same proportions as they occur in the population of interest.
Cerebral hemispheres
Two almost-symmetrical brain areas running from the front to the back on the brain.
Central nervous system (CNS)
The brain and spinal cord. Its main function is to process information received through the sensory organs and other parts of the body and to activate appropriate action.
Hindbrain
A collection of lower level brain structures that include the cerebellum, medulla and pons.
Adaptive behaviour
Actions that enable a person to effectively carry out their usual everyday tasks.
Double-blind procedure
The participants and the researcher (or research assistant) directly involved with the participants are unaware of (are ‘blind’ to) the conditions to which the participants have been allocated.
Plasticity
Ability of the brain to change its structure and organisation in response to experience; also called neuroplasticity.
Cerebellum
The cauliflower-shaped structure located at the base of the brain that looks like a mini-brain.
Labelling
The process of classifying and naming a mental disorder following a diagnosis.
Thalamus
Relay station for sensory information (except smells).
Phrenology
The study of the relationship between the skull’s surface features and a person’s personality and behavioural characteristics.
Cerebrum
The largest and most complex part of the brain with the cerebral cortex as its outer layer and areas involved in complex mental abilities.
Primary auditory cortex
Receives and processes sound from both ears.
Primary somatosensory cortex
Receives and processes bodily sensory information.
Typical behaviour
When the individual acts as they usually do.
Reversibility
In Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability to mentally follow a sequence of events or line of reasoning back to its starting point.
Spinal cord
A long, thin bundle of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brain to the lower back.
Convenience sampling
Or opportunity sampling, involves selecting participants who are readily available without any attempt to make the sample representative of a population.
Strange Situation
A test to measure infant attachment relationships.
Transformation
In Piaget’s theory, understanding that something can change from one state to another.
Neuron
An individual nerve cell.
Sprouting
Growth of additional branches on axons or dendrites to enable new connections with other neurons.
Parietal lobe
Upper back area of the brain between the frontal and occipital lobes.
Parkinson’s disease
Progressive neurological disorder characterised by both motor and non-motto symptoms.
Addiction
A condition in which someone feels a recurring urge to use a substance or engage in an activity despite potential harmful consequences.
Anxiety
A state of arousal involving unpleasant feelings of apprehension or uneasiness that something is wrong or something bad is about to happen.
Environment
Generally, the physical context or situation in which an event occurs; in relation to the nature-nurture debate, all the experiences, objects, and events to which we are exposed throughout our entire lifetime. Also referred to as nurture.
Somatic nervous system
A sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that carries sensory and motor information to and from the central nervous system.
Single-blind procedure
Participants are no aware of (are ‘blind’ to) the condition of the experiment to which they have been allocated and therefore the experimental treatment (IV).
Random sampling
A sampling procedure that ensures every number of the population of research interest has an equal chance of being selected to be a part of the sample.
Individual participant differences
The unique combination of personal characteristics, abilities and backgrounds each participant brings to an experiment.
Insecure disorganised attachment
Attachment type whereby infants show inconsistent or contradictory behaviours when separated from or reunited with caregivers and also tended to respond to reunions with fearful or odd behaviours.
Self-report
The participant’s written or spoken responses to questions, statements or instructions presented by the researcher.
Rerouting
When an undamaged neuron that has lost a connection with an active neuron seeks a new neuron and connects with it instead.
Myelin
White, fatty substance covering the axon.
Mood disorder
A mental disorder involving a disabling disturbance in emotional state, from the extreme sadness of depression to the extreme elation of mania.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Neuro imaging technique that detects and record brain activity by measuring oxygen consumption across the brain and produces colour images of the brain structure, activity and function.
Animism
In Piaget’s theory, the belief that everything that exists has some kind of consciousness.
Motor neurons
Carries messages from the central nervous system to the cells in the skeletal muscles, organs and glands to stimulate activity.
Pseudoscience
False or fake science
Goal-directed behaviour
Purposeful behaviour.
Quantitative data
Numerical information on the ‘quantity’ or amount of what is being studied; that is, how much of something there is.
Control group
The group of participants that is not exposed to the independent variable.
Research method
A particular way of conducting a research study (investigation) to collect accurate and reliable data on a topic of interest.
Temperament
A characteristic way of reacting to people, objects and events.
Operationalising
Operationalising the IV and the DV involves defining them in terms of the specific procedures or actions (operations) used to measure them.
Repeated measures
Also called within participants, each participant is in both the experiment and control conditions.
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
Carries information to and from the central nervous system.
Abstract thinking
In Piaget’s theory, a way of thinking that does not rely on being able to see, visualise, experience or manipulate in order to understand something.
Variable
Something that can change (vary) in amount or type and is measurable.
Parasympathetic nervous system
A sub-divion of the autonomic nervous system that helps to maintain the internal body environment in a steady, balanced state of normal functioning; calms or restores the body to the normal state of functioning after an extreme emotion or a threat has passed.
Temporal lobe
Lower, central area of the brain, above and around the top of each ear.
Idealistic thinking
In PIaget’s theory, comparing one’s self and other’s to a perfect standard and striving towards being like that ideal.
Soma
Integrates neural information received from dendrites and sends it to the axon (as an action potential); also called cell body.
Hypothalamus
Helps maintain the body’s internal environment by regulating the release of hormones and influences behaviours associated with basic biological needs.
Random allocation
Also called random assignment, is a procedure used to place participants in groups so that they are as likely to be in one group as the other.
Assimilation
In Piaget’s theory, taking in new information and fitting it into a pre-existing mental idea.
Object permanence
In Piaget’s theory, understanding that an object still exists even if it cannot be seen, heard or touched.
Generalisation
A decision about how widely the findings of a research study can be applied, particularly to other members of the populations from which the sample was drawn.
Atypical development
Development that differs in a significant way from what is usual or appropriate.
Personality disorders
A mental disorder involving inflexible and maladaptive personality characteristics that interfere with functioning or cause significant personal distress.
Occipital lobe
Rearmost area of each cerebral hemisphere.
Primary motor cortex
Initiates and controls voluntary movements.
Frontal lobe
Upper forward half of cerebral hemisphere. Involved with sophisticated mental abilities such as reasoning, planning, problem solving, decision making and symbolic thinking.
Sensitive period
A period of time when an individual’s development is more responsive to certain types of environmental experiences or learning.
Qualitative data
Information about the ‘qualities’ or characteristics of what is being studied.
Maladaptive behaviour
Behaviour that interferes with the person’s ability to carry out their usual activities in an effective way.
Autonomic nervous system
A self-regulating sub-division of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system to the body’s internal organs and glands, providing feedback to the brain about their activities.
Independent variable
The variable that is manipulated in order to measure its effect on the dependent variable. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘treatment’ variable to which participants may or may not be exposed.
Confounding variable
A variable other than the IV that has had an unwanted effect on the DV, making it impossible to determine which of the variables has produced a change in the DV.
Glial cells
Provides support for neuronal function.
Mental health
State of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and make a contribution to his or her won community.
Mood
Overall feeling that colours a person’s perception of the world and influences how they approach and go about daily life.
Mind-body problem
Involves the question of whether our mind and body are distinct, separate entities or whether they are one and the same thing.
Psychology
The scientific study of human thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Schema
In Piaget’t theory, a mental idea of what something is and how to act on it.
Independent groups
Also called between participants, each participant is randomly allocated to one or two (or more) entirely separate (‘independent’) conditions (‘groups’)
Experimental group
The group of participants that is exposed to the independent variable (i.e. the treatment).
Centration
In Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability to focus on only one quality or feature of an object or event at a time.
Conservation
In Piaget’s theory, understanding that certain properties of an object can remain the same even when its appearance changes.
Questionnaire
A written set of questions designed to draw of self-report information from people on a topic of research interest.
Anxiety disorders
A mental disorder characterised by persistent feelings of tension, distress, nervousness and apprehension or fear about the future, with a negative effect.
Egocentrism
In Piaget’s theory, the tendency to perceive the world solely from one’s own point of view.
Matched participants
Also called matched groups, each participant in one condition ‘matches’ a participant in the other condition(s) one or more participant variables or relevance.
Research hypothesis
A testable prediction of the relationship between two or more variables (events to characteristics).
Psychosis
A mental health condition characterised by major disturbances in thoughts, perceptions, emotions and behaviour, including difficulty distinguishing reality from self-generated perceptions.
Psychosocial development
In Erikson’s theory, change involving both psychological processes taking place within the individual (‘psycho’) and their experiences with other people (‘social’).
Counter balancing
Involves systematically changing the order of treatments or tasks for participants in a ‘balanced’ way to ‘counter’ the unwanted effects on performance in any one order.
Interneurons
Relays information between sensory and motor neurons.
Position Emission Tomography (PET)
Neuro imaging technique that produces colour images of brain structure, activity and function.
Axon terminals
Structure at the end of an axon collateral.
Axon
A single, tube-like extension that transmits neural information to other neurons or cells
Spatial neglect
Neurological disorder whereby individuals are unable to notice anything either on their left or right side; also called hemispatial neglect and visual neglect.
Atypical behaviour
When the individual acts in ways that are unusual to them.
Critical period
A specific period during which an organism’s development is most vulnerable to the deprivation or absence of certain environmental stimuli or experiences.
