Final Review - E1 Flashcards
Dualism
The idea that mind and body are separate but intertwined – most psychologists reject it (Descartes) – objectification = seeing as an object, separate from ourselves – is the problem with dualism
Monism
Mind = Brain, that mental and physical spheres are not separate
Psychological Approaches
Biological Behavioral (Watson, B.F. Skinner) Cognitive (George Miller, Jean Piaget) Psychodynamic (Sigmund Freud) Humanistic (Carl Rogers) Evolutionary (David Buss, Leda Cosmides) Social (Floyd Allport, Stanley Milgram, Kurt Lewin)
Biological Approach
the study of the mind by looking at the brain –> how bodily events affect behavior, feelings, and thoughts (ex. through electrical impulses in nerves or blood flow thru body) – dominant today
Operational Definition
Measurable definition of a construct
Parts of Neuron
Cell body, dendrites, axon
Myelin sheath
firing processes faster (protective coding) – made of glial cells
Acetylcholine
muscle actions, learning, memory and first neurotransmitter found
GABA
chief inhibitory function of the brain
Dopamine
voluntary movement and reward anticipation - pleasure centers
Serotonin
regulation of sleep, mood, attention, learning
Agonist
drug or substance that enhances or mimics action of neurotransmitter(s)
Antagonist
drug or substance that blocks action of neurotransmitter(s)
EEG
(electrocardiogram) - records electrical activity in the brain
(pro: easiest method to administer; con: only gives rough estimate of brain activity)
MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging) - most powerful imaging technique, can produce very detailed pictures of the structures of the brain
PET
(position emission tomography) - changes in blood flow and metabolic activity shows what areas are active, focuses on active breakdown of glucose in the brain
fMRI
(functional magnetic resonance imaging) - oxygen levels show what areas are active, brain uses more oxygen where it is more active
TMS
(transcranial magnetic stimulation) - briefly disrupting brain activity, non-invasive way to look at brain
Neuron charge
at resting potential – negative inside and positive outside
Experiencing Reward
the nucleus accumbens of the basal ganglia are important for experiencing rewards
Basal Ganglia
critical for planning and producing movement
Action Potential
electrical charge that travels down an axon – Ions involved = sodium and potassium
Psychological Science
the study of mind, brain, and behavior
Directionality Problem
find correlation between two variables but can’t figure out what variable caused the other variable to change
Structuralism
idea that conscious experience can be broken down into its basic underlying components (Titchner) – used introspection to study subjective mental experiences
Functionalism
approach concerned with function of mind and behavior (James)
Gestalt Theory
idea that the whole of personal experience is different from simply the sum of its constituent elements
Plasticity
a property of the brain that allows it to change as a result of experience, drugs, or injury
Introspection
ppl to inspect and report on the content of their own thoughts (Wundt)
Hawthorne effect
(aka - Reactivity) the participant will answer or do things differently/better because they know they are being watched/observed (Rosenthal)
Hippocampus
memory: formation and recall of memories (“sea horse” shape)
Amygdala
arousal and regulation of emotion
Alcohol
an antagonist that disrupts cell membranes, which resukts in an increase in the binding of GABA (and other neurotransmitters)
“Spread”
Need measure of variability, usually use standard deviation to measure
Thalamus
way station or traffic officer, sensory relay – doesn’t receive or relay smell
Interpreter
the left hemisphere, because it is vital in constructing a world that makes sense (Gazzangia)
Limbic System
grouping of subcortical structures between higher and lower parts of the brain (includes: amygdala, hippocampus) - involved in emotional reactions and motivated behavior
