HCA Psychology Midterm Flashcards
Psychology Definition
The scientific study of the ABC’s
4 Purposes
Describe, Explain, Predict, Change Behaviors
5 Schools
Humanistic, Psycho-analytic, Behavioral, Biological, Cognitive
5 Subfields
Cognitive, Personality, Developmental, Educational, School
Parapsychology
The study of paranormal phenomena including ESP and psychokinesis
Self-Actualization
personal fulfillment and reaching your full potential
Epistemology
The study of the nature, sources, and limits of knowledge
Biblical Anthropology
The study of man through a biblical worldview (Genesis 1:27)
5 Christian Questions
- What do you believe about God?
- What is the nature of mankind?
- How can we know things with certainty?
- Are there moral absolutes?
- What are the causes of and cures for abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?
Sensation/Perception
Sensation occurs when sensory receptors detect sensory stimuli. Perception involves the organization, interpretation, and conscious experience of those sensations.
Gestalt word meaning
whole
Gestalt
how we perceive stimuli by grouping sensations in meaningful ways
Gestalt list
Common Fate, Proximity, Similarity, Closure, Continuity
Sight
- light hits the retina (light-sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eye)
- photoreceptor cells turn the light into electrical signals
- these electrical signals travel from the retina through the optic nerve to the brain
- brain turns signals into the images you see
Neurotransmission (within a cell)
the movement of an electrical impulse
Neurotransmission (between cells)
one neuron sending chemical signals to another across the synaptic cleft
3 neurons
Sensory, Motor, Interneurons
Sensory Neurons
carries signals from the sense receptors in the body to the brain
Motor Neurons
carries signals from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and the glands
Interneurons
just in the brain and spinal cord. make up about 90% of all human neurons. make the connection between sensory and motor neurons and are involved in all mental activity
3 receptor cells
photoreceptors, chemoreceptors, mechanoreceptors
Photoreceptor cells
activated by electromagnetic energy
Chemoreceptor cells
responds to chemical substances
Mechanoreceptor Cells
responds to mechanical engery
3 subsystems of PNS
Somatic, Autonomic, Enteric
Somatic System
controls voluntary muscle movement, makes connection between motor cortex of the brain and the skeletal muscles used in movement, “of the body”
Autonomic System
controls automatic body functions, makes connection between brain and smooth muscles, controls respiration, perspiration, etc. further divides into 2 parts
Enteric System
network of nerve fibers, (stomach, intestines, pancreas, and gall bladder), controls digestive process
2 Autonomic subsystems
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Sympathetic System
creates an excited state, mobilizes the body for action
Parasympathetic System
creates a state of rest and relaxation, slows heart and breathing, restores digestive process, diverts blood flow from the muscles
Humanist
Innate goodness and potential. Influence of feelings and needs on thoughts and behaviours.
Psycho-analytic
unconscious processes
Behavioural
Relationship between environmental influences and behaviour
Biological
mental processes and behaviours in terms of biological structures and electro-chemical processes
Cognitive (school)
influence of cognitive processes like perception and problem solving
Cognitive (subfield)
mental process
Personality
unique characteristics in people
Developmental
changes in behavior and mental process over time
Educational
strategies to improve teaching and learning
School
test and diagnose academic problems
ESSAY on the Rise of Modern Science
read the article
ESSAY on what has changed/challenged/strengthened in my worldview
figure it out
