Intro to Psych Midterm

Question 1

What is Psychology?

Answer 1

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Question 2

Who is the father of Psychology?

Answer 2

Wilhelm Wundt, 1st Psychology lab in 1879, Leipzig, Germany

Question 3

What is empirical evidence?

Answer 3

Any type of evidence gathered through direct observation

Question 4

What is the difference between behavior and mental processes?

Answer 4

Behavioral is public (overt)

Mental is private (covert)

Question 5

What are the goals of psychology and their definitions?

Answer 5

Description- naming & classifying
Understanding- ability to state the cause of a behavior
Prediction- ability to accurately forecast behavior
Control- the ability to alter the conditions that affect behavior

Question 6

What is Freud’s theory of Dreaming? (2 reasons)

Answer 6

We dream for 2 reason, internal conflicts and wishful fulfillments

Question 7

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 7

An educated guess about the relationship between variables

Question 8

Why do we use sampling in research?

Answer 8

We use sampling to represent a population (college students)

Question 9

What are neurons composed of?

Answer 9

Axom, Soma, and dendrites

Question 10

How many neurons do we have?

Answer 10

100 billion

Question 11

How do neurons work?

Answer 11

They receive nerve impulses via dendrites, pass them to the soma, who creates a new nerve impulse, and sends them via the axom

Question 12

What are the 6 neurotransmitters?

Answer 12

Acetylcholine, Dopamine, GABA, Glutamate, Norepinephirene, Serotonin

Question 13

Function of Acetylcholine?

Answer 13

Participates in movement, autonomic functions, learning and memory

Question 14

Function of Dopamine

Answer 14

Participates in motivation, reward, & planning of behavior

Question 15

Function of GABA

Answer 15

Major inhibitory effect in the CNS, participates in mood

Question 16

Function of Glutamate

Answer 16

Major excitatory effect in the CNS, participates in learning and memory

Question 17

Functions of Norepinephirine

Answer 17

Participates in arousal & vigilance & mood

Question 18

Functions of Serotonin

Answer 18

Participates in mood, appetite, & sleep

Question 19

Function and breakdown of the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System

Answer 19

CNS- Brain & spinal cord, controls PNS, does not need body
PNS- bones, skin, organs (nerves connecting body to CNS)
Somatic Nervous System- nerves system linking spinal cord to body & sense organs
Autonomic Nervous System- nerves carrying info to & from internal organs & glands
Sympathetic Branch- arouses the body “fight or flight”
Parasympathetic branch- quiets the body, lowers arousal level

Question 20

Sensation & Perception

Answer 20

Sensation- sensories impression, process of detecting physical energies with sensory organs
Perception- mental process of organizing sensations into meaningful patterns
Perception cannot exist without Sensations

Question 21

What is the sensory receptor cell?

Answer 21

Cells that receive sensations

Question 22

Why do we daydream?

Answer 22

a daydream is a vivid waking fantasy, it is also used for divergent thinking, it allows greater mental flexibility or creativity