Introducing Psychology Flashcards
What is Wernicke’s area? What is the effect of damage to this area?
Wernicke’s area is the part in the brain responsible for comprehension of language. It is located in the upper temporal convulsion of the left hemisphere. Damage to this area results in Wernicke’s aphasia, meaning that the person effected can speak but will produce nonsense, even though they may know what they’re trying to say. This is also known as a word salad.
What is the psychodynamic approach?
Conscious and unconscious thoughts interact to control our thoughts and behaviours. Awareness is like an iceberg - the portion above water is the conscious and the portion underwater is the unconscious
What are the ego, Id and superego?
The Id is the unconscious part of us that seeks pleasure and avoids pain. It is purely instinctual and disregards all morals for pure want. The ‘devil’ on the shoulder
The ego is us. It to seeks pleasure and avoids pain but in a more reasonable way than the Id. It is our conscious decisions and choices
The super-ego is the unconscious part of us that follows societies ‘rules’. It is a build up of morals accumulated from our external surroundings. It keeps the Id in check and makes the ego feel guilt or similar emotions when it succumbs to the Id
All of these are part of the psychodynamic approach
What is the behaviourist approach?
That environmental stimuli control behaviour through learning. Behaviour of humans can be understood without reference to internal states such as thoughts or feelings. Stimuli become associated through conditioning. Humans and other animals are mechanistic.
What are the types of conditioning?
Classical conditioning - pairing a stimuli with an action. Bell when eating food - produced a reaction of salivation
Operant conditioning - rewarding or punishing to enforce or discourage behaviour. Giving a dog a treat when they do something right/ spraying a cat with water when they do something wrong.
What is the humanistic approach?
Focuses on the uniqueness of the individual and that people are motivated to reach their full potential (self-actualisation). Humans are innately good and will strive to realise goals and ambitions.
What is maslow’s hierarchy of needs?
From the bottom up:
Physiological needs: food, water
Safety needs: security, safety
Belongingness and love: intimate relationships, friends
Esteem needs: prestige and feeling of accomplishment
Self-actualisation: achieving full potential
What is the cognitive perspective?
Focuses on how people process, store and retrieve information. The mind is like a computer.
What is the controversial evolutionary approach?
Human behaviour evolved because they helped our ancestors survive and reproduce. Some behaviours are biologically determined (e.g the impulse to eat, sexual desire) we are all runners in a race competing for resources.
What is Broca’s area in the brain responsible for? What is the effect of damage to this area?
Broca’s area is responsible for the production of language. It is located in the front half of the left hemisphere of the brain. Damage in this area results in a speech disorder known as Broca’s aphasia, preventing the person from speaking effectively
