MIDTERM Flashcards
Structuralism
Used INTROSPECTION to determine underlying STRUCTURES of the mind
Introspection
Act of looking INWARD to examine mental experience
Functionalism
Analyzing the PURPOSE of behavior
Psychodynamic approach
We are motivated by irrational desires. Freud: behavior comes from UNCONSCIOUS drive
Behavioral approach
Actions are caused by LEARNED behaviors that have been REINFORCED
Humanistic approach
Emphasizes FREE WILL and ACTUALIZATION
Cognitive approach
Behaviors are a result of the way we PERCEIVE and THINK about information
Biological approach
Operation of our brain and neurotransmitters influence behavior
Sociocultural approach
Emphasizes importance of SOCIAL INTERACTION
Evolutionary Approach
Behavior and mental processes are seen in terms of GENETICS
Biopsychosocial
Emphasizes interconnection between biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors
Mary Calkins
First female president of APA
Margaret Floy Washburn
1st female PhD
William James
Father of AMERICAN Psychology
FUNCTIONALIST
Charles Darwin
Natural selection + evolution
Dorothea Dix
REFORMED mental institutions in the US
Stanley Hall
1st president of APA1 journal
Wilhelm Wundt
Father of MODERN psychology
STRUCTURALIST
Basic research
Purpose is to increase knowledge
Applied research
purpose is to help people
Advantages and disadvantages of an experiment
+ researcher controls variables to establish cause and effect
- difficult to generalize
IV
purposefully altered by the researcher to look for effect
Psychologist
Research or counseling
Psychiatrist
Prescribe medications and diagnose
Experimental group
Received the treatment
Double-blind experiment
Neither the participant or experimenter are aware of which condition people are assigned to
Single-blind experiment
Only the participant is blind
Operational definition
Precise and typically QUANTIFIABLE definition of your variables- allows REPLICATION
Confounding variable
Error or flaw in the study that can mess up results
Random assignment
Assigns participants to either control or experimental group at random, minimizing bias
Random sample
Method for choosing participants for your study. everyone has a chance to take part
Representative sample
Sample mimics the general population
Placebo effect
Show behaviors associated with the experimental group when having received the placebo
Control group
Received the placebo
Dependent variable
Measured variable. Caused by the IV
3rd variable problem
Different variable is responsible for a relationship
Illusory correlation
Belief of a correlation that does not exist
Naturalistic observation + adv and disadv
Subjects are observed in their natural environment
+ Real world validity
- No cause and effect
Case study
One person is studied to reveal universal truths
+Studies ONE person in great detail
- No cause and effect
Normal distribution
Bell shaped curve
Mean=Median=Mode
Descriptive Stats: Measures of central tendency
Mean: Average
Median: Middle # (including repeats)
Mode: Number occurs most often
Positive skew
Downwards slope
Mode<Median<Mean
Advantages and disadvantages or correlation
+ Identifies relationships between two variables
- no cause and effect
Positive and negative correlation
Positive: variables increase and decrease together
Negative correlation: As one increases the other decreases
Strength of correlations
Closer the number is to 1 or -1, stronger the relationship
Confidentiality
information on participants kept secret
Statistical significance
Results are not due to chance
Negative skew
Upward slope
Mean<median<mode
Inferential statistics
Establishes significance of a stat
Informed consent
Must agree to be part of the study
Debreifing
Must be told the true purpose of the study (after the study)
Neuron
Basic cell of the nervous system
Dendrites
Receive incoming signal from another neuron
Soma
Cell body (includes nucleus) assesses messages
Axon potential
Action potential passes down
Myelin Sheath
Speeds up action potential, protects axon
Terminals
Release neurotransmitters- send signal onto the next neuron
Synapse
gap between neurons
Vesicles
Sacs (rhymes with testicles) inside terminal contain neurotransmitters
Action potential
Movement of Sodium and Potassium ions across membrane sends an electrical charge down the axon. More sodium outside, more potassium inside.
All or none law
All or none law of action potential: Stimulus must trigger the action potential past its threshold, but does not increase the intensity of the response (you have to poop before you flush, but no matter how much you poop, the intensity of the flush wont change)
Motor neurons
Bring messages from the brain to muscle organs and glands
Two main nervous systems
Central Nervous System: Brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System: All the nerves which feed into the brain and spinal cord
Refractory period of action potential
Neuron must rest and reset before it can send another action potential
Sensory Neurons
Send messages about sensory experience to the brain
Interneurons
Relay messages from sensory neurons to other interneurons or motor neurons
Two parts of the Peripheral Nervous System
Somatic Nervous System: Controls the voluntary movements
Autonomic Nervous System: Controls involuntary movements (breathing, heartbeat)
What are neurotransmitters
Chemicals released in the synaptic gap, received by neurons
GlutamatE
Excitatory
Learning and long term memory
two parts of the Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic NS: Arouses the body in stressful situations (prepares for fight or flight)
Parasympathetic NS: Calms the body after a sympathetic response.
Homeostatic relationship
GABA
Inhibitory
Regulates sleep cycle
ACH
Muscle function, memory
Serotonin
Moods and emotion
Dopamine
Reward and movement
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
Arousal in the sympathetic NS
Endorphins
Pain control
Oxytocin
Love and bonding
Agonist
Drug mimics a neurotransmitter
Excitatory
SSRI’s
Block reuptake
treatment for depression
Antagonist
Drug blocks a neurotransmitter
Inhibitory
Reuptake
Unused neurotransmitters are taken back by the sending neuron
Parts of the brain stem
Cerebellum: Balance
Medulla: Regulates organs of basic body functions
Pons: Relays signals to the cerebellum about basic body functions
Reticular formation: Alertness, monitors sensory messages
Thalamus: Relay center for all senses BUT smell (you MUST use your thalamus unless it is MUSTy)
Parts of the limbic system
Hippocampus: Memory (if you saw a hippo on a campus you’d remember it)
Amygdala: Relates to emotions
Hypothalamus: Reward/pleasure
Damage to the left hemisphere
aphasia (damaged speech)
What is the cerebral cortex
Outer portion of the brain- higher order thought process
Contains 4 lobes and 4 cortices per side
4 lobes of the cerebral cortex
Frontal lobe: Decision making, judgement
Occipital lobe: Vision
Parietal lobe: Touch Sensations
Temporal lobe: Hearing and face recognition
4 cortices of the cerebral cortex
Somatosensory Cortex: Map of touch sensory receptors- located in parietal lobe
Motor Cortex: Map of movement receptors- located in frontal lobe
Auditory cortex: Map of hearing receptors- located in temporal lobe
Visual cortex: Map of vision receptors- located in occipital lobe
Corpus Callosum
Bundle of nerves connecting the 2 hemisphere
What is the split-brain procedure? Experiments?
People with severe seizures get their corpus callosum severed
Image shown the right eye is processed in the left hemisphere- pateint can say what they saw. Image shown to the left eye is processed in the right hemisphere- patient can’t say what they saw, right side does not process speech.
Brocas area + when damaged
Provides ability to produce speech
Damage- inability to produce speech (Broca/broken speech)
Wernicke’s area + damaged
Provides ability to comprehend speech
Damage: inability to comprehend speech (Wernickes what?)
Brain plasticity
Brain is malleable
How do genetics vs. environment affect seperated twins
Genetics: identical twins will have similar traits and characteristics because of their genetics
Environment: twins will have different traits and characteristics based on their environments
(nature vs. nurture)
EEG
Measures electrical activity in neurons
MEG
Identifies malfunctioning neurons
PET
Detects a radioactive form of glucose
CT Scan
Series of XRay photos from different angles combined
MRI
Studies structure of brain
fMRI
Studies function of brain
Difference between identical and fraternal twins
Identical twins- monozygotic (same DNA)
Fraternal twins- Dizygotic (Different DNA)
What is the endocrine system + its parts
Endocrine system: Set of glands that secrete hormones into bloodstream
Pituitary gland: Releases growth hormones. Controlled by hypothalamus
Adrenal gland: Releases adrenaline while sympathetic NS is working
Parathyroids: Release calcium into blood
Thyroid glands: Metabolism
Pancreas: regulates sugar in blood
Ovary/Testes: secrete sex hormones
States of consciousness
Higher-level: Controlled processes occur- total awareness
Lower-level: Automatic processing (daydreaming, phone numbers)
Altered states: produced through drugs, fatigue, hypnosis
Subconscious: Sleeping/dreaming
No awareness: knocked out
Sleep stages and their waves
NREM1: Alpha to Theta. Light slee
NREM2: Theta waves Little brain wave-bursts called spindles. Over half the night is spent in this stage
NREM3:Delta waves. Deep sleep
REM: Beta waves. Recurring sleep stage with vivid dreams. Muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active
Entire cycle takes 90 mins
3 main functions of consciousness
- Selective attention: Limiting what we notice and think to prevent being overwhelmed
-Sensation combines with memory
-Allows us to create a mental model of the world