Midterm Flashcards
Nature v. Nurture
how much genes contribute and how much experience and environment contribute to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
Biopsychosocial approach to human behavior
Biological: natural selection of adaptive traits, brain, hormones
Psychological: learned fears and behaviors, cognitive processing
Social-cultural: cultural and societal expectations, peer and group influences, models
Hypothesis
testable prediction
Correlation
measure of the extent to which two factors vary together; how well either factor predicts the other
Random assignment
assigning participants to experimental and control groups; minimizes preexisting differences
Placebo effect
experimental results caused by expectations alone
Independent variable
experimental factor that is manipulated; variable whose effect is being studied
Dependent variable
outcome factor; may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable
Confounding variable
factor other than independent that might produce an effect in an experiment
Neuron
nerve cell
Dendrites
neuron’s bushy, branching extensions; receive messages and conduct impulses
Axon
Neuron extension passes messages through its branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Myelin sheath
encases axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed
Glial cells
cells in nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; learning and thinking
Action potential
neural impulse
Synapse
junction between axon tip of sending neuron and dendrite/cell body of receiving neuron
Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps; when released they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, influence whether that neuron will generate neural impulse
Brainstem
oldest; automatic survival functions
Medulla
heartbeat and breathing
Thalamus
directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to cerebellum and medulla
Reticular formation
controls arousal
Cerebellum
sensory input, coordinates movement output and balance, nonverbal learning and memory
Limbic system
emotions and drives
Hypothalamus
maintenance activities, govern endocrine system via the pituitary gland; emotion and reward
Cerebral cortex
control and information-processing center
Frontal lobes
speaking and muscle movements; plans and judgements
Parietal lobes
sensory input for touch and body position
Occipital lobes
receive information from the visual fields
Temporal lobes
receiving information from the opposite ear
Motor cortex
voluntary movements
Sensory cortex
body touch and movement sensations
Association areas
higher mental functions: learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
Amygdala
emotion rage and fear
Traits determined by genes
physical - height, hair and eye color; complex traits - happiness, intelligence, or aggressiveness
Learning
process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors
Classical conditioning
one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events
Behaviorism
psychology should be objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes
Neutral stimulus
elicits no response before conditioning
Unconditioned response
naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus
Unconditioned stimulus
stimulus that unconditionally - naturally - triggers a response (UR)
Conditioned response
learned response to a previously neutral stimulus (CS)
Conditioned stimulus
originally irrelevant, after association with an US comes to trigger a CR
Extinction
diminishing of a CR; classical - US does not follow a CS; operant - response is no longer reinforced
Spontaneous recovery
reappearance after a pause of an extinguished CR
Operant conditioning
behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
Positive reinforcement
stimulus that is presented after a response
Negative reinforcement
stimulus that is removed after a response (removing negative stimuli)
Primary reinforcer
innately reinforcing stimulus; satisfies biological need
Conditioned reinforcer
gains power through its association with primary reinforcer
Punishment
decreases behavior that follows
