PS101 - MIDTERM 1 Flashcards
Deductive Reasoning
Reasoning proceeding from broad basic principles applied to specific situations
E.g., Betting that a particular team will win a playoff game because it is the home team and you beliebe the home team had an advantage
Theory > Predictions > Observation/Experiment
Inductive Reasoning
Reasoning process proceeding from small specific situations to more general truths
Observation/Experiment > Predictions > Theory
Empirical
Able to be tested in objective ways
Theories
Ideaa about laws that govern phenomena
Hypothetico-deductive Reasoning
Process of modern science where scientists begin with an aducated guess, perhaps based on prvious research about how the world works, then set about designing small controlled observations to support or invalidate that hypothesis
Hypothesis > Observation/Experiement > Hypothesis supported or not: Theory built
Hypothesis
A general statement about the way variables relate that is objectively falsifiable
Independent Variable
Condition or event that is thought to be a factor in changing another condition or event
Dependent Variable
Condition or event that you expect to change as a result of variations in the independent variable
Sample
The group of people studied in an experiment, used to stand for an entire group of people
Random Selection
Identifying a sample in such a way that everyone in the population of interest has and equal chance of being involved in the study
Case Study
Study focusing on a single person
Naturalistic Observation
Study in which recearchers firectly observe people in a study behaving as they normally do
E.g., observing chimps in their daily life
Hawthorne Effect
What happends whe people who are being observed in studies improve/change their behaviour because they are aware they are being watched
Survey
Study in which researchers give participants a questionnaire or interview
Experimental Group
Group that is exposed to the independent variable
Control Group
Group that has not been or iwll not be exposed to the independent variable
Random Assignment
Assigning individual research volunteers to experimental and control groups using a random process so that uncontrolled variables are randomly/evenly distributed across all groups
Double-blind Procedure
Study in which niether the participant nor the researcher knows the treatment or procedure thr participant is recieving
Poisitive Correlation
Relationship in which, on average, scores on two variables increase together
Negative Correlation
Relationship in which, on average scores on one variable increase as scores on another variable decrease
Perfect Correlation
Two variables are exactly related, such that low, medium and high scores on both variables are always exactly related
Mean
Average of all scores
Standard Deviation
How much the participants’ scores vary from one another
Inferential Statistics
Help to draw conculsions about the data
Research Ethics Board (REB)
Research oversight group that evaluates research to protect the rights of participants in the study
Informed Consent
What occurs when researchers give as uch information as possible about the purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits of the study so that a participant can make an informed decision about whether or not to participate
Debriefing
The supplying of full information to participants at the end of their participation in a research study
T-test
Psychologists compare mean by using T-tests, which are for groups of 2
Analyses of Variance
Psychologists compare mean by using analyses of variance, which is for 2 or more groups
Demand Characteristics
Set up studies so that they do not unintentionally convey to participants the outcome that they expect to see
Sampling Bias
Selecting a group that is ecpecially likely to confirm your hypothesis
Operationalize
To develop a working defention of a variable that allows you to test it
Single-blind Procedure
Only the researcher doing the study knows which treatment the participant is reciving until trial is over
Neuroscience
The study of the brain and nervous system
Electroencephalography (EEG)
A non-invasive technique used to detect and localize electrical activity in the brain
Neuroimaging
Techniques that allow for studying brain activity and structure by obtaining visual images in awake humans
Neuroimaging techniques include…
MRI & fMRI, CT, PET, TMS, DTI
Neuron
A nerve cell that carries info between parts of the body and nervous system
Afferent Neurons
Neurons that carry sensroty info from PNS to CNS
Efferent Neurons
Neurons that carry info out from CNS to PNS
Interneurons
Neurons that typically have a short axon and serve as a relay between different classes of neurons
Somatic Nervous System
Gather sensory information from the body, neck. and head and deliver it to the spinal cord and brain. Peripheral nerves that transmit information about body sensation and movement to and from the CNS
- Controls voluntary muscles and conveys sensory information
Autonomic Nervous System
Comprises the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
- Controls involuntary basic life functions, such as heart beat, and response to stress
Sympathetic Nervous System
Part of the autonomic nervous system that is activated under conditions of stress
- Responsible for fight-or-flight
Parasympathetic Nervous System
The part of the autonomic nervous system that is active during restful times
- Calms body
Spinal Cord
Portion of the central nervous system that extends from teh base of the bain and mediates sensory and motor information
The Hindbrain
The part of the brain closest to the spinal cord that consists of the medulaa, the pons, and the cerebellum
Medulla
The part of the brain that controls basic bodily processes and regulates certain reflexes
Pons
Uppermost or front part of the brainstream. Acts as a bridge between the medulla and other brain areas
Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter that is important for arousal and attention
The Cerebellum
The part of the brain, near the base of the back of the head, important for motor coordination (movement of body parts to complete and action)
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter produced by neurons in the hindbrain and involved in movement and reward mechanisms
Substania Nigra
A brain region important in fluidity of movement and inhibating movements
Thalamus
An area of the brain that serves, in part, as a relay station for incoming sensory information
Hypothalamus
Brain structure important for motivation and control of the endocrine system
Endocrine System
System that controls levels of hormones throught the body
Pituitary Gland
Brain structure that plays a central role in controlling the endocrine system
Limbic System
Group of interconnefcted brain structures that are associated with learning, memory, basic emotions, and drives
Amygdala
Brain area involved in processing information about emotions, particularly fear
Hippocampus
Brain region important for certain types of learning and memory
- Temp stores memories
Cerebral Cortex
Largest portion of the brain, responsible for complex behaviours including language and thought
Occipital Lobe
Love of the cortex and the back of the skull, important for processing very visual information (vision)
Temporal Lobe
Part of the cortex important in processing sound, in speech comprehension, and in recognizing complex visual stimuli, such as faces
Parietal Lobe
Lobe of cortex involved in processing information related to touch and complex visual information, particularly about locations
Frontal Lobe
Lobe of cortex involved in many functions, including movement and speech production
Broca’s Area
A brain region located in the frontal lobe important for speech production
Werniche’s Area
Ab area of the tenporal lobe important in helping us understand language
Prefrontal Lobe
Portion of the frontal cortex involved in higher-order thinking, such as memory, moral reasoning, and planning
Dendrites
The parts of the neurons that recieve input from other neurons
Axon
The part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other neurons
Axon Terminal
The end of a neurons axon, from which neurotransmitters are released
Glia
The cells that, in addition to neurons, make up the nervous system
Astrocytes
Creates blood-brain barrier, influences communication between Neurons, and helps heal brain damage
Oligodendroglia
Provides myelin to speed up transmission of neurons
Microglia
Cleans up dead cells and prvents infection in the brain
Resting Potential
The electrical charge of a neuron when it is at rest
Synapse
Tiny spaces between the axon terminal of one neuron and the neuron through which chemical communication occurs
Neurotransmitters
Specialized chemicals that travel across synapses to allow communication
Evolution
The process of development and divergence of life on this planet
Corpus Callosum
Bundle of axons that allows communication from one side of the cortex to the other
- Connects two brain hemispheres
Homologus Traits
Characteristics that are similar between species and can be traced back to a common ancestor
Analogous Traits
Characteristics that have evolved independently in different species
Integrated Brain
No brain region works alone
