Psych chat 1 Flashcards
Addiction/Substance Abuse
A chronic condition involving compulsive drug use despite harmful consequences.
Basic vs. Applied Research
Basic research seeks to expand knowledge, while applied research aims to solve real-world problems.
Biopsychosocial Model
An approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health and behavior.
What did wilhelm Wundt do
Established the first psychology lab (1879), focused on reaction times.
Mary Whiton Calkins
First female president of the APA (1905).
Structuralism
Analyzed the mind’s structure.
Functionalism:
Focused on adaptive mental processes.
Behaviorism
Studied observable behavior, ignoring mental processes (emerged in the 1920s).
Hypothesis
A testable prediction derived from a theory.
Theory
A framework that explains observations and predicts behaviors or events.
Case Studies
In-depth analysis of individuals or groups.
Naturalistic Observation
Recording behavior in natural environments.
Surveys
Asking questions to gather data.
Correlation vs. Causation
Correlation shows a relationship but doesn’t prove causation; only experiments can establish causality.
Brainstem
Controls basic survival functions
Cerebral Cortex
Key in control and processing.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself, particularly in response to experience.
Endocrine System
A slow communication system using hormones, with the pituitary gland as the “master gland.”
Dual Processing Theory:
The brain processes information on both conscious and unconscious tracks.
Neurons and Action Potentials
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” explains how neural connections form.
Circadian Rhythm
The body’s 24-hour internal clock regulating sleep and other bodily rhythms.
Psychoactive Drugs
Substances that alter perception or mood.
Tolerance
Needing larger doses for the same effect.
Withdrawal
Discomfort after stopping drug use.
Temperament
Genetic emotional reactivity and behavior, often consistent through life.
Natural Selection
Traits aiding survival and reproduction get passed to future generations.
Frontal Lobe
Problem solving, Judgement, personality
Parietal Lobe (top of the head)
Sense of touch
Occipital Lobe (back of the head)
Visual Persetion, reading
temporal Lobe (center of the brain)
Understanding language, hearing, feelings, information retrieval
Cerebellum
Coordination, Balance and equilibrium,
