Psych Exam 1 Flashcards
Attributes of experimental design
1- There is random assignment of groups
3- Specifies relationships among variables
4- Allows for a lot of control
5- Generates quantitative data
Attributes of correlational research
1- You cannot determine causation because there is no isolation of the variables
2- Can be conducted via survey, naturalistic observation, clinical observation and secondary analysis
Pros and Cons of Experiment
1- Can be highly artificial
2- Easy to replicate
3- Allows for lots of control
Pros and Cons of Survey
1- Can be cheap and low effort
2- You may not get very many responses
3- You can get an idea of peoples internal processesP
Pros and Cons of Observation
1- You cannot determine causation because you can’t isolate the variables
2- Your results won’t be artificial
3- Can be cheap, but time consuming
4- Hard to replicate
Pros and Cons of Clinical Observation
1- Is used to evaluate people who are getting help from psych
2- Might be used for new methods
3- Less natural than observation
Pros and Cons of Secondary Analysis
1- Can be used for historical data
2- Are only able to use the data that other collected
3- Low cost
Population
The group of people which the results of an experiment apply to
Random sample
A subset of the population where each individual has an equal chance of being chosen
Random assignmet
Where each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group
Sample
A subset of a larger population
Mean
Average. Add them all up and divide by how many there are
Median
When the numbers are lined up from least to greatest, the middle number
Mode
The number that appears the most often in a sting of numbers
Range
Subtracting the lowest score from the highest score
Nerve
A bundle of neurons that carry messages outside the brain or spinal cord
Neuron
An individual nerve cell. The wires of the nervous system
Axon
The neuron ending that transmits the message to other neurons. It ‘acts on’
Myelin sheath
The fatty coating around the axon that helps speed up the neural connection
Neurotransmitter
Chemical substances produced by axons that transmit messages across the synapse
Dendrite
What receives the message from other neurons
Cell body
The central part of the neuron
Central Nervous system
The brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
The nerves that branch out form the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body
Sympathetic nervous system
Fight or flight
Parasympathetic nervous system
Rest and digest
Somatic nervous system
Sense organs
Autonomic nervous system
Involuntary actions of internal organs actions
What connects the brain
Corpus collosum
Cerebral cortex
Largest structure in the brain and is involved in the somatic nervous system
Frontal lobe
Used for planning, organization, and speaking. Contains Brocas’ area
Parietal lobe
Used for your sense of touch, and other senses
Temporal lobe
Used for understanding language. Contains Wernickes’ area
Occipital lobe
Used for processing what the eyes see
Broca’s area
In the frontal lobe. Needed for language production
Wernickie’s ares
In the temporal lobe, used for speech comprehension
Sensation
Transmitting messages from the outside world to the brain
Perception
Interpreting the information from the outside world
Difference Threshold
The smallest difference of a stimulus that can be detected half of the time
Absolute Threshold
The smallest amount of a stimulus that is needed for someone to detect a stimulus half of the time
Webers Law
The amount of change needed to detect a difference is in direct proportion to the intensity of the original stimulus
Sensory adaption
Weakened magnitude of a sensation
- When you first enter a room you were cold, but now you have ‘gotten used to’ the temperature
Binocular depth cues
1- Convergence
2- Retinal disparity
Monocular depth cues
1- Texture gradient
2- Linear perspective
3- Superposition
4- Shadowing
5- Speed of movement
6- Aerial perspective
7- Accmodation
Perceptual constancy
The tendency to perceive a familiar item as having a standard shape, size, and brightness no matter how the stimuli changes
Different types of constancy
1- Brightness
2- Color
3- Size
4- Shape
Closure
When our brains fill in the missing piece of information. We like complete objects
Figure-ground
The face-vase.
Proximity
If they are close together, they are grouped together
Linear Perspective
A monocular depth cue
