Psych Final Exam Flashcards
Cognitive Psychology
study how the mind works
Wilhelm Wundt
started first laboratory for psychological research in 1879
Convenience Sample (A)
a group chosen because of its ease of study
Naturalistic Observation (A)
a careful examination of what many people or non human animals do under more or less natural conditions
Positive Correlation (A)
as one variable increases the other variable increases also e.g.. as height increases weight increases
Negative Correlation (A)
as one variable increases the other decreases e.g. as amount of exercise increases body weight decreases.
Independent Variable (A)
the item the experimenter changes or controls (the manipulated variable) (tested variable)
Dependent Variable (A)
the item that the experimenter measures to determine how it was affected (measured variable )
Control group (A)
a group of individuals that did not receive the treatment the experiment is designed to test.
American Psychological association (APA)
developed the ethical guidelines for reasearch on humans and animals; also provides malpractice insurance for psychologists
Association for psychological science (APS)
broke off from APA to on science
Genotype
the genetic material we inherit from our parent (e.g. you have one gene from blood type A and one gene from blood type O)
Phenotype
the observable expression of the genotype including bodily characteristic and behavior (e.g. you have blood type A)
Gene
sections along each chromosomes that direct the individuals development
Recessive gene
A gene that will not be expressed if paired with another recessive gene
Natural selection
favorable genes are more likely to survive and be passed down to future generations than those that are less favorable.
Neurons (nerve cells)
cells specialized for communicating information
Central Nervous System (CNS)
consists of the brain and spinal cord
Somatic Nervous System
controls voluntary muscles
Autonomic nervous system
controls involuntary muscles (organs)
Preconscious memories
memories accessible to consciousness only after something calls attention to them
Unconscious
in classic Freudian theory a part of the mind that houses unpleasant memories feelings and desires outside of our awareness and not easily accessible.
Insomnia
The chronic inability to obtain the nessary amount or quality of sleep to maintain adequate daytime behavior (a system not a disorder)
Narcolepsy
sudden attacks of extreme even irresistible sleepiness even in the middle of the day. Possibly caused by lack of or sensitivity to the chemical hypocretin.
Hypnosis
a condition increased suggestibility that occurs in the context of a special hypnotist-subject relationship
Tolerance (A)
after someone has taken a drug repeatedly its effects grow weaker and weaker unless the dosage is increased.
Physical dependence (A)
someone who feels compelled to take the drug to reduce unpleasant withdrawal symptoms