psych overview, history, research methods, and neuroscience Flashcards
Q: What is psychology?
A: Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Q: Name a few major sub-disciplines of psychology.
A: Clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, biological psychology.
Q: What does WEIRD psychology refer to?
A: WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. It highlights that much psychological research has been conducted on participants from these societies.
Name WEIRD Psych historical women & their contributions.
Margaret Floy Washburn- 1st women to earn PhD in psych, focused on animal research
Inez Beverly Prosser- 1st black women to earn Psych Phd, helped end segregation
Evelyn Hooker “Myth Buster”- Helped end idea that Homosexuality was an illness
- Wilhelm Wundt
A: Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of experimental psychology; he founded the first psychology laboratory and used introspection as a method.
Q: What is structuralism in psychology?
A: identify the units of consciousness experience through introspection.
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Q: What is structuralism in psychology?
A: Structuralism is an early school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic units of consciousness through introspection.
Q: What is the scientific method in psychology?
A: The scientific method is a systematic process involving observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and analysis to acquire knowledge.
Q: What does functionalism focus on in psychology?
A: Functionalism focuses on the purpose of mental processes and behavior in adapting to the environment.
Q: What is William James known for?
A: William James is known for his work in functionalism and his book “The Principles of Psychology,” which influenced many areas of psychology.
Q: What is Sigmund Freud known for in psychology?
A: Sigmund Freud is known for developing psychoanalysis, which emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and childhood experiences.
Q: What is behaviorism?
A: Behavior is shaped by classical conditioning, and reward & punishment
Q: What is John B. Watson’s contribution to psychology?
A: John B. Watson is considered the founder of behaviorism and emphasized the study of observable behavior, used pavlov’s dog studies
Q: What is B.F. Skinner known for?
A: B.F. Skinner is known for his work on operant conditioning and the use of reinforcement and punishment to shape behavior.
Q: What does cognitive psychology study?
A: Cognitive psychology studies mental processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving.
Q: What is the difference between sensation and perception?
A: Sensation refers to the process of detecting stimuli, while perception is the interpretation of these sensory inputs.
Q: What does evolutionary psychology focus on?
A: Evolutionary psychology focuses on how evolutionary processes, such as natural selection, influence behavior and mental processes.
Q: What does the American Psychological Association (APA) do?
A: The APA sets ethical guidelines, promotes research and practice in psychology, and organizes psychology into various divisions and specialties.
Q: What are the four pillars of psychology?
A: The four pillars are biological, cognitive, behavioral, and socio-cultural perspectives.
Q: What are the pros and cons of naturalistic observation?
A: Pros: Provides a real-world context, high ecological validity. Cons: Lack of control over variables, potential observer effect.
Q: What are the pros and cons of case studies?
A: Pros: Detailed, in-depth information about a single subject or group. Cons: Limited generalizability, potential researcher bias.
Q: What are the pros and cons of surveys?
A: Pros: Can gather data from a large number of people quickly, cost-effective. Cons: Potential for biased responses, limited depth of information.
Q: What does correlational research examine?
A: Correlational research examines the relationships between variables to determine if they are associated or correlated, but it does not imply causation.
Q: What is the main advantage of experimental research?
A: Experimental research allows for the determination of causality by manipulating independent variables and observing their effects on dependent variables.
Q: What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?
A: The independent variable is the variable that is manipulated by the researcher, while the dependent variable is the outcome that is measured.
Q: What must be documented for informed consent according to APA guidelines?
A: Informed consent must be documented, including awareness of possible risks and limitations on confidentiality and deception.
Q: What are the ethical considerations for animal research according to APA guidelines?
A: Animals may not be subjected to pain, stress, or privation when alternative procedures are available.
Q: What are the main components of a neuron?
A: Dendrites, soma (cell body), axon hillock, axon, myelin sheath, and terminal buttons.
Q: What are the three types of neurons and their functions?
A: Sensory (afferent) neurons carry messages from sense organs to the brain, interneurons carry messages between neurons, and motor (efferent) neurons carry messages from the brain to muscles/glands.
Q: What is the resting potential of a neuron?
A: The resting potential is the state when the neuron is not engaged in action, with greater positive ions outside and greater negative ions inside the cell.
Q: What is the threshold of excitation?
A: It is the level an impulse must exceed for a neuron to fire.
Q: What is synaptic transmission?
A: Synaptic transmission is the process by which neurotransmitters are released from the terminal buttons into the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron.
Q: What role does acetylcholine (Ach) play in the brain?
A: Acetylcholine is involved in arousal, attention, memory, and motivation.
Q: What role does dopamine play in the brain?
A: Dopamine is associated with motor control and disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Q: What is serotonin’s role?
A: Serotonin affects emotions, arousal, and sleep.
Q: What does norepinephrine influence?
A: Norepinephrine influences wakefulness, arousal, learning, memory, and mood.
Q: What function do endorphins serve?
A: Endorphins reduce pain by inhibiting neurons that transmit pain messages to the brain.
Q: How does caffeine affect neurotransmitters?
A: Caffeine increases the release of excitatory neurotransmitters by blocking adenosine, which normally inhibits excitatory neurotransmitters.
