Psychology midterm review Flashcards
fucking study
Psychology definition
the scientific study of behavior and mental process
What are the goals of psychology
theory and research- understanding human behavior, when how and why it happens, and predict it before it happens
Application and intervention- to apply said knowledge to hopefully better peoples lives ( therapists
Who were the roots?
Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, and Hippocrates who all asked questions about the mind
Nature vs Nurture debate explained
Questions whether human capabilities are taught or innate.
scientific psychology
the idea arrived around the 19th century by Wilhelm Wundt and had the idea was that mind and behavior could be the subject of scientific analysis focused on senses( vision attention and emotion)
Structuralism vs Functionalism
Titchener introduced structuralism which by definition is the analysis of mental structures (the mind structure)
William James introduced how mental and behavioral process functions and functionalism and how the mind works to enable organism to adapt and function in its environment
gestalt psychology
formed around 1912 in Germany and and it means form ( Kohler, Koffka) what we actually see is related which is related to the background and which an object appears as well as to other aspects of the overall patterns of stimulus.
Psychoanalysis
is both a theory of personality and a method psychotherapy originated by Sigmund Freud in the 20th century. the unconscious that influences constantly our thoughts feelings and actions ( dreams, slip of the tongue)
Contemporary psychological
perspectives
each offers a different account on WHY individuals act the way they do.
- A Psychological perspective is an approach, a way of lookingat topics within psychology.
what are the types of Phycological perspectives
- Behavioral
- Cognitive
- Biological
- subjective
- psychoanalytic
What are the subfields of psychology
Clinical and concealing (metal treating), Developmental, social, school and educational, organizational and industrial, health, neuropsychology, cognitive, experimental, forensic and sports and positive psychology
Scientific theory and hypothesis
sets of facts and relationships between facts and based on observations (ST)
proposed explanation for a situation, educated guess
research in psychology
Basic research( aims to increase knowledge) and applied research ( aims to solve problems
Quantitative research
more precise, uses numbers, random sampling method, conclusive approach
Qualitative research
make use of non numerical data, draws generalizations, statistical procedures, conducted in a natural setting
case studies
indirect observation; partial biography of an individual, in depth analysis of special individuals. Limitation it relies on a persons memory
direct observation
observing a phenomenon as it happens naturally
survey method
give people a survey and ask them if they participate in the behavior , get opinions and attitudes towards certain things ( for a large number of data)
literature review
scholarly summary of the existing body of research on a given topic
meta analysis
using a statistical technique to draw conclusions from a group of studies previously conducted
Experiments
provides the strongest test of a hypothesis about cause and effect. Independent variable is the thing that changes, Dependent variable is the effect measured by the change.
Double blind procedure
Both researches and participants are oblivious about if they were given the procedure or not
Control group
the group in which the hypothesized cause is not present
experimental group
The group in which the hypothesized cause is present
Random assignment
The participants could be put into either the control or experimental group at random prevents bias)
The placebo effect
the effect of behavior caused by an inert substance where the participant thinks he or she was given the real thing (active agent)
What does the r coefficient represent
between -1 to 1, 1 meaning a strong relationship
Ethics in Psych
minimal risk, content, right to privacy and debrief
5 experiments that could not be done today
little Albert (conditioning of a baby)
the monster study (stutter)
the milgram experiment ( shocking test)
the bystander effect
the Stanford prison effect
Nervous system
a physical system that consists of biological cells that communicate with one another
CNS
The brain and the spinal chord Affernt nerves carry signals to here
PNS
the rest of the neural tissue, somatic system which controls the skeletal muscles, efferent nerves carry signals from the CNS to the rest of the body
Building block of the nervous system
Neurons
Neurons do what?
cells that transmits neural impulses or manages the other neurons
What are neurons made up of
nucleus ( contains DNA)
soma ( body of a neuron)
dendrits(project from the body)
axon(transmits these messages to other neurons)
synapses- the junction between neurons
Myeline steth- protective covering
Types of neurons
sensory, motor, interneurons
sensory neurons
transmits receptors from the CNS; physical and chemical changes
motor neurons
carrying outgoing signals from the CNS to muscles and glands
Interneurons
connect sensory and motor neurons and
are found only in the CNS and in the eyes.
Glial cells
supports the billions of nerve cells, gives nutrience and insulates myelin, guides neural connection, play a role in learning and thinking
Action potential
an electrochemical impulse (information) that travels
from the cell body down to the end of the axon.
Ion channels
doughnut-shaped protein molecules that form pores across the cell membrane.
Ion pumps
protein structures that help maintain uneven distribution of ions across the cell membrane by pumping in or out of the cell
Depolarization
raises the resting potential over the threshold causing a chain effect
refractory period
action potential travels one way
The parts of the brain
Central core- most primitive behaviors
Limbic system- controls our emotions
cerebral cortex- regulates our higher intellectual process
cerebral cortex
is the biggest part of the brain and and comprises neurons connected by the synapses
What are the two hemispheres of the brain connected by
corpus callosum
Left hemisphere
Always bigger, the ability to express ourselves in language, performs logical and mathematical things
Right hemisphere
contains long neural fibers that connect to Dif side of the brain; pattern sense, constructing perspective drawing
Peripheral nervous sytem
outside the brain and spinal cords, controls smooth muscles like the blood vessels and heart; it controls self regulated things like digestion that even happened when we sleep
sympathetic nervous system
typically active during times of intense arousal and activated during emergencies
parasympathetic nervous system
associated with rest and restores the body after the activation of the sympathetic system
How do we map our brain
CT scans or MRIs or functional brain imaging
Prenatal
1st stage; in the mothers womb
Human development
takes place in stages; changes in physical, psychological and social behaviors that are experienced by individuals across the life span
Infancy and toddlerhood
2nd stage and it happens at ages birth-2 yrs dramatic changes in the body and brain support
Early childhood
3rd stage 2-6yrs; motor skills are redefined and language expands
middle childhood
4th stage 6-11yrs; advancement in athletic abilities, logical thought and basic literary skills
adolescence
5th stage 11-18yrs; puberty hits, defining personal values and goals, and sexual maturity
Early adulthood
6th stage 18-40yrs; establishing their life(relationships, housing, work)
Middle adulthood
7ths stage ( 40-65yrs); very accomplished, help children with their lives, become aware of their morality
Last adulthood
8th stage (65yrs- death); decreased physical strength and health.
socialization
an individual becomes a member of a particular culture and takes on its values and behaviors
Parents expect what
their child to acquire particular characteristics at a certain age; differ among parents
temperament
a biological based style of interacting with the world that exists from birth
Easy temp- adaptive and not intense
difficult temp- intense and irregular
Attachment
the bond formed with an infant and their care giver; infants engage in behavior to ensure adult attention
secure attachment style
a child can explore confidently and return to the caregiver for reassurance
permissive parenting style
High love, low limits; parents have a hard time setting limits and are often inconsistent; want their children to like them
insecure ambivalent attachment style
less desirable for the child, unsure of their response could either seek or shun her attention
insecure avoidant attachment style
many avoid parents typically the mothers of these children are overestimating
uninvolved parenting style
Low love and limits; lacks emotional involvement and lacks caring feelings,
What is authoritarian parent style
value obedience, structure and respect; hierarchy in the family; typical punishment is spanking; low love hight limits
AUTHORITATIVE parenting style
High love and limits; children learn how to take responsibility, and respond to change, better equipped
why do we study cognitive development
to understand who children Aquire knowledge
Cognitive development
development of cognitive process like thinking, memory, perception, and language
OBSERVATIONAL research vs experimental design
children are studied in a naturalistic setting like home or school
Observational research vs EXPERIMENTAL design
the type of design used in a study depending on the nature of the research
themes of cognitive development
nature vs nurture, does knowledge come in stages or continuous, domain general vs domain specific
What was Piagets theory
humans progress through developmental stages
Assimilation
the process by which new
experiences are incorporated into existing conceptual
structures
accommodation
cognitive structure is developed by new experiences
Piagets stages of development
Stage 1: Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
Stage 2: Pre-operational stage (2-7 years)
Stage 3: Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
Stage 4: Formal operational stage (11 + years
Zone of Proximal Development
what a child can do on his own or what he can do with help
Vygotsky
environment plays a key role in development
Chomsky langage acquisition devise
children have an innate system of language learning
