Psychology Test Prep!

Question 1

Define psychology.

Answer 1

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and the factors that influence these processes.

Question 2

Define psychoanalysis. Who was it founded by?

Answer 2

• A set of psychological theories and method of therapy.
• Sigmund Freud

Question 3

Define sensation.

Answer 3

• Refers to our 5 senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch
• The process in which our sense receptors are activated (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) and are able to transmit signals (info) to the brain.

Question 4

Define superego.

Answer 4

The ethical component of the personality and provides that moral standards by which the ego operates.

Question 5

Define perception.

Answer 5

Is the process of acquiring information from the environment (through your senses) and organizing that information in a sensible way.

Question 6

Define positive reinforcement.

Answer 6

The process of rewarding and reinforcing desirable behavior in order to increase the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated in the future.

Question 7

Define short term memory.

Answer 7

-Memory that is stored for 15-20 seconds.

• Can store up to 7, separate, unorganized items, plus or minus 2
  -Info in your STM is lost by decay (fading of info) or displacement (replaced by new info)
• continuing to work with this information, it remains in STM longer, or transfer to LTM

Question 8

Define negative reinforcement.

Answer 8

• The encouragement of certain behaviors by removing or avoiding a negative outcome or stimuli.

Question 9

Define long term memory.

Answer 9

• Info that is important/meaningful to you.
• Memory longer than 15-20 seconds (lasts minutes or a lifetime)
• Compared to the workings of library (info organized and systemic)
• Lost when misplaced, improperly stored, or erased.

Question 10

Define conditioned stimulus.

Answer 10

• A stimulus that can eventually trigger a conditioned response.

Question 11

Define REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

Answer 11

• Makes up 20-25% of a normal nights sleep.
• A sleeper will experience rapid eye movements (eyes darting around under the eye lid, as it is like you are looking around at things).
• A rush of Epinephrine (adrenaline) shooting into the body.
• Blood pressure rises, heart rate is faster/irregular, brain temp increases large muscles (arms, legs, trunk) become paralyzed.
• Most vivid dream (when awakened from REM sleep, 80% of people report dreaming)

Question 12

Define un-conditioned stimulus.

Answer 12

• A stimulus that leads to an automatic response.

Question 13

Define NREM (non-rapid eye movement).

Answer 13

• Makes up 75-80% of a normal nights sleep
• Often called “quiet sleep”
• 4 Stages of NREM sleep: no rapid eye movement, heart rate/respiration that is slow/regular, little body movement, blood pressure/brain activity are at their lowest points of the 24-hour period.

Question 14

What are the branches of psychology?

Answer 14

Structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism and cognitive psychology.

Question 15

Who founded structuralism? What is structuralism?

Answer 15

• Founded by William Wundt (1832-1920)
• Tried to observe the inner workings of the mind by conducting experiments on sensation, perception and attention
• Asked people to practice introspection (examine their thoughts) and describe everything that went through their minds
• Although this branch was short lived, it marked the arrival of psychology as a scientific discipline

Question 16

Who founded functionalism? What is functionalism?

Answer 16

• Founded by William James (1842-1910)
• Believed mental characteristics had developed just like physical characteristics to allow people to adapt to their environments ensuring their survival
• Studies done outside the laboratory to see how people behaved in everyday life
• Studied the development of children, how learning and education could be improved, and how men and women behaved differently

Question 17

Who founded psychoanalysis? What is psychoanalysis?

Answer 17

• Developed by Sigmund Freud (1865-1939)
• Started as a medical doctor studying the nervous system
• Came to the conclusion that nervous problems were not physical in origin but stemmed from the unconscious
• Is a process designed to uncover the patients’ unconscious thoughts by encouraging them to discuss their background, feelings and experiences with a trained psychologist
• Has become a major branch of psychology and is well known even by non-psychologists
• Ideas about the subconscious, ego, dream analysis and slips of the tongue

Question 18

Who founded behaviorism? What is behaviorism?

Answer 18

• Developed by John Watson (1878-1958) (same time as Freud was conducting his experiments)
• Believed that in order to be scientific, can only study what can be observed
• i.e. since we cannot observe the mind, we must observe behaviour
• Study how individuals react to the environment
• believed all behavioural responses are the result of environmental stimuli

Question 19

Who founded humanism? What is humanism?

Answer 19

• Developed in the 1950s as a reaction against the dominance of behaviouralism and psycholanalysis
• Focus on unique qualities of human beings, particularly their freedom and potential to grow
• Argue that people are not dominated by their drives, emotions, or by their environments
• Say that people can take control of their own lives because they have the ability to make choices

Question 20

Who founded cognitive psychology? What is cognitive psychology?

Answer 20

• Study of mental processes involved in memory, learning and thinking
• Focus on researching the brain and its processes
• Use electronic monitoring of brain activity to learn more about what parts of our brain are active when we talk, laugh, watch a movie, etc.
• Popular from 1950s onwards with advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence (AI)