Psychology Test Prep! Flashcards
Define psychology.
Scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and the factors that influence these processes.
Define psychoanalysis. Who was it founded by?
- A set of psychological theories and method of therapy.
- Sigmund Freud
Define sensation.
- 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.
Define superego.
The ethical component of the personality and provides that moral standards by which the ego operates.
Define perception.
Is the process of acquiring information from the environment (through your senses) and organizing that information in a sensible way.
Define positive reinforcement.
The process of rewarding and reinforcing desirable behavior in order to increase the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated in the future.
Define short term memory.
-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
Define negative reinforcement.
- The encouragement of certain behaviors by removing or avoiding a negative outcome or stimuli.
Define long term memory.
- 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.
Define conditioned stimulus.
- A stimulus that can eventually trigger a conditioned response.
Define REM (Rapid Eye Movement).
- 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)
Define un-conditioned stimulus.
- A stimulus that leads to an automatic response.
Define NREM (non-rapid eye movement).
- 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.
What are the branches of psychology?
Structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism and cognitive psychology.
Who founded structuralism? What is structuralism?
- 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
Who founded functionalism? What is functionalism?
- 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
Who founded psychoanalysis? What is psychoanalysis?
- 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
Who founded behaviorism? What is behaviorism?
- 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
Who founded humanism? What is humanism?
- 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
Who founded cognitive psychology? What is cognitive psychology?
- 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)
