Quiz 1 Vocab Flashcards
Psychology
the scientific study of mind and behavior which has deep philosophical roots
Philosophical dualism
the view that mind and body are fundamentally different things
Philosophical materialism
the view that all mental phenomena are reducible to physical phenomena
Philosophical realism
the view that our perceptions of the physical world are a faithful copy of information from the world that enters our brains through our sensory apparatus
Philosophical idealism
the view that our perceptions of the physical world are our brain’s best interpretation of the information that enters through our sensory apparatus
Philosophical empiricism
the view that all knowledge is acquired through experience
Philosophical nativism
the view that some knowledge is innate rather than acquired (scared of snakes from birth)
Structuralism
structuralism is a school of thought that sought to identify the components mind and it’s functions where the whole equals the sum of parts.
Functionalism
an approach to psychology that focuses on the biological and environmental factors that help people adapt to their environment.
Psychoanalytic theory
a general theory that emphasizes the influence of the unconscious on feelings, thoughts, and behaviors
Unconscious
the part of the mind that contains information of which people are not aware
Behaviorism
school of thought in psychology that focuses on the study of observable behavior - doesn’t attempt to explain why people behave the way they do, but how they behave and how their behavior can be changed through conditioning.
Behaviorists believe that all human behaviors are learned through reinforcement or reward and punishment.
Principle of Reinforcement
a principle stating that any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and any behavior that isn’t rewarded won’t be repeated
Cognitive psychology
the study of human information processing
Neuroscience: the study of the brain
Cognitive neuroscience
the study of the relationship between the brain and the mind (especially in humans)
Behavioral neuroscience
the study of the relationship between the brain and behavior (especially in nonhuman animals)
Construct Validity
a feature of operational definitions whose specified operations are generally considered good indicators of the specified properties
Demand Characteristics
Those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants/expects
Observer Bias
the tendency for observers’ expectations to influence both what they believe they observed and what they actually saw
population
complete collection of people
sample
a partial collection of people drawn from a population
Variable
Properties that can have more than one value
Third-variable problem
the natural correlation between two variables cannot be taken as evidence of a causal relationship between them because a thrid variable might be causing both of them
independent variable
the variable that is manipulated in an experiment
dependent variable
the variable that is measure or effected by the independent variable in an experiment
internal validity
an attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships
external validity
an attribute of an experiment in which variables have been operationally defined in a representative way
Type 1 error
when researchers conclude that there is a causal relationship between two variables when there is none
Type 2 error
when researchers conclude there is not a causal relationship between two variables when there is one
Statistical validity
did the independent and dependent variables indeed correlate with each other
Neurons
cells in the nervous system that communicate with each other to perform information-processing tasks
cell body/soma
the largest component of the neuron that coordinates the information-processing tasks and keeps said cell alive
dendrite
part of a neuron that receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body
axon
part of a neuron that carries information to the other neurons, muscles, or glands
myelin sheath
an insulating layer of fatty material that covers the axon
glial cells
support cells found in the nervous system
synapse
the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another
three types of neurons
1) sensory that receives information and conveys this through the spinal cord
2) motor that carry signals from spinal cord to muscles to provide movement
3) interneurons that connect the other two neurons and themselves (the links)
neurotransmitters
chemicals that transmit information across the synapse to a receiving neuron’s dendrites
receptors
parts of the cell membrane that receive the neurotransmitter and either initiate or prevent a new electric signal
Acetylcholine
neurotransmitter involved in a number of functions, including voluntary motor control
dopamine
neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal
glutamate
major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain
gaba
primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain (lack of this causes seizures as the neurons become overactive)
Norepinephrine
neurotransmitter involved in states of vigilance of heightened awareness of danger
Serotonin
neurotransmitter involved in regulated of sleep and wakefulness, eating, and aggressive behavior
endorphins
chemicals that act within pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain
agonists
drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter
antagonists
drugs that diminish the function of a neurotransmitter
nervous system
interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information through the body
autonomic nervous system
set of nerves that carry involuntary and autonomic commands such as reflexes
somatic nervous system
set of nerves that convey information between the skeletal muscles and the central nervous system (things people want to do)
Basal ganglia
set of subcortical structures that direct intentional movements and plays a role in reward processing
endocrine system
network of glands that produce and secrete into the bloodstream chemical messages known as hormones, which influence basic functions such as metabolism, growth, and sexual development
pituitary gland
the “master gland” which releases hormones that direct the functions of the other glands
