terminology Ch 1-2 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

consciousness

A

subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Variables

A
  • subjects of observation

- how two or more items are related to each other

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Correlation Coefficient

A
  • A statistical measure helps us figure out how closely two things vary together and this how well either one predicts the other
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Corelate

A

Naturalistic observation and surveys often show us that one trait or behaviour tends to coincide with another shows that the two correlate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Case study

A

examines one individual or group in depth in the hope of revealing things true of all of us.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Meta-analysis

A

is a procedure for statistically synthesizing a body of scientific evidence. By combining the results of many studies, researchers avoid the problems of small samples and arrive at a bottom-line result.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Preregistration

A

Psychologists publicly communicate their planned study design, hypothesis, data collection, and analysis. Prevents modifications later.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Replicate

A

Test can be repeated with the original observations but in different settings and people and it will generate similar results.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Operational Definitions

A

Psychologist report their research with precise, measurable operational definitions of research procedure and concepts.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Hypothesis

A

A good theory procedures testable predictions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Theory

A

Explains behaviours or events by offering ideas that organize observations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Hindsight bias

A
  • example: after a war it was easy to see the winner
  • Knowing something after being explained
  • when two answers can seem to be both common sense there is a problem.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Naturalistic Observation

A

is observation of people, animals or nature in their natural environments.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

survey

A

looks at many cases, asking people to report their behaviours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Random Sample

A

Randomly choosing people of a large group to participate in the experiment/survey

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Evidence Based

A

Policies, strategies, and programs have been shown by research to be effective in achieving specified objectives

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Population

A

sample group- Ex: college student population

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

range

A

the gap between the lowest and highest scores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Mean

A

The average score: all the totals added together and divided by the number of scores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Standard Deviation

A

How much scores deviate (differ) from one another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Median

A

The middle

  • if you arrange the numbers from lowest to highest the middle would be the median
  • 123456789 the median would be 5
  • 12345678 the median would be 4.5
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Mode

A

the most frequently occurring score or scores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Pituitary Gland

A
  • Pea sized located in the brain.
  • growth hormones, Oxytocin, which enables labour contractions, milk flow and orgasms.
  • stress hormone cortisol.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Adrenal Glands

A

On top of the kidneys to release epinephrine and norepinephrine.
- these raise heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar providing a surge of energy.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Hormones

A

Hormones travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues including the brain.
- when hormones act on the brain they influence our interest in sex food and aggression.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Endocrine System

A

contains glands and fat tissue that secrete another form of chemical messenger (hormones)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Reflexes

A
  • our automatic responses to stimuli
  • The spinal cord is a two-way information highway
  • a simple reflex pathway is composed of a single sensory neuron and a single motor neuron: Ex a knee jerk reflex.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Parasympathetic Nervous system

A

will produce the opposite effects (slowing down) conserving energy as it calms you.
- after a shock this system will help lower the adrenaline in the system.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Sympathetic nervous system

A

Arouses and expends energy

  • accelerate heart rate, raise blood pressure, slow your digestion.
  • endorphins- to excite
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Automatic Nervous system

A
  • Controls our glands and our internal organ muscles

- controls glands, heartbeat, digestion and breathing.

31
Q

Somatic nervous system

A

Enable voluntary control of our skeletal muscles
- friend taps you on the shoulder your somatic nervous system reports to your brain and then carries the message back, triggering your head to turn towards her.

32
Q

Interneurons

A

Processes the information between the sensory neurons and the motor neurons

33
Q

motor neurons (efferent: outward)

A

Carry instructions from the central nervous system outward to the body muscles and glands

34
Q

Sensory neurons (Afferent: towards the center)

A

Carry messages from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors inwards (Thus they are afferent) to the brain and the spinal cord for processing.

35
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

Is responsible for gathering information and for transmitting CNS (Central nervous system) decisions to other body parts.

36
Q

Central nervous system

A

the body’s decision maker.

37
Q

nervous system

A
  • A communication network that takes in information from the world and the body’s tissues, makes decisions and sends back information and orders to the body’s tissues.
38
Q

Antagonists

A

decrease a neurotransmitters action by blocking production or release ( such as certain drugs)

39
Q

Antagonists

A

decrease a neurotransmitters action by blocking production or release ( such as certain drugs)

40
Q

Agoist

A

Molecules increase a neurotransmitters actions

41
Q

Endorphins

A
  • “morphine within” - natural opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
42
Q

reuptake

A

the excess neurotransmitters are broken down by enzymes or are reabsorbed by the sending neuron (reuptake)

43
Q

Neurotransmitters

A
  • chemical messengers between the axon and dendrites they cross the synaptic gap between the neurons
44
Q

Synapse

A

the junction between the axon tip and the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. the tiny junction is called the synaptic gap.

45
Q

All-or-none-response

A
  • A neurons reaction of either firing (with a full strength response) or not firing.
  • How to distinguish gentle touch vs strong touch- more neurons will fire with a strong touch.
46
Q

refractory period

A

Neurons need short breaks ( a tiny fraction of an eye-blink).

47
Q

Threshold

A

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.

48
Q

action potential

A

A brief electrical charge that travels down its axon

49
Q

Glial cells

A

Cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they also play a role in learning, thinking and memory.

50
Q

Myelin Sheath

A

A fatty tissue layer encasing the axons of some neurons enables greater speed of transmission
- related to sclerosis.

51
Q

Axon

A

the segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands.

52
Q

Dendrite

A

A neurons often bushy, bouncing extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body.

53
Q

Cell body

A

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus; the cells life-support center.

54
Q

Neurons

A

Are nerve cells that are born and with and without use.

55
Q

neuroplasticity

A

the brain is constantly changing this neural change is called neuroplasticity.

56
Q

Biological psychologists

A
  • use advanced technologies to study the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal ) processes and psychological processes.
57
Q

Inferential statistics

A

inferential statistics determine if data can be generalized to other populations

58
Q

descriptive statistics

A

Descriptive statistics summarize data

59
Q

Statistically significant

A
  • null hypothesis means no difference but when there is a difference that cannot be overlooked it is stated to be statistically significant.
60
Q

Normal curve

A

Large numbers of data often form a symmetrical, bell shaped distribution. most cases fall near the mean, and fewer cases fall to either extreme. This bell shaped distribution is so typical that we call the curve it forms the normal curve.

61
Q

Debrief

A

Fully debrief the participants on the experiment and the deceptions if any.

62
Q

Informed consent

A

get consent from the participant after they have been informed about the experiment

63
Q

dependent variable

A
  • experiments examine the effect of one or more independent variables on some measurable behaviour, called the dependent variable because it can vary depending on what takes place during the experiment.
64
Q

Confounding Variables

A
  • Other factors that can potentially influence a study’s results
  • random assignment can control for possible confounding variables.
65
Q

independent variable

A

it can be varied independently from other factors

66
Q

Placebo effect

A

just thinking you are getting a treatment can make you feel better.

67
Q

double blind procedure

A

neither the participant nor the person administrating the meds know which treatment they are getting/giving.

68
Q

Randomly assign people

A

Randomly assigning the test group to each condition. whether it be the number system or random draws.

69
Q

Control group

A

this group does not get the treatment

70
Q

experimental group

A

in which people receive treatment (such as reduced screen time or the sleeping pill.

71
Q

Experiment

A

Experiments enable researchers to isolate the effects of one or more factors by (1) manipulating the factors of interest and (2) holding constants (controlling) other factors.

72
Q

regression toward the mean

A

the illusion that uncontrollable events corelate with our actions is also fed by a statistical phenomenon- regression toward the mean.

73
Q

Illusionary Correlation

A

correlations not only make clear the relationships we might otherwise miss; they also keep us from falsely observing non existent relationships. If we believe in something we are more likely to find reasons to confirm it.

74
Q

Scatterplots

A

graphs of evidence.