Test 1 Flashcards
What is psychology?
The study of behavior and mental processes
Why does psychology use the scientific method?
To attempt to answer the many questions of psychology using a reliable, factual method
What are the goals of psychology?
To understand human behavior as a whole; what biological structures enable certain processes to occur
What are functionalism and structuralism?
Functionalism: what something does
Structuralism: how something is
The environment influences behavior most
Behaviorism
Unconscious motivation and early childhood experiences influence behavior most
Psychoanalysis
One’s own experiences influence behavior most
Humanistic Psychology
The role of mental processes (perception, thinking, memory) that underlie behavior
Cognitive Psychology
The role of adaptive inherited tendencies
Evolutionary Psychology
The role of biological processes and structures (and heredity)
Biological Psychology
Social and cultural influences influence behavior most
Sociocultural Approach
Why are different perspectives utilized?
They can be applied to different disciplines
What does it mean to engage in critical thinking?
To consider options and consequences in order to make informed decisions
What are the pros and cons of observational and case studies?
Observational
-pros: gain a general perspective
-cons: too broad
Case studies
-pros: gain a more detailed, in-depth perspective
-cons: cannot be averaged/universal/generalized
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the correlational method?
Strengths: information about one variable can be used to predict the other
Weaknesses: cannot be used to determine causation
What are the dependent and independent variables?
Dependent: a factor or condition measured to determine the impact of the experimental manipulation
Independent: a factor or condition that is manipulated to determine whether it causes any change in another behavior or condition
How do researchers use experiments to test causal hypotheses?
Confounding variables: factors other than the independent variable that can affect results and therefore validity
Selection bias: assignment to groups that systematic differences between groups are present at the beginning on an experiment
How can participant selection influence a study’s usefulness?
Research results will be more detailed with different demographic groups
What are the various imaging techniques discussed?
CT scan (Computerized axial tomography)
MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging)
PET scan (Positron emission tomography)
functional MRI (fMRI)
How do researchers use imaging techniques to study the nervous system?
EEG detects electrical activity in the brain
Microelectordes monitors single neuron activity
What are the various parts of the neuron? What does each part of the neuron do?
Cell body: contains nucleus
Dendrites: primary receivers of signals from other neurons
Axon: slender extensions of the neuron ending in an axon terminal
Axon terminal: where signals move from the axon of one neuron to the dendrites/cell body of others
What is neurotransmitter? What do they do?
Specialized chemicals that facilitate or inhibit the transmission of impulses from one neuron to the next
What is reuptake?
When the neurotransmitter is taken back into the axon terminal
How do neurons transmit messages through the nervous system?
Through the axon terminal
What are the structures and functions of the peripheral nervous system?
Sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system: fight or flight and rebalance bodily responses
what are the structures and functions of the central nervous system?
Spinal cord: transmits messages between brain and peripheral nervous system
Brain: thinking
What are the components of the cerebrum?
Brainstem and cerebellum
What are the specialized functions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres?
Left hemisphere: right side of the body, language, math & logic
Right hemisphere: left side of the body, emotional messages, visual-spatial relations
What basic functions are associated with each of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex?
Frontal lobe: executive processing
Parietal lobe: touch, pressure, temp., and pain
Occipital lobe: receive and interpret visuals
Temporal lobe: hearing
How does the brain change across the lifespan?
The brain continually reorganizes itself by forming new neural connections
What are the functions of the glands of the endocrine system?
Pituitary: “master gland”
Pineal: melatonin; sleep/wake
Thyroid: thyroxine; metabolism
Parathyroid: parathyroid hormone; absorb minerals
Adrenal: emergencies and stress
How does heredity affect physical and psychological traits?
Physical: genes, health, biological processes
Psychological: temperament, intelligence, mental health, behavioral traits
What is sensation?
The process whereby senses pick up sensory stimuli from the environment
What is perception?
The process whereby the brain organizes and interprets sensory information
What is transduction?
The process by which sensory receptors “convert” sensory stimulation into neural impulses
What are the parts of the eye covered in class?
Cornea, pupil, iris, lens, retina, optic nerve
How does each part of the eye function in vision?
Cornea: directs light to through the pupil
Pupil: admits light
Iris: regulates the amount of light entering eye thru contraction/dilation
Lens: focuses, directs image to retina
Retina: transduces light stimulation into neural impulses
Optic nerve: connects eye to brain
dHow does visual information get from the retina to the primary visual cortex?
Retina turns light stimulation into neural impulses
What are the theories on color vision?
Trichromatic theory: RGB; 3 types of cones in retina
Opponent-process theory: cells respond firing intensity according to what colors are present
What are the parts of the outer and inner ear involved in hearing?
Pinna (outer ear)
Auditory canal
Eardrum
Ossicles
Oval window
Cochlea (inner ear)
What are the physical characteristics of sound?
Sound waves, frequency amplitude, timbre, pitch, and decibels
How do the kinesthetics and vestibular senses function?
Kinesthetic: receptors in joints, ligaments, and muscles
Vestibular: detects info about body’s orientation in space
What is olfaction?
sense of smell
What is gustation?
sense of taste
How do smell sensations get form the nose to the brain?
The orbitofrontal cortex
How do we detect the primary taste sensations?
Papillae and taste buds
How does the skin provide all those pleasant and unpleasant sensations?
The skin is pressure and temp. sensitive
Process of transduction for all 5 senses
Touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing
What is perception?
Assigning meaning to environmental stimuli
How does prior knowledge influence perception?
Shapes expectations and interprets sensory information
What are the Gestalt principles of perceptual organization?
Sensory experience is organized in basic principles
What do monocular and binocular cues contribute to perception?
Monocular: interposition, linear, perspective, relative size, texture gradient, atmospheric perspective, shadow/shading, motion parallax
Binocular: convergence, binocular retinal disparity
How does the brain perceive motion?
Compares movement of light across retina to visual reference points
