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Test 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Psychology

A

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Has multiple subfields that offer a different perspective but share a common goal of investigating human thought and behavior.

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2
Q

Psychology Subfields

A

Developmental
Physiological
Experimental
Personality
Clinical
Counseling
Social
Industrial and Organizational

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3
Q

Developmental Psychology

A

Study of aspects of human growth and change from prenatal period through old age

(common to specialize in a particular state of development)

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4
Q

Physiological Psychology

A

Investigates the biological basis of behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

Study how brain injuries/diseases impact behavior (e.g. traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s)

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5
Q

Experimental Psychology

A

Use the scientific method to study basic psychological processes and a whole range of human behaviors

e.g. learning, memory, sensation, perception, cognition, motivation, and emotion

Colloges/universities research centers, government

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6
Q

Personality Psychology

A

Study the similarities and differences among individuals

e.g. anxiety, sociability, slef-esteem, the need for achievement, and aggressiveness

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7
Q

Clinical Psychology

A

Focuses on diagnosis, causes, and TXs of psychological disorders
Typically work with individuals with serious mental illness
Doctoral Degree
Clinics, private practice,

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8
Q

Counseling Psychology

A

Focuses on everyday adjustment issues faced by individuals
Work with healthy individuals with fewer pathological mental issues
Master’s Degree
Universities, human service settings

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9
Q

Social Psychology

A

Explore how society and other people influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior
Study how people think about, influence, and relate to one another
Topics: prejudice, romantic attraction, friendship. aggression, and conformity

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10
Q

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

A

Apply principals of psychology to practical issues of the workplace
Focuses on the practical issues of selecting and training personnel and improving productivity and working conditions
Involved in employee training and career development, ergonomic accommodation, and employee satisfaction

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11
Q

5 Enduring Issues

A

Nature-Nurture
Person-Situation
Stability-Change
Diversity-Universality
Mind-Body

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12
Q

Mind-Body

A

One of five Enduring issues

Relationship between experiences and biological processes

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13
Q

Diversity-Universality

A

One of five Enduring Issues

Does our understanding of human behavior apply equally well to everyone across cultures?

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14
Q

Stability-Change

A

One of Five enduring issues

Are the characteristics we develop in childhood permanent, or do we change significantly throughout our lives?

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15
Q

Person-Situation

A

One of five Enduring Issues

Are we masters of our fate, or victims of circumstances

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16
Q

Nature-Nurture

A

One of Five Enduring issues

To what extent are we a product of innate tendencies, and to what extent are we a reflection of experiences and upbringing?

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17
Q

Psychology as Science

A

Collecting data
Generating a theory
Producing testable hypotheses
Testing hypotheses empirically

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18
Q

Theory

A

Systematic explanation of phenomenon
Organizes known facts
Allows prediction of new facts
Permits a degree of control over the hyposthesis

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19
Q

Hypotheses

A

Specific, testable prediction derived from a theory

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20
Q

Thinking like a scientist

A

Examine info available
Make judgments and decisions
Characterized by objectivity, caution, and willingness to challenge opinions and beliefs
Define problem
Suggest theory
Collect and Examine evidence
Analyze assumptions
Avoid oversimplifying
Draw Conclusions
Consider alternative interpretations
Recognize the relevance to events andsituations

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21
Q

4th Century BCE

A

Greek Philosophers addressed psychological concepts like the nature of knowledge, reasoning and emotion.

Socrates
Plato
Aristotle

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22
Q

16th c
17th c
17th c
19th c

A

Rene Descartes
John Locke
Thomas Hobbs
Charles Darwin

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23
Q

Wilhelm Wundt

A

“New Psychology”

Voluntarism

Focuses on memory and selective attention

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24
Q

Edward Titchener

A

“New Psychology”

Structuralism

Stresses basic units of experience

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25
William James
"New Psychology" Functionalism Focuses on how individuals used their perceptual abilities to adapt and function to their environment
26
Sigmund Freud
"New Psychology" Psychodynamic psychology Contends behaviors driven by unconscious desires
27
Behaviorism
The Study of Behavior Watson - Studies only observable and measurable behavior Skinner - Added to Watson's theory with concept of reinforcement
28
Cognitive Revolution
Gestalt Psychology Humanistic Psychology Cognitive Psychology
29
Gestalt Psychology
Studies how people perceive and experience objects as whole patterns
30
Humanistic Psychology
Emphasizes nonverbal experience and altered states of consciousness as a means of realizing one's human potential
31
Cognitive Psychology
Devoted to the study of mental processes in the broadest sense
32
New Directions Psychology
Evolutionary Psychology Positive Psychology
33
Evolutionary Psychology
Concerned with the evolutionary origins of behaviors and mental processes, their adaptive value, and the purposes they continue to serve.
34
Positive Psychology
Focuses on positive experiences; self-determination; the relationship between positive emotions and physical health; and the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish
35
Women in early Psychology
Mary Whiton Calkins Christine Ladd-Franklin Margaret Fly Washburn
36
Human Diversity
Gender Gender Stereotypes Gender roles Feminist psychology Sexual orientation Race Ethnicity Culture Individualistic Cultures (self-sufficiency, uniqueness, autonomy, independence Collectivist Cultures (social rules focus on promoting selflessness, working as a group, doing what's best for society, families and communities have a central role
37
Naturalistic Observation
Research Method Systematic study of behavior in natural setting Advantages: behavior is likely to be more natural, spontaneous, and varied Disadvantages: Observer bias might distort or influence interpretation of what is actually observed
38
Case Studies
Research Method Intensive description and analysis of a single individual or just a few individuals Advantages: affords details about background and behavior Can provide valuable insights useful for forming hypotheses Disadvantages: Hard to generalize hard to verify the validity of data Observations are not systematic
39
Surveys
Research Method Questionnaires or interviews administered to a selected group Advantages: Can generate a large amount of data at a relatively low cost Systematic and standardized Disadvantages: No follow-up questions Must assume honesty Sampling problems
40
Correlational Research
Research Method Based on naturally occurring relationship between two or more variables Negative: One goes up, one goes down Positive: Both go in the same direction No Correlation: no relationship Advantages: useful for predicting behavior Often sheds light on important psychological phenomena Disadvantage: Limited Control over variables Cannon draw conclusions about cause and effect
41
Experimental Research
Research Method Some variables deliberately manipulated and subsequent effects on behavior measured Advantages: Allows researchers conclusion about cause-and-effect relationships to be drawn Disadvantages: Unexpected and uncontrolled variables may confound results Many variables cannot be controlled and manipulated
42
Independent Variable
Variable that is changed
43
Dependent Variable
Variable affected by the change
44
Experimental Group
Group subjected to change in independent variable
45
Control Group
Group not subjected to change in independent variable - used for comparison
46
Replication
Central to all science Exact/direct replication Conceptual replication
47
Psychobiology
Focuses on the biological foundations of behavior and mental processes
48
Neuroscience
Studies the brain and nervous system
49
50
Neurons
Individual cells that are the smallest unit of the nervous system that are specialized to receive and transmit information Electrical - within neurons Chemical - between neurons
51
Dendrites
Short fibers that branch out from cell body and pick up incoming messages
52
Cell body
Center of a neuron and makes use of the nutrients that supply energy for neuronal activity
53
Axon
Single, long fiber extending from cell body; it carries outgoing messages
54
Myelin Sheath
White fatty covering found on some axons
55
Sensory (afferent) neurons
Carry messages from sense organs - spinal cord or brain
56
Motor (efferent) neurons
Carry messages from the spinal cord or brain to muscles and glands
57
Interneurons (association) neurons
Carry messages from one neuron to another
58
Mirror Neurons
Specialized neurons that respond when we perform a particular action and when we observe others performing the same action
59
Glial Cells (glia)
Insulate and support neurons
60
Neural Impulse/action potential
Firing of a nerve cell
61
Ions
Electrically charged particles found both inside and outside the neuron Outside - Sodium (na+) Inside - Potassium (K+)
62
Resting potential
Electrical charge across a neuron membrane resulting from more positive ions concentrated on the outside and more negative ions on the inside
63
Polarization
The condition of a neuron when the inside is negatively charged relative to the outside; for example, when the is a rest
64
Graded Potential
A shift in the electrical charge in tiny area of neuron
65
Threshold of excitation
The level an impulse must exceed to cause neuron to fire
66
Depolarization
Neuron becomes less negative because Na+ enters the cell
67
Hyperpolarization
Neuron becomes more negative because K+ is exiting the cell
68
All-or-none law
Principle that the action potential in a neuron does not vary in strength; either neuron fires at full strength or it does not fire at all Stronger stimuli = more action potential
69
Absolute refractory period
The period immediately following the firing of neuron when it cannot fire no matter how great a stimulus is applied
70
Synaptic space/synaptic cleft
Tiny gap between axon terminal of one neuron and dendrites or cell body of the next neuron
71
Synapse
Area composed of the axon terminal of one neuron, synaptic space, and dendrite or cell body of next neuron
72
Terminal button/synaptic know
Structure at end of axon terminal branch
73
Synaptic Vesicles
tiny sacs in a terminal button that release chemicals into synapse
74
neurotransmitters
Chemicals released by synaptic vesicles that travel across synaptic space and affect adjacent neurons
75
Receptor Sites
Locations on receptor neurons into which specific neurotransmitters fit like a key into a lock
76
Acetylcholine (ACh)
Acts where neurons meet skeletal muscles
77
Dopamine
Generally affects neurons associated with voluntary movement, learning, memory, and emotion
78
Serotonin
Known as the mood molecule because it is often involved in emotional experiences
79
Glutamate
Principally an excitatory chemical that speeds up synaptic transmission through the central nervous system
80
Endorphins
Reduces pain by inhibiting the neurons that transmit pain messages in the brain
81
Agonists
Mimic the behavior of neurotransmitters
82
Antagonists
Oppose/block the actions of neurotransmitters
83
Neural Plasticity
Ability of the brain to change in response to experience
84
Neural Network
Group of neurons that are functionally connected
85
Neurogenesis
Growth of new neurons
86
Central Nervous System
Consists of the brain and spinal cord
87
Peripheral nervous system
Consists of nerves and ganglion
88
The Brain
Central Core Limbic system Cerebral hemispheres
89

Psych 101 (3 decks)

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