Test 1 (CH 1-3, 7-8) Flashcards
What is psychology?
The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
What is the empirical method?
Method for acquiring knowledge based on observation, experimentation, and data.
What is introspection?
The process by which someone examines their own conscious experience in an attempt to break into its component.
What is structuralism?
Understanding the conscious experience through introspection.
What is functionalism?
Focused on how mental activities helped an organism adapt to its environment.
What is the psychoanalytic theory?
Focus on the role of the unconscious in affecting conscious behavior.
What is behaviorism
Focus on observing and controlling behavior.
What is humanism?
The perspective within psychology emphasizes the potential for good that is innate to all humans.
American psychological association (APA)?
Professional organization representation psychologists in the united states.
What is Biopsychology?
The study of how biology influences behavior
What is cognitive psychology?
Study of cognition, or thoughts and their relationship to experiences and actions.
What is Development Psychogy?
The scientific study of development across a lifespan.
What is personality psych?
A consistent pattern of thoughts and behaviors
What is the Biopsychosocial Model?
Perspectives that asserts that biology psychology and social interactions determine individual health.
What is Sport and exercise psychology?
Area of psychology that focuses on the interactions between mental and emotional factors and physical performance in sport exercise and after activities.
What is clinical psychology?
area of psychology that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and other problematic patterns of behavior
What is counseling psychology?
Area of psychology that focuses on improving emotional, social, vocational, and other aspects of the lives of a psychological, healthy individual.
What is forensic psychology?
Area of psychology that applies the science and practice of psychology to issues within science and the justice system.
What is a PhD?
Doctor of philosophy; doctoral degree conferred in many disciplinary perspectives housed in a college of liberal arts or science.
What is a dissertation?
Long research paper about research that was conducted as a part of a candidate’s doctoral training.
What is a post doctoral training program?
Allows young scientists to further develop and broaden their research skills under the supervision of other people in the field.
What is a PsyD?
Doctor of Psychology less research and more application.
What is deductive reasoning?
Results are predicted based on a general premise.
What is Inductive reasoning?
Conclusions are drawn from observations.
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction.
What are clinical or case studies?
An observational research study focusing on one or a few people.
What is generalizing?
Inferring that the results for a sample apply to the larger population
What is interrater-relibility?
The measure of agreement among observers on how they record and classify a particular event.
What is Attrition?
The reduction in number of research participants as some drop out of the study over time.
What is a confounding variable?
the unanticipated outside factor that affects both variables of interest, often giving the
the false impression that changes in one variable causes changes in the other variable, when, in actuality, the
outside factor causes changes in both variables
What is an operational definition?
description of what actions and operations will be used to measure the dependent
variables and manipulate the independent variables
What is the Range of reaction?
Asserts our genes set the boundaries within which we can operate and our environment interacts with the genes to determine where the range can fall.
What is genetic environmental correlation?
View of gene-environment that asserts our genes affect our environment and our environment influences the expression of our genes.
What are Glial Cells?
Nervous system cells provide physical and metabolic support to neurons, including neuronal insulation and communication and nutrient and waste transport.
What are Neurons?
Cells in the nervous system that act as interconnected information processors are essential for all of the tasks of the nervous system.
What is the Soma?
The neuron cell body.
What are dendrites?
Branch-like extensions of the soma that receives incoming signals from other neurons.
What is the axon?
The major extension of the soma
What are the terminal buttons?
Axon terminal containing synaptic vesicles.
What are the synaptic vesicles?
Storage sites for neurotransmitters.
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers of the nervous system.
What is the Myelin sheath?
Fatty substance insulation neurons.
What are the Nodes of Ranvier?
Open spaces are found in the myelin sheath that encases the axon.
What is the synaptic cleft?
The small gap between two neurons where communication occurs.
What is the receptor?
Protein on the cell surface where neurotransmitters attach.
What is membrane potential?
the difference in charge across the neural membrane
What is resting potential?
The state of readiness of a neuron’s membrane potential between signals.
What is the threshold of excitation?
The level of change in the membrane causes the neuron to become active.
What is the action potential?
The electrical signal moves down the neuron’s axon.
What is all-or-none.
The threshold is either on or off.
What is a reuptake?
The neural transmitter is pumped back into the neural that released it.
What is the Somatic nervous system?
Relays sensory information and motor info to the CNS.
What is the Limbic system?
Collection of structures involved in the processing of emotion or memory.
What is the autonomic nervous system?
Controls internal organs and glands.
What is neuroplasticity?
Nervous system’s ability to change.
What is the Cerebral Cortex?
The surface of the brain is associated with our highest mental capabilities.
What are the Gyri?
Bumps or ridges on the brain’s cortex.
What are longtitudal fissures?
Deeps groves in the brain cortex.
What is the corpus callosum?
A thick band of neural fibers connects the brain’s to two hemispheres.
What is the Forebrain?
The largest part of the brain connects the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and limbic system with other structures as well.
What is the somatosensory cortex?
Essential for processing info from across the body such as touch, temperature, and pain.
What is Wernicke’s area?
Important for speech comprehension.
What is the auditory complex?
A strip of cortex in the temporal lobe is responsible for processing auditory information.
What is the thalamus?
Sensory Relay for the brain.
What is the Amygdala?
L system is involved in our experience of emotion and tieing emotional meaning to our memories.
What is the hippocampus?
Structure in the T lobe associated with learning and memory
What is the hypothalamus?
forebrain structure that regulates sexual motivation and behavior and a number of homeostatic processes; serves as an interface between the nervous system and the endocrine system.
What is the midbrain?
Contain reticular information.
What is the Reticular formation?
Midbrain structure regulation sleep/wake cycles arousal, alertness, and motor activity.
What is the Substantial Nigra?
Midbrain structure regulation where dopamine is produced involves control movement.
What is the Ventral Reginal area (VTA)?
The midbrain structure where dopamine is produced is associated with mood, reward, and addiction.
What is the hindbrain?
The bottom stem of the brain with medulla pons and cerebellum.