Unit 1 Exam Flashcards
What is the difference between Behaviors and Mental Processes?
Mental processes are the activities that occur in our minds like thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. Behaviors are actions that we take and responses that we can see in ourselves and others.
What is the role of science in terms of Psychology?
Psychologists use the scientific method to explore behavior and mental processes.
What mindsets are important when studying psychology?
Critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity, curiosity
What are the characteristics of introspection?
Systematic, self-report of thoughts and feelings
What are the differences between Structuralism and Functionalism?
Structuralism identifies the structures of the mind, while functionalism determines the processes of the mind and behaviors.
Who is considered the “father of Psychology”?
Wilhelm Wundt
Which famous Psychologist believed in Functionalism to study Psychology?
William James
Which famous Psychologist founded the Psychodynamic approach?
Sigmund Freud
What are some of the famous behavioralists?
Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, John Watson
What is the Biological approach to Psychology?
It focuses on the body, specifically the brain and nervous system.
What is the Psychodynamic approach to Psychology?
Behavior is driven by unconscious impulses, conflicts between biological drives and societal drives, early childhood experiences, and psychoanalysis (unlocking unconscious conflicts)
What is the Behavioral approach to Psychology?
It focuses on visible interactions to the environment or to others. It focuses on what people do, not what they feel.
What is the Humanistic approach to Psychology?
It is focused on positive human qualities; people have the free will to choose their own behavior. It revived the interest in mental processes.
What is the cognitive approach to Psychology?
It is focused on mental processing like attention, perception, memory, information processing, and problem solving.
What is the evolutionary approach to Psychology?
It is focused on evolution as the origin of behavior (adaptation, reproduction, natural selection).
What is correlational research?
It identifies the statistical relationship between two variables (-1.00 ≤ r ≤ 1.00, determines strength of correlation).
Why might correlational research be a good research method?
Third variable problem, correlation does not equal causation.
What is experimental research?
It determines causation using groups; experimental group (independent variable), control group (dependent variable)
What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable?
An independent variable is a part of an experiment that is changed to see how it affects the dependent variable, which is the one kept the same.
What is an operational definition?
A statement of the procedures used to define research variables.
What are some types of studies in Psychology?
Observation, survey and interview, case studies, correlational research, experimental research
Why do experimenters use random groups when experimenting?
It helps prevent bias.
What are the differences between a lab and non-lab experiment?
A lab experiment is more controlled and can be predicted easier. A non-lab experiment is not and can be more random, but is more accurate to real world.
How is nature vs. nurture used to understand how people behave?
Nature is how people behave based on their genetics, and nurture is how people behave based on how they were raised and the environment they live in.
What are afferent and efferent nerves?
Afferent nerves carry information to the brain, and efferent nerves carry information away from the brain.
What are the important cells in the nervous system?
Glial cells (provide support and nutrition), neurons (information processing).
What are the various parts of a neuron?
The cell body contains the nucleus, an axon is one connection from one neuron to another, the myelin sheath is an insulating layer made of proteins that forms around nerves which allows electrical impulses to move around nerves quickly, and dendrites receive the signals from other neurons.
What is a synapse?
A synapse is a gap between neurons.
What are neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters carry information across the synaptic gap to the next neuron.
What is Acetylcholine?
A type of neurotransmitter that controls muscle actions, learning, and memory.
What is GABA?
A type of neurotransmitter that inhibits neuron firing, producing a calming effect and decreasing anxiety.
What is serotonin?
A type of neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, mood, attention, and learning, and is known to make you happier. (depression decreases serotonin, antidepressants increase it)
What is Oxytocin?
A type of neurotransmitter that acts as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It is associated with love, social bonding, and sexual pleasure.
What is Dopamine?
A type of neurotransmitter that affects voluntary movement, sleep, mood, attention, and learning. It is also related to reward anticipation.
What is an Antagonist drug?
A drug that blocks neurotransmitter production or release.
What is an Agonist drug?
It increases the effect of a neurotransmitter (Prozac increases serotonin activity in the brain)
What are some types of brain imaging tools?
Computerized axial tomography (X-ray of brain), Positron-emission tomography (Tracks consumption of glucose), Functional magnetic resonance imaging (Tracks consumption of oxygen)
What parts of the brain are in the hindbrain?
Brain stem and cerebellum. The medulla, controls breathing, heart rate, and reflexes. The cerebellum controls motor coordination.
What parts of the brain are in the midbrain?
Substantia Nigra, which contains dopamine producing neurons, and the Reticular Formation, which controls stereotyped behavior patterns like walking or sleeping.
What parts of the brain are in the forebrain?
The limbic system, which controls memory and emotion and has the thalamus, which is the relay station of a lot of sensory information. It also has the Basal Ganglia, which controls coordination of voluntary movements, and Hypothalamus, which controls eating, drinking, sexual
behaviors, regulates body’s internal state, emotion, stress, and reward.
What does the limbic system contain?
Amygdala, which controls discrimination of
objects like food for adaptation and survival and emotional awareness and expression. It also has the hippocampus, which controls the formation and recall of memories.
What is the cerebral cortex?
It is the outer layer of the brain’s surface. It contains the Neocortex, which takes up almost all of the cerebral cortex. It contains 4 lobes: Occipital (vision), Temporal (hearing, language processing, and memory), Frontal (intelligence, personality, and voluntary muscles), and Parietal (spatial location, attention, and motor control). The frontal lobe contains the frontal cortex, which controls planning, reasoning, and self-control.
What is the function of adrenal glands?
They produce hormones that help regulate metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions
What is the all-or-nothing principle?
Neurons will either transmit an impulse over the synapse to the next neuron completely or not at all.
What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system?
The sympathetic nervous system carries signals that put the body’s systems on alert,
and the parasympathetic carries signals that relax those systems.
