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Exam 1
Research, Theories, Biological Structures & Functions
34
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
09/13/2007

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Term
Psychology
Definition
The science that studies behavior and the cognitive and physiological processes that underlie it, and the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems
Term
Goals of Psychology
Definition
Describe - people and behaviors; how?

Understand - cause of behavior

Predict - how people and animals behave under certain conditions

Influence - through control of behaviors

Apply - knowledge to enhance human welfare
Term
Dualism
Definition
Belief that mind and body are seperate, spiritual entity (ex. soul) not subject to physical law
Term
Monism
Definition
Suggests that mind and body are one, mind is not a seperate entity
Term
What is Rene Descartes associated with?
Definition
The pineal gland, in which he found that the mind and body are interact through that gland
Term
Structuralism
Definition
A school of psychology based on the notion that psycholofy is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and to investigate how these elements are related
Term
Functionalism
Definition
A school of psychology based on the belief that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure
Term
What did Sigmund Freud propose?
Definition
Proposed that people have powerful inborn sexual and agressive drives and the adult personality determined by early childhood experiences
Term
Defense Mechanisms
Definition
Psychlogical technique to help cope with anxiety and pain of traumatic experience
Term
What types of defense mechanisms are there?
Definition
Id - feel the urges

Ego - where decisions made on what to do with urges

Superego - control those urges
Term
Law of Effect
Definition
The principle that if a response in the presence of a stimulus leads to satisfying effects, the association between the stimulus and the response is strengthened
Term
Hypothesis
Definition
A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables
Term
Theory
Definition
A system of interrelated ideas that is used to explain a set of observations
Term
Difference between a hypothesis and a theory
Definition
A theory is something that has be tested and retested and is accepted as a general truth, while a hypothesis is just a prediction that has yet to be extensively tested
Term
Difference between an Independent Variable (IV) and a Dependent Variable (DV)
Definition
The IV is the factor that is manipulated in an experiement while the DV is factor that is measured by the experimenter
Term
Difference between a Control Group and an Experiemental Group
Definition
The control groups are the ones that are not exposed to the treatment while the experimental groups are the ones that recieve the treatment
Term
Self-Reports
Definition
Reports that ask individuals to answer a series of questions about their characteristic behavior
Term
Physiological Measures
Definition
Record objective physiological responses to asses what a person is experiencing
Term
Descriptive Research
Definition
Seeks to identify how humans behave in natural settings
Term
Case Studies
Definition
An in depth analysis of an individual subject
Term
Naturalistic Observation
Definition
Researchers observe behaviors as it occurs in a natural setting
Term
Survey Research
Definition
Researchers use questionaires and interviews to gather information about specific aspects of subjects behavior
Term
Correlational Research
Definition
Measures associations between events, the cause cannot be inferred nor does it show causation
Term
Correlational Coefficent: Positive and Negative
Definition
It is a numerical index of the degree of relationship between 2 variables

Positive - high scores with one variable are associated with high scores of second variable

Negative - 2 variables vary in opposite direction
Term
Placebo Effects
Definition
The fact that subjects expectations can lead them to experience some change even though they recieve an empty, fake, or ineffectual treatment
Term
Neuron
Definition
Individual cells in the nervous system that recieve, integrate, and transmit information
Term
Soma
Definition
The cell body of a neuron; it contains the nucleus and much of the chemical machinery common to most cells
Term
Dendrite
Definition
Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to recieve information
Term
Axon
Definition
A long, thin fiber that transmits signals away from the neuron cell body to other neurons, or to muscles or glands
Term
Myelin Sheath
Definition
Insulating material, derived from glial cells, that encase some axons or neurons
Term
Terminal Buttons
Definition
Small knobs at the end of axons that secrete chemicals called neurotransmitters
Term
Synapse
Definition
A junction where information if transmitted from one neuron to the next
Term
Neurotransmitters
Definition
The chemical messangers that traverse the synaptic gap between neurons
Term
Frontal Lobes
Definition
Involved in speaking, muscle movements and making plans and judgements
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