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Exam 1
Chapters 1,2, & 3
162
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
09/21/2011

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Psychology
Definition
  • the scientific study of thought and behavior
  • clinical practice and science
  • NOT popular psychology
Term
Cognitive Psychology
Definition
  • very broad-how we think
  • learning and motivation, language, problem-solving, memory, sensation, perception
  • EX: someone who studies how people visualize objects in their minds is studying cognitive psychology
Term
Developmental Psychology
Definition
  • study of psychology across a life span
  • development of moral reasoning, social development, issues around death and dying
  • EX: How do our reasoning skills or emotional skills change as we age? How does parent-infant bonding afect adult relationships? Does old age bring wisdom?
Term
Behavioral Neuroscience
Definition
  • how the brain, mind, and behavior are interconnected
  • EX: a person studies by what mechanism does meditation alter the brain?
Term
Biopsychology
Definition
  • relationship between bodily systems, chemicals, thought, and behavior (broader than behavioral neuroscience
  • EX: How might our physiological stress response impact performance? What are the effects of stress on hormones and behavior?
Term
Personality Psychology
Definition
  • study of personality
  • EX: Can a person's personality change? What can cause those changes?
Term
Social Psychology
Definition
  • how others affect us - can be a real or imagined person
  • EX: Why do some people stop to help others in need while others do not? Why do people conform? Research on prejudice and racism. Why are we attracted to certain kinds of people?
Term
Clinical Psychology
Definition
  • study of psychology disorders and their treatment; promotion of psychological health
  • largest subdiscipine
  • EX: What is the most effective treatment for depression?
Term

Health Psychology

(Medical Psychology)

Definition
  • how do psychological factors affect physical health/illness
  • EX: What is the most effective behavior modification for treatment of obesity? How stress affects people's lives and is linked to illness and immune function.
Term
Educational Psychology
Definition
  • psychological factors of school
  • combines many different disciplines: social, cognitive & developmental
  • EX: How does teacher anxiety affect student performance?
Term
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Definition
  • psychological factors in the work place
  • EX: How does communication impact employee morale?
  • one of the fastest growing sub disciplines
Term
Sports Psychology
Definition
  • psychological factors in sports/exercise
  • EX: How can players maintain focus at an away game? Relaxation and Visualization techniques to increase athletic performance.
Term
Forensic Psychology
Definition
  • combines psychology, law, and criminal justice
  • most commonly do psych evaluations
  • much fewer work as profilers
  • EX: What is the best way to assess whether a parent is fit to have custody of his/her child?
Term
Empiricism
Definition
  • the view that all knowledge and thoughts come from experience
  • philosophical basis for psychology as a science
  • debate began in ancient Greece: Plato
  • 17th century: John Locke- "Tabula Rasa" = "Blank Slate" experience is everything
Term
Psychophysics
Definition
  • first scientific from of psychology
  • connection between a sensory stimulus and subjective experience
Term
Ernst Weber and Gustav Fechner
Definition
  • initial research in the field of psychophysics
  • investigated smallest discernable differences between stimuli
Term
Herman Helmholtz
Definition
  • memory, physiology, color-vision
  • also accomplished in several other scientific fields: physics and more
Term
Wilhelm Wundt
Definition
  • created first psychology lab in Germany
  • experimenetal psychology
Term
G. Stanley Hall
Definition
  • earned first PHD in psychology
  • mentored Francis Cecil Sumner, the first African American to earn a PHD in psychology
Term
William James
Definition
  • founder of psychology in the US
  • established American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Mentored Mary Whiton Calkins--> PHD not awarded
Term
Structuralism
Definition
  • psychologists should seek to understand though and behavior by breaking it down into elemental parts (what is the structure?)
  • Wilhelm Wundt: Europe
  • Used introspection
Term
Functionalism
Definition
  • psychologists should seek to understand why the mind works the way that it does (What function does it serve?)
  • Willam James: United States
  • used introspection
Term
Psychoanalysis
Definition
  • Sigmund Freud
  • a clinical approach to understanding psychology disorders
  • the unconcious mind is the most powerful force behind thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
  • childhood experiences are very important in development of personality
  • mind must defend against unwanted unconcious thoughts and impulses
Term
Behavioralism
Definition
  • Based on John Locke's ideas
  • John Watson: challenged the use of introspection, psychology should only examine observable behavior
Term
B.F. Skinner
Definition
  • consequences shape behavior
  • worked to make behaviorism the major perspective in psychology for nearly 50 years
Term
Humanistic Psychology
Definition
  • in reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism
  • argued that neither focused on healthy human behavior
  • Abraham Maslow
  • Carl Rogers
Term
Abraham Maslow
Definition
  • self-actualization
Term
Carl Rogers
Definition
  • humanistic therapy
Term
Cognitivism
Definition
  • Gestalt Psychology
  • reaction against behaviorism: behaviorism missing an essential part of human experience
  • cognitive science: based on the idea that a computer model is similar to the human mind
Term
Gestalt Psychology
Definition
  • a mind perceives things as wholes, rather than a compilation of parts
Term
Evolutionary Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience
Definition
  • began to investigate biological factors in thoughts and behavior
  • behavior genetics: to what extent do genetics  play a role in specific behavior?
  • evolutionary psychology: are we evolutionarily predisposed to certain behaviors
Term
Nature vs. Nurture
Definition
  • no longer seen as a debate
  • origin: Sir Francis Galton
  • Nature=genetics: twin studies, behavior genetics, eugenics
  • Nurture=anything that is not genetics!: John Locke-Tabula Rasa, impact of parenting
Term
Mind-Body Dualism
Definition
  • is the mind seperate from the body?
  • religious and philosophical questions
  • Pro-Dualism: subjective experience, where is the mind?, zombies
  • Against Dualism: casual interaction, brain damage, Occam's Razor
Term
What is science?
Definition
  • cumulative: scientists working together
  • a process more than a product
  • an attitude: way of thinking
Term
Scientific Method
Definition
  1. Observe: noticing a phenomenon
  2. Predict: must be testable, specific
  3. Test: experiments, collecting data
  4. Interpret: interpret results, statistics
  5. Communicate: scholarly journal
  6. Replicate: several repititions
Term
How to identify Pseudoscence
Definition

Does it:

  • advance knowledge?
  • accept contradictory evidence?
  • challenge their own assumptions?
  • explain how they came to their conclusions?
  • arguments use sound logic?
If not.. then pseudoscience
Term
Social Desirability
Definition
the tendency towards favorable self-presentation
Term
Independent variable
Definition
is the variable the researcher manipulates
Term
Population
Definition

entire group of people im interested in making an inference about (can be bigger or smaller)

 

EX: all adolescents, all boys, all girls, all college students

Term
Theory
Definition
a set of related assumptions from which scientists can make testable predictions
Term
Research Design
Definition
plans of action for how to conduct a scientific study
Term
Samples
Definition
subset of population studied in research project
Term
Descriptive Studies
Definition
  • just trying to understand, often the first step in scientific inquiries
  • NO predictions
  • case study-often used where population is small/rare
  • naturalistic observations
  • interviews/surveys
Term
Correlational Studies
Definition
  • relationship between 2+ variables
  • predict nature of relationship: NOT CAUSATION
  • correlation coefficient (r): strength and direction of relationship
Term

Correlation Coefficient

(r)

Definition

r=0 --------> NO RELATIONSHIP

 

r=negative  -----------> INVERSE RELATIONSHIP: one goes up and the other goes down

 

r= close to l1l -----------> RELATIONSHIP IS STRONG

Term
Experimental Studies
Definition
  • mainpulation of the independent variable
  • measurement of the dependent variable
  • random assignment
  • control groups and placebos
Term
Dependent Variable
Definition
the outcome or response to the experimental manipulation
Term
random assignment
Definition
method used to assign participants to different research conditions so that all participants have the same chance of being in any specific group
Term
experimental group
Definition
a group consisting of those participants who will receive treatment or whatever is predicted to change  behavior
Term
Control group
Definition
a group of research participants who are treated in exactly the same manner as the experimental group, except that they do not receive the independent variable or treatment
Term
placebo
Definition
a substance or treatment that appears identical to the actual treatment but lacks the active substance
Term
Issues in experimental design
Definition
  • confounding variables
  • social desirability bisas
  • experimenter effects
  • experimenter expectancy effects
  • single blind vs double blind studies: how we often get around experimenter effects/expectancy
Term
experimenter effects
Definition

differences caused by characteristics of the experimenters

 

EX: mean vs. nice, "warm and fuzzy" vs. "cold"

Term
experimenter expectancy effects
Definition
experimenter may pay more attention to favorable group, self fulfilling prophecy
Term
Quasi-Experimental Design
Definition
  • experimental design with no random assignment
  • naturally occuring groups
  • EX: sex, age, race, health status (cancer)
Term
single-blind studies
Definition
  • studies in which the participants do not know the experimental condition to which they have been assigned
Term
double-blind studies
Definition
studies in which neither the participants nor the researchers administering the treatment know who has been assigned to the experimental or control group
Term
Meta-analysis
Definition
  • a study of studies
  • magnitude of effect (impact: effect size): correlation coefficient (correlational data), Cohen's d (experimental data)
  • how big of an impact does the independent variable have on the dependent variable
Term
self-reports
Definition
written or oral accounts of a person's thoughts, feelings, or actions
Term
Self-Report Measures
Definition
  • interviews and questionnaires
  • PROS: non-observable, phenomenon, quick, inexpensive
  • CONS: social desirabilty, can be inaccurate
  • interviews can be spontaneous or structured
  • some interviews/questionnaires are more reliable than others
Term
Behavioral Measures
Definition
  • systematic observations of people's actions either in their normal environment or in a laboratory setting
  • PROS: less susceptible to social desirability, more objective
  • CONS: people may act differently, time intensive, requires training
  • EX: people observing children's behavior on play-ground
Term
Physiological Measures
Definition
  • measures of bodily responses, such as blood pressure or heart rate, used to determine changes in psychological state
  • PROS: quick, objective, accurate
  • CONS: expensive, requires specialized training, making assumptions that physiological response correlates to psychological state
Term
Statistics
Definition
  • descriptive statistics: mean, median, mode, standard deviation
  • analytical statistics: significance testing (tells you whether difference is significant)
  • EX: test scores most people got 70% while two people got 110%
Term
Ethical Research with Humans
Definition
  • informed consent: must tell suspected risks
  • respect for persons
  • beneficience: benefits outweigh risks
  • privacy: how they protect your data
  • justice: equalize costs and benefits for all experimental participants
  • Institutional Review Board approval
  • EX: sharecroppers with syphalis injected into them without consent
Term
ethics
Definition
the rules govt. the conduct of a person or group in general or in a specific situation - or more simply, standards of right and wrong
Term
debriefing
Definition
the explanation of the purposes of a study following data collection
Term
When can deception be used?
Definition
  • fully justified
  • part of research design
  • no alternative
  • participants are debriefed afterwards
Term
What is the standard for treatment of research with animals?
Definition
  • standard is humane treatment
  • adequate housing
  • minimize discomfort
  • humane euthanasia
  • different IRB
Term
chromosomes
Definition
a coiled up thread of DNA
Term
DNA
Definition
a large molecule that contains genes
Term
genes
Definition
small segments of DNA that contain info for producing proteins
Term
genome
Definition
all the genetic information in DNA
Term
alleles
Definition
different forms of a gene
Term
dominant genes
Definition
genes that show their effect even if there is only one allele for the trait in the pair
Term
recessive gene
Definition
genes that only show their effects for the trait if both alleles are the same
Term
behavioral genetics
Definition
the scientific study of the role of heredity in behavior
Term
What are the basic principles of behavior genetics?
Definition
  1. relationship between genes and behavior is complex
  2. behaviors are polygenic
  3. twin/adoption studies
  4. environment affects genetic expression (epigenetics)
Term
monogenic transmission
Definition
the hereditary passing on of traits determined by a single gene
Term
polygenic transmission
Definition
the process by which many genes interact to create a single characteristic
Term
Twin Studies
Definition
compare monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins
Term
Adoption Studies
Definition
compare child to biological and adopted parents
Term
twin adoption studies
Definition
compare twins who were raised together and seperately
Term
gene-by-environment studies
Definition
  • look at genetic variation in genome
  • method of studying heritability by comparing genetic markers that allows researchers to assess how genetic differences interact with environment to produce certain behaviors in some people but not in others
Term
heritability
Definition
  • the extent to which a behavior is determined by genetics
  • represented by percentage
  • most behaviors 50%
Term
epigenetics
Definition
  • interaction between environment and genetic expression
  • environmental factors can turn genes on and off
Term
What does the Central Nervous System include?
Definition
  • brain
  • spinal cord
Term
What does the peripheral nervous system include?
Definition
  • Somatic Nervous System: voluntary
  • Autonomic Nervous System: involuntary
Term
What does the Autonomic Nervous System include?
Definition
  • Sympathetic Nervous System: arousing
  • Parasympathetic Nervous System: calming
Term
Parasympathetic
Definition

CALMING

  • constricts pupils
  • constricts bronchi
  • slows heartbeat
  • stimulates digestive activity
  • dilates vessels
  • contracts bladder
  • stimulates ejaculation
Term
Sympathetic
Definition

AROUSING

  • dilates pupils
  • relaxes bronchi
  • accelerates heartbeat
  • inhibits digestive activity: blood sent to muscles instead
  • contract vessels: increased blood pressure
  • inhibits bladder contraction
  • allows blood flow to sex organs
Term
Glial Cells
Definition
  • structure and supports neurons
  • promote efficient communication between neurons
Term
Neurons
Definition
  • cells that process and transmit information in the nervous system
Term
motor neurons
Definition
transmit motor info
Term
mirror neurons
Definition
become activated by seeing something; "monkey-see, monkey-do"
Term
interneurons
Definition
communicate between neurons, connect to other neurons
Term
neurotransmitters
Definition
chemicals that transmit information between neurons
Term
soma
Definition
the cell body of the neuron
Term
axon
Definition
a long projection that extends from a neuron's soma; it transmits electrical impulses toward the adjacent neuron and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters
Term
dendrites
Definition
fingerlike projections from a neurons soma that receive incoming messages from other neurons
Term
terminal buttons
Definition
little knobs at the end of the axon that contain tiny sacs of neurotransmitters
Term
sensory neurons
Definition
transmit info from senses (eye, ear, skin, tongue, nose)
Term
myelin sheath
Definition
the fatty substance wrapped around some axons, which insulates the axon, making the nerve impulse travel more efficiently
Term
synapse
Definition
the juntion between an axon and the adjacent neuron, where information is transmitted from one neuron to another
Term
ions
Definition
chemically charged particles that predominate in bodily fluids; found both inside and outside cells
Term
action potential
Definition
the impulse of positive charge that runs down an axon
Term
a _______________ signal in the dendrites ----> ________________ signal in the axon ----> back to a _________________ signal when transmitted to next neuron in terminal buttons
Definition
  • chemical 
  • electrical
  • chemical
Term
resting potential
Definition
ability to fire, but does not, negative
Term
action potential
Definition
actually fires, positive
Term
graded potential
Definition
bits of info that neuron receives to determine whether to fire
Term
Refractory period
Definition
afrer action, neuron cannot fire, returning to resting state
Term
all-or-none principle
Definition
the idea that once the threshholr has been crossed, an action potential either fires or it does not; there is no halfway
Term
What happens at the synapse?
Definition
neurotransmitters attach at receptor site; channels open, and then ions flow into next neuron which creates graded potential
Term
synaptic vessicles
Definition
tiny sacs in the terminal buttons that contain neurotransmitters
Term
reuptake
Definition
a way of moving excess neurotransmitters from the synapse, in which neurotransmitters are returned to the sending, or presynaptic, neuron for storage in vesicles and future use
Term
enzymatic degradation
Definition
a way of removing excess neurotransmitters from the synapse, in which enzymes specific for that neurotransmitter bind with the neurotransmitter and destroy it
Term

Acetycholine

(Ach)

Definition
  • slows ANS activity
  • eating and drinking
  • neuromuscular junction
  • learning and memory
  • sleeping and dreaming
Term
Dopamine
Definition
  • arousal and mood
  • voluntary muscle movement
  • involved with somatic nervous system
  • excess correlates with psychosis
Term

Epinephrin

 

Definition
  • increases ANS activity
  • fight or flight response
Term
Norepinephrine
Definition
  • acts on the CNS
  • increases alertness and attention
Term
Serotonin
Definition
  • mood, sleep, eating, temperature regulation
  • deficit leads to depression and anxiety
Term

GABA

 

Definition
  • primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
  • slows CNS activity
  • deficits---> anxiety
Term
Glutamate
Definition
  • primary excitatory neurotransmitter
  • increases CNS activity
  • learning and memory
  • may be involved in schizophrenia
Term
Medulla
Definition
  • heartrate
  • respiration
  • keeps you alive
  • very basic
Term
Pons
Definition
  • bridge between spinal cord and brain
Term
Cerebellum
Definition
  • coordination of motor movement
  • procedural learning and language
Term
What 3 main parts make up the hindbrain?
Definition
  1. medulla
  2. pons
  3. cerebellum
Term
Midbrain
Definition
  • orientation
  • some hearing and sight
  • small
  • Thalamus: relay station
Term
Forebrain
Definition
  • largest part
  • cerebrum
  • corpus callosum
Term
Corpus callosum
Definition
connections between the two hemispheres
Term
hippocampus
Definition
involved in formation of new memories
Term
amygdala
Definition

fear response, attached to hippocampus

 

Term
Hypothalamus
Definition
  • impact on endocrine system
  • full? hungry? thirsty?
Term
pituitary gland
Definition
master gland that controls the release of hormones
Term
basal ganglia
Definition
motor movement, voluntary control, surrounds the thalamus
Term
cingulate gyrus
Definition
structure in the middle of the brain: cognitive control, emotional process, pain
Term
What are the 4 lobes of the brain?
Definition
  1. frontal
  2. parietal
  3. temporal
  4. occipital
Term
Frontal Lobe
Definition
  • what makes you human
  • personality
  • EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
  • working memory
  • attention
  • planning things
Term
Parietal Lobe
Definition
  • visual, spacial awareness
  • area that allows imaginative visualization (how things are in space)
Term
Occipital Lobe
Definition
  • processing visual info
Term
Temporal Lobe
Definition
  • primarily involved in auditory
  • processing sounds: language, music
Term
Motor cortex
Definition
  • frontal lobe
  • deals with body movement
  • right hemisphere controls left side of the body and vice versa
Term
Somatosensory cortex
Definition
  • parietal lobe
  • senses
  • left hemisphere receives input from the body's right side and vice versa
Term
Contralaterality
Definition
  • the fact that one side of the brain controls movement on the opposite side
Term
Broca's Area
Definition
  • speech production
  • allows talking
  • damage= cannot speak, but can understands
Term
Wernicke's Area
Definition
  • involved in comprehending speech
  • damage=no comprehension of language, but ability to articulate meaningless sounds/words
Term
aphasia
Definition
deficit in ability to speak or comprehend language
Term
Limbic System
Definition
controls motivation and emotion
Term
Left Hemisphere
Definition
  • main LANGUAGE
  • analytic details
  • sequential
  • right side of the body
  • EX: logic, math, speech, writing
Term
Right Hemisphere
Definition
  • nonverbal
  • emotion
  • global- wholistic view, "bigger picture"
  • left side of the body
  • EX: process music, simple comprehension
Term
What are 4 ways to measure the brain?
Definition
  1. EEG
  2. MRI
  3. fMRI
  4. PET
Term
EEG
Definition
  • sensors on the scalp
  • measure electrical activity on cortex
  • measure functions
  • one of the first techniques, very basic
  • FUNCTION
Term
MRI
Definition
  • uses magnets to sense magnetic changes in the brain
  • looks at density of tissues, deep structures
  • STRUCTURE
  • EX: what is damaged? what does it look like?
Term
fMRI
Definition
  • clear picture of structure
  • overlays areas of function
  • shows activity vs. lack of activity
  • STRUCTURE & FUNCTION
Term
PET scan
Definition
  • drink radioactive glucose
  • measure blood flow to active areas of the brain
  • risky- radioactive agents
Term
What are the main glands of the endocrine system?
Definition
  • hypothalamus
  • pituitary
  • thyroid
  • adrenal 
  • pancreas
  • ovaries/testies
Term
Thyroid
Definition
  • controls metabolism
Term
pancreas
Definition
  • regulates blood sugar levels
  • secretes insulin
Term
adrenal glands
Definition
  • release hormones involved in stress response and emotions
Term
cortisol
Definition
a hormone released by the adrenal glands responsible for maintaining the activation of bodily systems during prolonged stress
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