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Psych Notecards
Undergrad 1st year Psych 1001
173
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
12/10/2011

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Term
Behaviorism
Definition
the view that psychology should be an objective science without reference to the mind
Term
Cognitive Psychology
Definition
how we encode, process, and retrieve information
Term
Clinical Psychology
Definition
Use of psychology to help people (e.g. war vets, kids, or crazy people)
Term
Psychology
Definition
the science of behavior and mental processes
Term
Neuroscience
Definition
how brain and body are related to thinking, emotions, and behavior
Term
Evoutionary Psychology
Definition
how certain traits allow us to adapt to the environment and pass on our genes
Term
Behavioral Genetics
Definition
how differences in genetics and environment influence individual differences
Term
Social-Cultural Psychology
Definition
How behavior varies across situations and cultures
Term
Behavioral Psychology
Definition
How we learn observable processes
Term
Psychodynamic Psychology
Definition
how unconscious drives and conflicts influence thinking and behavior
Term
Basic Research
Definition
Pure research that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
Term
Applied Research
Definition
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
Term
Case Studies
Definition
Studying a specific case
Disadvantages: May not Represent population
Highly subjective
Poor memories of subject and other
Term
Naturalistic Observation
Definition
Observing subjects in their natural settings
Advantages: Good for comming up with new ideas and good for descriptive data.
Also good for checking how realistic lab results are.
DIsadvantages: difficult to determine which variables are important
difficult not to intervene
Term
Survey
Definition
a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them

*MUST ASSURE SAMPLE IS RANDOM
Term
Population
Definition
all the cases of a group
Term
Correlation
Definition
a statistical measure of relationship
Term
Correlation Coefficient
Definition
a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together
Term
Positive Correlation
Definition
the values of both variables rise and fall together
Term
Negative Correlation
Definition
the values of both variables rise and fall reciprocally [as the value of one variable rises, the other falls]
Term
Experiment
Definition
researcher manipulates one or more variables under carefully controlled conditions and observes changes in behavior or mental processes
Term
Independent Variable
Definition
factor that is manipulated to see its effects
Term
Dependent Variable
Definition
factor thought to be affected by the independent variable
Term
Control condition (group)
Definition
condition that serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Model of how something SHOULD work
Term
Statistical Significance
Definition
a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result is due to chance
Term
placebo effect
Definition
experimental results are caused by the subjects expectations alone
Term
placebo
Definition
inert substance that has medicinal value because of a person’s belief in the drug
Term
Experimenter's Bias
Definition
• a researcher’s expectations about the experiment affect the outcome
Term
Ethical Guidelines for Research
Definition
• 1)subjects must give their informed consent
• 2)investigators must protect subjects from harm or comfort
• 3)information about subjects must be treated confidentially
• 4)the research should be explained to the subjects afterward
Term
Peer Review Journal
Definition
A periodical that uses researchers to judge whether another researcher’s work is worth publishing
Term
glial cells
Definition
structural support for neurons
Term
Neuron
Definition
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
Term
Sensory Neurons
Definition
receive signals from outside the nervous system
Term
motor neurons
Definition
carry information from the nervous system to the muscles and glands
Term
interneuron
Definition
communicate only with other neurons
Term
cell body
Definition
the cells life-support center (body)
Term
dendrites
Definition
receive messages from other cells (arms)
Term
Axon
Definition
transmits messages away from the cell body to other neurons, or to muscles, or to glands (legs)
Term
Myelin Sheath
Definition
fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons (pants)
Term
neural message
Definition
an electrical impulse traveling down the axon
Term
Axon Signal
Definition
inside of an axon is negative compared to the outside at rest (no signal)

• Difference between inside and outside is due to a difference in ion concentration
Term
Negative Ion
Definition
more electrons than protons
Term
Positive Ion
Definition
more protons than electrons
Term
Action Potential
Definition
• Brief reversal in an axon’s charge
• The neural message ---> outside becomes negative, inside positive
• Message travels down the axon
Term
Refractory Period
Definition
• Brief (1 or 2 milliseconds) period after an action potential during which another action potential cannot occur
• Prevents action potentials from going back towards the cell body
Term
Behaviorism
Definition
the view that psychology should be an objective science without reference to the mind
Term
Cognitive Psychology
Definition
how we encode, process, and retrieve information
Term
Clinical Psychology
Definition
Use of psychology to help people (e.g. war vets, kids, or crazy people)
Term
Psychology
Definition
the science of behavior and mental processes
Term
Neuroscience
Definition
how brain and body are related to thinking, emotions, and behavior
Term
Evoutionary Psychology
Definition
how certain traits allow us to adapt to the environment and pass on our genes
Term
Behavioral Genetics
Definition
how differences in genetics and environment influence individual differences
Term
Social-Cultural Psychology
Definition
How behavior varies across situations and cultures
Term
Behavioral Psychology
Definition
How we learn observable processes
Term
Psychodynamic Psychology
Definition
how unconscious drives and conflicts influence thinking and behavior
Term
Basic Research
Definition
Pure research that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base
Term
Applied Research
Definition
scientific study that aims to solve practical problems
Term
Case Studies
Definition
Studying a specific case
Disadvantages: May not Represent population
Highly subjective
Poor memories of subject and other
Term
Naturalistic Observation
Definition
Observing subjects in their natural settings
Advantages: Good for comming up with new ideas and good for descriptive data.
Also good for checking how realistic lab results are.
DIsadvantages: difficult to determine which variables are important
difficult not to intervene
Term
Survey
Definition
a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of them

*MUST ASSURE SAMPLE IS RANDOM
Term
Population
Definition
all the cases of a group
Term
Correlation
Definition
a statistical measure of relationship
Term
Correlation Coefficient
Definition
a statistical measure of the extent to which two factors vary together
Term
Positive Correlation
Definition
the values of both variables rise and fall together
Term
Negative Correlation
Definition
the values of both variables rise and fall reciprocally [as the value of one variable rises, the other falls]
Term
Experiment
Definition
researcher manipulates one or more variables under carefully controlled conditions and observes changes in behavior or mental processes
Term
Independent Variable
Definition
factor that is manipulated to see its effects
Term
Dependent Variable
Definition
factor thought to be affected by the independent variable
Term
Control condition (group)
Definition
condition that serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Model of how something SHOULD work
Term
Statistical Significance
Definition
a statistical statement of how likely it is that an obtained result is due to chance
Term
placebo effect
Definition
experimental results are caused by the subjects expectations alone
Term
placebo
Definition
inert substance that has medicinal value because of a person’s belief in the drug
Term
Experimenter's Bias
Definition
• a researcher’s expectations about the experiment affect the outcome
Term
Ethical Guidelines for Research
Definition
• 1)subjects must give their informed consent
• 2)investigators must protect subjects from harm or comfort
• 3)information about subjects must be treated confidentially
• 4)the research should be explained to the subjects afterward
Term
Peer Review Journal
Definition
A periodical that uses researchers to judge whether another researcher’s work is worth publishing
Term
glial cells
Definition
structural support for neurons
Term
Neuron
Definition
a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system
Term
Sensory Neurons
Definition
receive signals from outside the nervous system
Term
motor neurons
Definition
carry information from the nervous system to the muscles and glands
Term
interneuron
Definition
communicate only with other neurons
Term
cell body
Definition
the cells life-support center (body)
Term
dendrites
Definition
receive messages from other cells (arms)
Term
Axon
Definition
transmits messages away from the cell body to other neurons, or to muscles, or to glands (legs)
Term
Myelin Sheath
Definition
fatty tissue encasing the fibers of many neurons (pants)
Term
neural message
Definition
an electrical impulse traveling down the axon
Term
Axon Signal
Definition
inside of an axon is negative compared to the outside at rest (no signal)

• Difference between inside and outside is due to a difference in ion concentration
Term
Negative Ion
Definition
more electrons than protons
Term
Positive Ion
Definition
more protons than electrons
Term
Action Potential
Definition
• Brief reversal in an axon’s charge
• The neural message ---> outside becomes negative, inside positive
• Message travels down the axon
Term
Refractory Period
Definition
• Brief (1 or 2 milliseconds) period after an action potential during which another action potential cannot occur
• Prevents action potentials from going back towards the cell body
Term
All-or-None Transmition
Definition
• Either the axon has an action potential or it does not
• No big or small signals (all the same size)
Term
Synapse
Definition
the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
Term
Synaptic Gap
Definition
tiny gap at the junction of neurons
Term
Neuro Transmitters
Definition
chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gap between neurons
Term
Synaptic Vessicle
Definition
small sacs that store neurotransmitters
Term
Receptor
Definition
protein molecules on the dendrite or cell body that will interact only with specific neurotransmitters
Term
Exitatory
Definition
increase the likelihood of an action potential
Term
Inhibitory
Definition
decreases the likelihood of an action potential
Term
Reuptake
Definition
NT is transported back to the sending neuron for recycling
Term
Endorphins
Definition
Reduce pain
Term
Naloxone
Definition
Blocks the effect of endorphins

• An antagonist
• Decreases the effect of opiates
• Decreases the effect of placebos for pain
Term
Peripheral Nervous System
Definition
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body
Term
Nerves
Definition
bundles of axons routed together through the peripheral nervous system
Term
Somatic Nervous System
Definition
• Controls the body’s skeletal muscles
• Carries information to carry out “voluntary”
• Carries information to the brain about the state of the muscles
Term
Autonomic Nervous System
Definition
Controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs
Term
Emotions
Definition
Stimulus --> experience of emotion --> physiological reaction
Term
Sympathetic Nervous System
Definition
• Arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations
• Fight or flight response
Term
Parasympatheic Nervous System
Definition
Calms the body, conserving its energy
Term
Central Nervous System
Definition
The brain and spinal cord
Term
4 Protections of the CNS
Definition
• 1) skull and backbone
• 2) meninges: 3 membranes covering the brain
• 3) cerebral spinal fluid system
A fluid system that nourishes and cushions the brain
• 4) blood-brain barrier: semipermeable membrane that prevents some chemicals from to the brain
Term
Meninges
Definition
3 membranes covering the brain
Term
Blood-Brain Barrier
Definition
semipermeable membrane that prevents some chemicals from entering the brain
Term
Spinal Cord
Definition
connects the brain with the rest of the body through the peripheral nervous system
Term
Neuroimaging Techniques
Definition
look at the living brain without surgery
Term
CT
Definition
Show structure not function
Term
PET Scan
Definition
Shows activity in the brain
Term
MRI
Definition
Shows structure not activity
Term
fMRI
Definition
gives a picture of activity in the brain
Term
Brainstem
Definition
Made up of the Medulla, the Thalamus, the Reticular formation and the Cerebellum
Term
Medulla
Definition
controls heartbeat and breathing
Term
Thalamus
Definition
sends sensory information to higher levels of the brain for processing
• except the sense of smell
Term
Cerebellum
Definition
Coordinates voluntary movement
Term
Reticular formation
Definition
• relays information to the upper part of the brain
• involved in controlling breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, swallowing, urination, movements of the face and tongue
• sleep and wakefulness and arousal
Term
Limbic System
Definition
Involved in emotion, memory, motivation
-Consists of: the Amygdala, the Hypothalamus, and the Hippocampus
Term
Amygdala
Definition
• Linked to emotion
• Especially rage and fear
• Expressing it and recognizing
Term
Hypothalamus
Definition
• Controls the pituitary gland
• Involved in hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sexual behavior
Term
Hippocampus
Definition
• Consolidating memory
• Transferring memory for permanent storage
• H.M.
Term
Cerebral Cortex
Definition
o Convoluted
-Allow for big surface area that can be tucked into a small area
o two hemispheres connected by tissue
-biggest band of tissue: corpus callosum
Term
Four Sections of the Hemispheres of the Brain
Definition
Occipital Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Frontal Lobe, and Temporal Lobe
Term
Occipital Lobe
Definition
Primary Visual Cortex
Term
Parietal Lobe
Definition
Sensory Cortex
Term
Frontal Lobe
Definition
Motor cortex
-Broca’s Area (usually in the left hemisphere)
-Controls speech
Term
Temporal Lobe
Definition
Primary auditory cortex
-Wernicke’s Area
-Involved with comprehension of speech
Term
Corpus Callosum
Definition
Biggest band of tissue that connects the two hemispheres of the brain
Term
Extreme frontal area (pre-frontal cortex
Definition
Involved with personality, decision making, motivation (executive functions)
Term
Wernicke's Area
Definition
Involved with comprehension of speech
Term
Damage to Wenicke's Area
Definition
person speaks fluently but the words don’t make much sense; often repetition
Term
Broca's Area
Definition
Controls Speech
Term
Damage to Broca's Area
Definition
Personality Change, Cant Speak properly
Term
Split-Brain Operation
Definition
The two hemispheres are isolated by cutting their connective fibers; mainly the Copus Callosum
Term
Left Hemisphere
Definition
more active with language, logic and math
Term
Right Hemisphere
Definition
special things, music, visual recognition, things you take in as a whole
Term
Bottom-Up Processing
Definition
analysis that beings with the sense receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
Term
Top-Down Processing
Definition
information processing guided by higher level mental processes (i.e., experience, expectations)
Term
Sensation
Definition
detecting energy from the environment and encoding it as neural signals
• Raw information
Term
Perception
Definition
selecting, organizing and interpreting sensations
• Adding meaning to our sensations
Term
Psychophysics
Definition
The study for the relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological or sensory experience of them
Term
Absolute Threshold
Definition
the minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus 50% of the time
Term
Signal Detection Theory
Definition
attempts to predict how and when the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) is detected against background noise
Term
Hit
Definition
signal present -- --> detected
Term
Miss
Definition
signal present ----> not detected
Term
Correct Rejection
Definition
signal not present ---> not detected
Term
False Alarm
Definition
signal not present ----> mistakenly detected
Term
Difference Threshold
Definition
the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time
Term
Weber's Law
Definition
To be detected, two stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage
Term
Subliminal Stimulation
Definition
Perceive something below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness
Term
Kinesthesia
Definition
Awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body by means of sensory organs (proprioceptors) in the muscles and joints.
Term
Synesthesia
Definition
The production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.
Term
Visual Stimulus
Definition
light (wave or particle)
Term
Amplitude
Definition
the height of a wave; related to brightness
Term
Wavelength
Definition
distance from one wave to the next; related to color
Term
Transduction
Definition
conversion of one form of energy into another
Term
Sensation
Definition
transformation of stimulus energies into neural signals
Term
Parts of the Eye
Definition
Cornea, Iris, Pupil, Retina, Rods, Cones, Optic Nerve
Term
Blind Spot
Definition
place where the optic nerve exits the eye
• The eye ‘guesses ‘ what is in the blind spot and fills it in
Term
Cornea
Definition
transparent outer covering of the front of the eye
Term
Iris
Definition
a ring of muscle surounding the pupil
Term
Pupil
Definition
an adjustable hole in the iris
Term
Retina
Definition
the light sensitive inner surface of the eye
Term
Rods
Definition
-Sensitive in dim light
-120 million rods
-Black and white vision
-Concentrated in periphery
-Many-to-one neural connections
-Not sensative to details
Term
Cones
Definition
-Not Sensitive in dim light
-6 million cones
-Color vision
-Concentrated in point of Central Focus
-One-to-one connections
-Sensative to details
Term
Optic Nerve
Definition
sends information to the brain from the eye
Term
Floaters
Definition
bits of material in the eye that casts a shadow on the retina
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