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Franzoi Chapters 1-3
Franzoi Test 1 Vocab and Names
123
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
02/04/2012

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
psychology
Definition

scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

 

psyche ="mind"

logos = "study"

Term

 

 

psychiatry

Definition

 

branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis/treatment of psychological disorders, practiced by physicians.

Term
Wilhelm Wundt[image]
Definition

 

"World's First Psychologist"

  • est. first institute for research
Term

 

structuralism

 

Definition

Wilhelm Wundt- model, identified components of the conscious mind

 

aka introspection

Term
William James[image]
Definition

 

"First American Psychologist"

  • little research
  • functionalism-conscious mind
Term

 

 

functionalism

Definition

 

approach to psychology that studied how the conscious mind helps humans survive and successfully adapt to their environment.

Term
Sigmund Freud[image]
Definition

 

"Founder of Psychoanalysis"

  • psychiatrist, clinical practice
Term

 

psychoanalysis

Definition

 

Sigmund Freud- theory that all human behavior is determined by hidden or unconscious motives and desires that are sexual in nature.

Term
John Watson[image]
Definition

"Founder of Behaviorism"

  • studied observable behavior
  • scientific approach of observation (logical positivism)
Term

 

 

behaviorism

Definition

 

John Watson - observable behavior rather than hidden mental processes

Term
Mary Calkins[image]
Definition

 

"First Female President of the APA"

  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • rejected PhD at Harvard
Term

Margaret Washburn[image]

 

Definition

 

"First Woman to Receive a PhD in Psychology"

  • Cornell University, 1894
Term

 

Gilbert Jones

Definition

 

First african-american to receive PhD in Psychology

Term

 

humanistic perspective

Definition

 

emphasizes human beings' innate capacity for personal growth and their ability to consciously make choices

Term

 

 

positive psychology

Definition

 

studying optimal human functioning

  • what makes people happy?
Term

 

 

Cognitive Psychology/Perspective

Definition

 studies how the mind organizes perceptions, processes info, and interprets experiences (mind like computer)

 

- Miller/Neisser = pioneers

Term

 

Neuroscience Perspective

Definition

 

studying the mind by examining the CNS

  • how mind communicates w/ itself and body
Term

 

evolution

Definition

 

genetic changes occurring in a species over generations due to natural selection

Term

 

 

natural selection

Definition

process in which environment selects traits in living organisms best suited for that particular environment.

  • leads to evolutionary changes
Term

 

 

Evolutionary Psychology

Definition

 

studies how behavior is shaped by inherited traits developed through the process of natural selection

Term

 

 

Sociocultural perspective

Definition

 

 

studies how social and cultural factors influence behavior

Term

 

 

Individualism

Definition

philosopy of life stressing:

  • priority of personal over group goals
  • preference for loosely knit social relationships
  • desire to be relatively free of others' incluence
Term

 

 

Collectivism

Definition

Philosophy of Life Stressing:

  • priority of group over individual needs
  • preference for tightly knit social relationships
  • willingness to submit to the group's influence
Term

 

 

Culture

Definition

 

total lifestyle of people from a particular social grouping

  • ideas, symbols, preferences, shared material objects
Term

 

 

Scientific Method

Definition

set of procedures used to gather, analyze and interpret information

 

topic, theory/hypothesis, evaluation, collect/analyze data

 

Term

 

 

Random Selection

Definition

 

everyone in population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

Term

 

 

sample

Definition

 

 

group of subjects who are selected to participate in a given study

Term

 

 

population

Definition

 

 

all members of an identifiable group from which a sample is drawn.

Term

 

 

theory

Definition

 

organized system of ideas that seeks to

explain why two or more events are related.

Term

 

 

hypothesis

Definition

 

educated guess based upon a theory

Term

 

What Makes a Good Theory?

Definition
  1. predictive accuracy- reliable?
  2. internal coherence- logical inconsistencies?
  3. economy- is topic focused?
  4. fertility- does it generate research?
Term

 

 

variable

Definition

 

 

part of experiment that changes

Term

 

 

Operational Definition

Definition

 

precise description of how a variable in a study is measured.

  • hunger: defined as "beginning of stomach contractions"
Term

 

 

Observational Research

Definition

 

study based on observation of subject in natural environment

Term

 

 

Correlational Research

 

Definition

 

examines relationship betweent two or more naturally occurring variables

 

Term

 

 

Correlation Coefficient (r)

Definition

 

 

statistical measure of direction and strength between two variables (+/- 1.00)

Term

 

 

Experimental Research

Definition

 

 

research designed to test cause-effect relationships between variables

Term

 

 

independent variable

Definition

 

 

variable that is manipulated

- ex: faucet opening

Term

 

 

dependent variable

Definition

 variable whose changes are considered to be the effect of the manipulated changes in the independent variable

 

-ex: water flowing after faucet is opened

Term

 

 

sensory neurons

Definition

 

 

detect stimuli

Term

 

 

motor neurons

Definition

 

 

sends commands from brain to rest of body.

Term

 

 

interneurons

Definition

 

 

connect neurons together.

Term

 

 

Soma

Definition

 

 

"body" of neuron.

Term

 

 

Dendrites

Definition

 

 

receive information from other neurons.

Term

 

 

Axon

Definition

 

 

tubelike extension, carries information to end of neuron via electrochemical impulse

Term

 

 

B.F. Skinner

Definition

 

Contemporary Behaviorism

 

-consequences control behavior

Term

 

 

Myelin Sheath

Definition

 

 

speeds up transmission of electrochemical signal.

Term

 

 

Synapse

Definition

 

 

consists of terminal button, synaptic cleft, and dendrite of another neuron

Term

 

 

Glial Cells

Definition

 

cells that supply neuron with support, nutrients, and insulation

  • produce myelin
Term

 

 

Random Assignment

Definition
placement of research participants into experimental conditions in a manner that guarantees that all have an equal chance of being exposed to each level of the independent variable.
Term

 

 

terminal button

Definition

 

 

knoblike tips on end of axon branches

Term

 

 

neurotransmitter

Definition

 

 

chemical messengers

Term

 

 

CNS

Definition

 

 

portion of nervous system

  • spinal cord/brain
Term

 

 

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Definition

 

 

portion of nervous system

  • nerves outside brain/spinal cord
Term

 

Somatic Nervous System (PNS)

Definition

 

 

transmits commands to voluntary skeletal muscles and receives sensory information from muscles/skin

Term

 

 

Autonomic Nervous System (PNS)

Definition

 

 

controls movement of nonskeletal muscles (ex: heart/lungs), involuntary

Term

 

 

Sympathetic Nervous System

Definition

 

branch of Autonomic Nervous System

  • fight or flight
Term

 

 

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Definition

 

part of Autonomic Nervous System

  • rest and digest
Term

 

 

Participant Observation

Definition

 

researcher records behavior in natural environment while acting as a participant of the group being studied.

Term

 

 

Cerebral Cortex

Definition

Largest structure in forebrain

higher-order thinking/processing[image]

Term

 

 

Occipital Lobes

Definition

visual region-back

 

[image]

Term

 

 

Parietal Lobes

Definition

touch and sensation (position in space)

[image]

Term

 

 

Temporal Lobes

Definition

hearing/language

[image]

Term

 

 

Frontal Lobes

Definition

coordination/higher-order processes

(ex: planning, social skills, abstract thinking)

[image]

Term

 

 

Cerebral lateralization

Definition

 

degree to which the right or left hemisphere controls various cognitive and behavioral functions.

Term

 

 

Left Hemisphere (Cerebral Cortex)

Definition

 detail-oriented

  • language
  • logic/explanation
  • finding rational explanation for everything
Term

 

 

Right Hemisphere (Cerebral Cortex)

Definition

"big picture"

  • visual/spatial tasks
  • recognizing nonlinguistic sounds (ie, music)
  • expressing/recognizing emotions
  • identifying faces
Term

 

 

Corpus Callosum

Definition

 

Thick band of nerve fibers connecting right and left cerebral hemispheres

  • transmits neural information between hemispheres
Term

 

 

Left vs. Right Frontal Lobes

Definition

 

Left: positive emotions

Right: negative emotions

Term

 

 

Gene

Definition

 

 

basic biochemical unit of inheritance

-found on chromosome

Term

 

 

Genotype

Definition

 

underlying genetic composition of an organism

Term

 

 

Behavior Genetics

Definition

 

studies how genotype/environment influence organism's behavior

Term

 

 

Molecular Genetics

Definition

 

studies molecular structure and gene function to determine how they influence behavior

Term

 

 

Chromosome

Definition

 

 

carry genetic info

-filled w/ strands of DNA

Term

 

 

Female

Definition

 

mother gives X chromosome

(XX chromosome pair)

Term

 

 

Male

Definition

 

 

Father gives X or Y chromosome

(XY pairing)

Term

 

 

sex

Definition

 

 

biological status of being male or female

(genetic)

Term

 

 

gender

Definition

 

 

meanings that societies and individuals attach to being female and male

(cultural)

Term

 

Infancy

(primary social achievement)

Definition

 

 

emotional bond (attachment)

 

Term

 

 

attachment

Definition

 

 

strong emotional bond young child forms with primary caregiver

Term

 

 

Secure Attachment

Definition

 

1 kind

-high self esteem

-interpersonal trust

Term

 

 

insecure attachment

Definition

3 kinds

(preoccupied, dismissing-avoidant, fearful-avoidant)

 

-low self-esteem

-not trusting

Term

 

 

Preoccupied Attachment

Definition

 

 

 low self esteem

low interpersonal avoidance (trusting)

Term

 

 

Dismissing-Avoidant Attachment

Definition

 

 

high self esteem

high social avoidance (not trusting)

Term

 

 

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment

Definition

 

 

low self-esteem

high social avoidance (not trusting)

Term

 

 

self-concept

Definition

 

 

"theory"/"story" a person constructs about self through social interaction

Term

 

 

Self-Esteem

Definition

 

 

person's overall evaluation of his/her self-concept

Term

 

 

Self-Awareness

Definition

 

psychological state in which you focus on yourself as an object of attention.

-aware of existence

Term

 

 

Gender Identity

Definition

 

 

knowledge that one is a male/female and the internalization of this fact into the self-concept.

Term

 

 

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Definition

-social development stages marked by crisis related to specific developmental task.

  1. trust vs. mistrust (0-1yr)
  2. autonomy vs. shame/doubt (1-2 yr)
  3. initiative vs. guilt (3-5 yr)
  4. industry vs. inferiority (6-12 yr)
  5. identity vs. role confusion (13-18 yr)
  6. intimacy vs. isolation (19-45 yr)
  7. genearativity vs. stagnation (45-65 yr)
  8. integrity vs. despair (66+ yr)
Term

 

 

Ethnic Identity

Definition

  

person's sense of personal identification with a particular ethnic group

-3 stages (unexamined, search, achieved)

Term

 

 

Schema

Definition

 organized cluster of knowledge that people use to understand and interpret information

 

-teach child to catch bear

Term

 

 

Accommodation

Definition

 

process of changing existing schemas in order to absorb new information

 

-ex: toss ball to child, child uses pre-existing schema

Term

 

 

Assimilation

Definition

 

process of absorbing new infromation into existing schemas

 

-toss tennis ball, falls through arms-has to readjust

Term

 

 

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Definition

 

believed that children thought of world in a very different way from adults

(4 cognitive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)

Term

 

 

Sensorimotor Stage (Piaget)

Definition

 

infants develop ability to coordinate their sensory input with their motor actions

Term

 

 

Object Permanence

Definition

 

realization that object exists evin if you can't see/touch it

 

-ex: cart on track behind wall experiment

Term

 

 

Representational Thought

Definition

 

ability to use mental imagery and other symbols

 

-object permanence beginning of representational thought

Term

 

 

Egocentrism

Definition

 

tendency to view world from one's own perspective w/out recognizing that others may have a different POV

Term

 

 

Applied Psychologist

Definition

 

use existing psychological knowledge to solve and prevent problems

Term

 

 

Case Study

Definition

 

 in-depth analysis of a single subject

-common in clinical work

Term

 

 

Control Condition

Definition

 

condition in an experiment where participants are not exposed to the independent variable

Term

 

 

Critical Thinking

Definition

 

process of deciding what to believe and how to act based on a careful evaluation of the evidence

Term

 

 

Descriptive statistics

Definition

 

summarize and describe behavior

Term

 

 

Experimental Condition

Definition

 

condition in an experiment where participants are exposed to different levels of the independent variable

Term

 

 

Inferential Statistics

Definition

 

make inferences about the larger population from which the sample was drawn

(applies descriptive stats)

Term

 

 

Meta-Analysis

Definition

 

use of statistical techniques to sum up a body of similar studies in order to objectively estimate teh reliability and overall size of the effect.

Term

 

 

Naturalistic Observation

Definition

 

 investigates behavior in its natural environment

Term

 

 

Replication

Definition

 

repeating a previous study's scientific procedures using different participants in an attempt to duplicate findings.

Term

 

 

Surveys

Definition

 

structured sets of questions or statements given to a group of people to measure their attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavioral tendencies.

Term

 

 

Theory

Definition

 

organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related.

Term

 

 

Developmental Psychology

Definition

 

how people mature and change physically, cognitively, and socially throughout the life span

Term

 

 

Psychobiology

 

Definition

 

 

examines physiological processes, especially those occuring in the brain

Term

 

 

 

Definition
Term

 

 

Experimental Psychology

Definition

 

 

studies basic psychological processes

(sensation, perception, motivation, emotion, consciousness)

Term

 

 

Comparative Psychology

Definition

 

studies similarities and differences in the physiology, behavior, and abilities of different species, including humans.

Term

 

 

Personality Psychology

Definition

 

 

studies the consistent/distinct ways in which people think, feel, behave

Term

 

 

Social Psychology

Definition
how people think about and influence one another in social settings, including how the social settings and cultural beliefs of the individuals shape the interaction.
Term

 

 

Clinical Psychology

Definition

 

diagnoses and treats people with psychological disorders and seeks causes

(depression, schizophrenia, etc)

Term

 

 

Counseling Psychology

Definition

 

diagnoses and treats people with personal problems

(marriage, social skills, career planning)

Term

 

 

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Definition

 

Finds ways to select, motivate, and evaluate employees

(improves management structure/working conditions)

Term

 

 

Educational/School Psychology

Definition

 

Diagnoses/treats students and environment in order to maximize learning

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