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Psychology Final
For Exploring Psychology
109
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
04/26/2013

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

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Term
R1: Parts of an experimental research study
Definition
Randomly assign people to control groups (not exposed to treatment) and experimental groups (modified independent variable). Use double-blind procedure to prevent both drug administrators and testers to prevent them from knowing to control for a placebo effect (the illusion of improvement caused by better expectations).
Term
R1: Define dependent and independent variables and how they function in a research study
Definition
Independent: Variable of interest; directly modified for experimental groups
Dependent: Variable outcome based on independent.
Term
R2: Recognize independent and dependent variables in research study
Definition
Independent: Type of ADHD treatment administered
Depdendent: Measurement of ADHD symptoms via testing
Term
R3: Random sample
Definition
Every member of a population has an equal chance of being included, so the sample is accurate and representative
Term
R3: Random assignment
Definition
Randomly take people and put them into two groups, control and experimental. This can make sure the groups aren't too different.
Term
R4: Case study example
Definition
A man theoretically has an "above-genius" level of intelligence that has been unheard of, and cognitive psycholgists study him in hopes of finding out more about the limits of human cognition
Term
R4: Survey example
Definition
Knowing that experimenting with it wouldn't be such a good idea, social psychologists administer surveys over the quality of participants' marriages.
Term
R4: Naturalistic observation example
Definition
A psychologist sits in at an office meeting in a discreet area to examine what corporations presentations are grabbing the attention of people in it.
Term
R4: Correlation
Definition
The older one becomes, the more likely they are to hold conservative political beliefs.
Term
R4: Experimental design
Definition
A new pill treatment for depression is on the books. The pill, an independent variable, is offered to a randomly sampled experimental group, while a placebo is offered to a randomly sampled control group. The procedure is double blind for the takers and the experimenters. At the end of the day, both groups are measured for degrees of depression, the dependent variable.
Term
R5: Correlational research
Definition
Figuring out if two quantitative measures like variables have a predictive relationship through statistics.
Term
R5: Positive and negative correlations
Definition
Positive: Both variable go up together
Negative: As one variable goes up, the other goes down
Term
B1: Major divisions of the nervous system
Definition
The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, and basically is in charge of executive actions. The peripheral nervous system takes nerves and connects them to the central nervous system via sensory and motor neurons
Term
B2: Major components of the peripheral nervous system
Definition
Somatic nervous system: Controls body's skeletal muscles
Autonomic nervous system, controls glands and muscles of internal organs
Term
B2: Major components of autonomic nervous system
Definition
Sympathetic: Arousing, in times of stress or excitement
Parasympathetic: Calming, lack of stimulation
Term
B2: Examples of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
Definition
Sympathetic: A student takes a timed, 2-hour essay for his writing class for a prompt he does not know
Parasympathetic: The student takes a nap at a chair in the third floor of the library afterward
Term
B3: Function of each part of neuron
Definition
It begins with a sensory message or perhaps a chemical signal from another neuron. The cell body fires an action potential if a threshold is met, which is conducted by the myelin sheath. The action potential goes to the axon terminal, upon which neurotransmitters are released into a synaptic gap. Receptor sites on another neuron's dendrite take the neurotransmitters, the terminal taking the the rest through reuptake, and it travels down to the receiving neuron through the dendrite.
Term
B4: Corpus callosum
Definition
Connects right and left hemisphere. Also takes messages and transfers between the two of them. Severed in case of severe seizures.
Term
B4: Right brain/left brain
Definition
Right: More inferential and visio-spatial. Concerned with sense of self or the "relations" to others.
Left: More logical, speech, and language oriented.
Term
B4: Cerebral cortex
Definition
Controls the body and processes much of the information to and from it.
Term
B4: Limbic system
Definition
Contains the amygdala (emotion), hippocampus (long-term memory), and hypothalamus (basic urges). It can be found under the cerebral hemispheres, and is typically associated with a person's feelings and urges
Term
B4: Brainstem
Definition
Connects the messages from the spinal cord to the brain. Contains the midbrain (associated with basic needs), medula (controls breathing and heartrate), and pons (carries info to and from cerebral cortex and also deals with breathing and arousal)
Term
B4: Forebrain
Definition
Cointains Thalamus (relays to and from cerebral cortex), as well as the hypothalamus (deals with primal physical needs), basal ganglia for balance, and limbic system for emotion.
Term
B5: Frontal lobes
Definition
Lies just behind forehead. Is involved with critical thinking, speech, and muscular action. Damage may result in poor-decision making, impeded speech and muscle movement.
Term
B5: Parietal lobes
Definition
Found at the back of the head. Associated with senses involving touching and the position of the body. Damage could result in reduced feelings of sensation
Term
B5: Temporal lobes
Definition
It's located just above the ears. Deals with auditory signals. You don't want hearing loss, do ya'?
Term
R5: Occipital lobes
Definition
It's generally located just above the ear. Deals with visuals; damage could result in, well, blindness. That's never good.
Term
L1: Operant, classical, and observational
Definition
Classical conditioning deals with an association between two stimuli without any control. Operant conditioning deals with an organism's conscious behavior to receive a reinforcing stimulus. Observational learning, unlike the others, deals with observing others and acknowledges cognitive processes; pushed forth by modelling behavior and neurological things like motor neurons, which fire off when observing behavior.
Term
L1 and L2: Unconditioned stimulus
Definition
Stimulus that elicits a natural, "automatic" unconditioned response. A man noticing a gruesome-looking giant panda finding its way into his room after waking him up.
Term
L1 and L2: Unconditioned response
Definition
The natural response to an unconditioned stimulus. The man begins perspiring heavily (the giant panda quietly walks away after he swears at the fearsome creature).
Term
L1 and L2: Conditioned stimulus
Definition
Previously neutral stimulus that elicits a learned, conditioned response via associated with the unconditioned stimulus. After much therapy, the man goes back to his room and has associated it with the giant panda attack.
Term
L1 and L2: Conditioned response
Definition
Response to conditioned stimulus identical to unconditioned stimulus. The man, after much therapy, comes back and sees his room and begins perspiring.
Term
L3: Shaping
Definition
Reaching a desired behavior by coming closer and closer to approximations of it and reinforcing each small step. This can cause behavior to come closer to one desires. The man's therapist, 3rd cousin twice removed of Skinner, recommends carefully chooses his friend's bedrooms and slowly begins to enter ones that look more and more like his own.
Term
L3: Reinforcement
Definition
Unintentionally or not, a stimulus that encourages a behavior. Which may be a problem for the man if a robber breaks in, generalizes the robber, and he begins swearing at the robber like he successfully did with the panda. Not all negative reinforcers are helpful.
Term
L3: Punishment
Definition
Discouraging a behavior by removing a positive stimulus or distributing a negative one. Not always effective on children as reinforcement is superior. A mother notices her son's grades slipping to Cs and Ds and takes away his Xbox, a negative punishment.
Term
M1: Recall
Definition
In this case, information is being retrieved from long-term memory. A woman trying to remember her aquaintance's last name.
Term
M1: Recognition
Definition
You only have to select and identify items of which you've already learned. In general, finding your way through a city (through a bit of cognitive mapping) is this. All you have to do is recognize the right route, and not have to recall an entire map.
Term
M1: Relearning
Definition
The rate at which someone learns the material again. A man takes an elementary German class and retrieves back his ancient, 2-year knowledge of German and does well compared to most of those for whom it is their first time through.
Term
M2: Encoding
Definition
Taking information and putting it into the memory system. Essential for "memorizing" any information.
Term
M2: Storage
Definition
It deals with taking information and keeping it the memory system over time. The "deeper" in the memory system, the longer it lasts (i.e. iconic and echoic memories last very briefly, while information in long-term is relatively permanent)
Term
M2: Retrieval
Definition
Getting memories out of the dank, old storage system called our brain. Difficult, but is divided into recall, recognition, and relearning generally.
Term
M3: Memory processing
Definition
Shallow processing is based on how information looks and sounds, and it is significantly less reliable when one has to retrieve something. Deep processing occurs when someone relates material to other material
Term
M3: Sensory memory
Definition
The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system. Iconic visual memories are picture-perfect and last for few tenths of second. Echoic, audio/language based memories last for 3 to 4 seconds. Limited to amount paid attention to, which is little, but can be expanded if one knows what to pay attention to.
Term
M3: Short-term memory
Definition
Activated memory that takes quickly takes a few items, occurring before information is stored or forgotten. Can take 7 plus or minus 2 items, or can be expanded with 3-4 chunks of information and lasts for 20-30 seconds.
Term
M3: Long-term memory
Definition
Relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experience. Relatively permanent and long-lasting in healthy humans, and rehearsal and deeper processing can improve "expansion" of this.
Term
M3: Selective attention
Definition
Focusing conscious awareness on certain simulus--paying attention places information from stimulus into short-term memory and thus is critical for encoding, shallow-level processing and deep-level processing
Term
M3: Rehearsal
Definition
Consciously repeating information to keep it in conscious thought or encode it for future use. Helps get info into long-term memory and can be shallow if it just consists of repetition with no effort to understand the material
Term
M3: Deep processing
Definition
In this case, information is taken and rephrased. This can lead to better retrieval from the long term memory later on.
Term
M3: Chunking
Definition
In short-term memory, breaking information into chunks for easier temporary storage; relatively shallow processing
Term
M3: Sensory memory example
Definition
Bob is reading a newspaper and isn't paying attention to his John who is talking to him. When John asks Bob if John knows what he just said, Bob is able to repeat the last few words of John's little speech.
Term
M3: Short-term memory example
Definition
Billy is playing Dragon Fighter XXL: Platinum notices a boss having an attack pattern. He quickly memorizes this so he can dodge the attacks, but forgets it when he retries the battle later the next week in a new game.
Term
M3: Long-term memory example
Definition
Timmy may hate math, but through filling out and rehearsing the quadratic formula enough, he can relatively quickly write it out a few months after being out of algebra.
Term
M4: Semantic memory
Definition
Information like concepts or facts in long-term, explicit memory. For instance, reciting a line from Shakespeare.
Term
M4: Episodic memory
Definition
Information like experience in long term explicit memory. For instance, consciously recalling one's first kiss.
Term
Men1: Normal curve
Definition
The normal curve is how people's test scores are distributed. Most end up in the "middle", while fewer and fewer lie at the further of the extreme. Those at extremes in intelligence tests, for instance, are categorized as high intelligence or developmentally disabled.
Term
Men2: Compare/contrast validity and reliability
Definition
Validity deals with how accurate a test or measurement can predict a trait; reliability measures how consistent the results are, regardless of their "accuracy".
Term
Men3: Convergent thinking
Definition
Thinking that does not require significant creativity (like logic). An example is more elementary mathematics like arithmetic.
Term
Men3: Divergent thinking
Definition
Creativity. There is no structured means of thinking and people often look for innovative solutions to problems. An example is a singer-songwriter going for a walk and waiting for inspiration to hit him for new-lyrics.
Term
Men3: Intelligent testing today
Definition
Used to identify both intellectual disabilities and giftedness. Also used by the military for placement
Term
Men4: Nature vs. nurture and intelligence
Definition
The extent to which our genes and our environment influence our intelligence is heavily debated by psychologists. Studies vary, but most place the influence of genetics from 30%-70% and acknowledge the importance of both.
Term
Men5: Gardner's work on intelligence and how it varies from others
Definition
Gardner believed that instead of a "g" factor like Spearman, intelligence is separated into 8 kinds: Verbal-linguistic, mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist, and possibly existential. Other theories suggested a general intellegence, while even others suggested the imporatance of creativity in intelligence measurement, like Sternberg's three intelligence suggested analysitcal, creative, and practical intelligence.
Term
D1: Example of "nature" theory
Definition
Piaget's 4 stages of cognitive development, which stated that young children developed through these stages (Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational) a relatively steady rate independent of psychosocial differences.
Term
D1: Example of "nurture" theory
Definition
Erikson's 8 stages of psychosocial development; proper development would facilitate through interaction with caregivers, and later, the person's personal growth throughout life
Term
D2: Cross-sectional research and longitudinal research
Definition
Cross-sectional research is arguably easier to perform and can be used to research many variables, but is prone to generational differences and difficult cause-effect tracking. Longitudinal research requires a great deal of investment and care, but can get a bigger picture of subjects throughout time, thus avoiding sociocultural differences
Term
D2: Cross-sectional and longitudinal examples
Definition
Cross-sectional: Psychologists survey people of different age groups for marriage satisfaction
Longitudinal: Psychologists survey people about marriage satisfaction in 1990, and in 2010 offer an identical follow-up survey.
Term
D3: Sensorimotor Stage example
Definition
4-month-old is in cradle, Dad bends over to pick up a toy out of eyesight, baby cries, dad gets back up and crying stops
Term
D3: Preoperational Stage example
Definition
4-year old girl sees moon in the sky and thinks, "I bet I could throw that."
Term
D3: Concrete Operational stage example
Definition
8-year-old boy's 14-year-old brother tries explaining why the Old-Democratic Liberty Party of Fruitland is superior and why he is pro-watermelon and against weed control. Younger boy argues that his brother is stupid, but has no clue how to respond to his brother's claims logically. He's also very much aware when his older brother gives him a taller, but far skinnier glass than the brothers in order to scam him out of Mountain Dew.
Term
D3: Formal Operational stage example
Definition
12-year-old boy reads a young adult novel and begins to analyze the novel's implicit themes.
Term
D3: Milestones
Definition
Preoperational child, from 2 to 6-7 years of age, can use language and has object perimance (knows that out of site is not out of mind). A concrete-operational child at about 6-11 years of age has conservation (the ability to fully grasp quantities or measurements, even if they are visually deceptive), can begin to see things from other's point of view as they are no longer as egocentric (unable to see things from others' points of view) and they possess a better theory of mind (concept of other people's thoughts and feelings). They are also capable of symbolic reasoning. By age 12, children enter the formal operational stage, which allows them to conceptionalize and reason abstractly.
Term
D4: Trust vs. Mistrust example
Definition
A mother is consistent about feeding her baby and coddling her, so the baby begins to become closer to her mother.
Term
D4: Autonomy vs. Shame and doubt
Definition
The toddler learns to use the restroom by himself, so feels a sense of self-sufficiently.
Term
D4: Initiative vs. guilt
Definition
The preschooler plans out what to do for fun on Friday in his room, independent of his parent's guidance.
Term
D4: Industry vs. inferiority
Definition
The elementary school student gets Ds and Es on all assignment, and begins to doubt her intelligence.
Term
D4: Identity vs. role confusion
Definition
Jimbo, in his early 20s, still goes on about "all of the cool stuff" that "went down" in high school, so he probably is failing to adopt a contiguous adult identity.
Term
D4: Intimacy vs. isolation
Definition
30-year-olds Blaster Joe and Astro Jane, after dealing with the difficulties of space battles, have a better idea of who they are and thus are capable of a self-disclosing, intimate relationship.
Term
D4: Generativity vs. stagnation
Definition
45 year old Jim quits his job as an accountant for corporation whose values he disagrees with and works for a non-profit and begins to feel a sense of helping others, instead of focusing on his own woes and lack of promotion.
Term
D4: Integrity vs. despair
Definition
70-year-old Jane feels that she has lost too much in life - missed opportunities, a fruitful career, and her husband, who had left her. She feels she did not amount to much, and spends the rest of her days in a depressed state.
Term
D5: Neglectful example
Definition
Jill leaves her 2-month-old son in crib as she drinks the night away, never receiving any sort of help.
Term
D5: Permissive example
Definition
James asks his dad for an expensive new video game every week, and even if he has misbehaved horribly, he still gets it.
Term
D5: Authoritative example
Definition
Though 13-year-old Alison was caught smoking marijuana by her parents, and must relinquish her allowance for three months, they tell her that while they disagree profusely with her choice and must punish her for it, they still remind her that they love her.
Term
D5: Authoritarian example
Definition
James has a 3.4 for the semester itself, far below his parents' expectations of a 3.8, and gets his car-keys taken away. When asked why, his parent's say "because I said so."
Term
P1: Freudian personality and role of unconscious
Definition
Freud believed personality arised form battles between our drives and our self control; the unconscious influenced these with undesirable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories
Term
P1: Id example
Definition
Jim insults Bob's country of origin and now part of Bob wants Jim to meet the pavement
Term
P1: Ego example
Definition
Presidential candidate Smith's id wants to use campaign funds for a nice new summer cabin, but his moralistic superego tell him that this is not the right thing to do. Compromising with the two, and nothing the vicious consequences if he stole the money, he settles on the more realistically achievable solution of taking some cash from his own savings, which had been about to be put in his youngest son's college fund.
Term
P1: Superego example
Definition
Jessie is tempted to copy off of Abigail's psychology test as it is visible, but her superego begins to tell her not to do so.
Term
P2: Humanistic view of personality development
Definition
That people who were mentally-healthy only wanted to grow and reach their full potential, at odds with the conflict-driven hypotheses of Freud.
Term
P2: Maslow's hierarchy
Definition
People were to go through a process, Maslow's hierarchy, to reach their full potential; physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization
Term
P3: Identify the components of the Big Five theory of personality
Definition
I sure do love the Ocean, but I prefer a river and a good Canoe as well.

Conscientiousness: Degree of discipline and overall organization. How well you have your life together.
Agreeableness: How nice and reasonable you are, i.e. archetypal nice guy
Neuroticism: Do you "freak out" a lot?
Openness: Degree to which one is "free-thinking" and willing to try new things.
Extraversion: Are you generally rather energetic, funny, and full of affection?
Term
Dis1: Dissociative disorder
Definition
Our conscious is no longer "congruent" with our older emotions, memories, and thoughts. A man's daughter dies, and he develops dissociative identity disorder; at times, he believes he's a painter or artist from a poor family, while at others, he remains in his actual state, a businessman who has lost his daughter and remains in the grieving process.
Term
Dis1: Bipolar disorder
Definition
The person is depressed at times but at others is in a euphoric, manic state. Jim is a engineer; in his manic state, he creates exceptionally innovative solutions to engineering problems. In his depressed state, he can barely get himself to check physics equations.
Term
Dis1: Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Definition
Basically, someone has lots of unwanted thoughts and actions. Both are fairly repetitive. Bob feels the need to close the door 3 times to ensure it is properly closed, and obsessively washes his hands too.
Term
Dis1: PTSD
Definition
After a traumatic event for over 4 weeks, someone is continually haunted by memories, withdraws, becomes anxious, or has much trouble sleeping. This must last for over 4 weeks. Jeff is in a gruesome car crash, and for over a month afterward, he remains anxious and withdrawn, often dreaming of the disaster that occurred that night.
Term
Dis1: Anti-social personality disorder
Definition
Does not demonstrate remorse for things they do wrong; even friends and family aren't "deserving" of this remorse. At the age of 12, Billy bullies his little brother, and his parents explain to him why this is wrong. Billy is incapable of feeling sympathetic toward his sibling.
Term
Dis2: Schizophrenia
Definition
Dehabilitating disorders that are associated with delusional thoughts, hallucinations, poor displays of emotion and behavior
Term
Dis2: Hallucinations and delusions
Definition
Delusions are fake beliefs. These can be detected in psychotic disorders. On the other hand, hallucinations are sensory experiences
Term
Dis3: Psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy
Definition
Patients are encourage to use free association, or say what comes to mind. Any means to block this on the patient's end or edit thoughts is resistance, and the analyst will offer his/her interpretation, or interpeting dreams, resistances and other things to help patients understand their problems. Any feelings towards the analysist are generally considered transferring, or the congruence of one's emotions of an event to the therapist. Patients are encouraged to explore underlying drives such as important relationships and childhood experiences.
Term
Dis4: Behaviorist techniques
Definition
Counterconditioning: Pavlovian classical conditioning is used to encourage people to respond differently to simuli which have a past of provoking uneeded behaviors
Exposure therapies: Graduated exposure to things people are fearful of
Systematic desensitization: Start relaxed, slowly become exposed to unwanted, anxiety-creating things
Aversive conditioning: Kind of counter-conditioning that creates association between negative stimulus and bad behavior
Token economy: Skinnerian conditioning technique that offers rewards for behavior that creates a sort of reward system.
Term
S1: Prejudice and implications
Definition
Typical encompasses wrong, uninformed beliefs toward a group of people. Involves stereotyped beliefs, poor personal feelings toward the person, and a likelihood of discriminating. This social-psychological concept is responsible for much racism and sexism.
Term
S2: Cognitive dissonance
Definition
We begin to act or think differently when two of our thoughts are rather inconsistent. For instance, a boy lies and says he didn't steal from the cookie jar, thinking he can get away with it. He does, and afterward, has another thought criticizing himself for being dishonest. The boy then rationalizes that it's okay because nobody got hurt.
Term
S3: Milgrim's study and results
Definition
In Milgrim's study, the participant is the teacher who must "deliver" electric shocks to a student, a confederate, every time he/she gets a question wrong. Switches for voltages get progressively more intense, and researchers encourage participants to go further, eventually delivering "lethal" shocks to the confederate's immense displeasure. None of the shocks were real, and the confederate was stuck in another room in which he/she was not visible. The vast majority of participants complied
Term
S4: Fundamental attribution error
Definition
When one examines another's behavior and disproportionally places the blame on the person, and not the situation they are are present in. An example is a student sleeping through his physics lecture; the lecturer assumes that he must be unmotivated and lazy. While the student is admittedly behaving like a jerk, he is attentive on other aspects of his life and just doesn't enjoy physics.
Term
S5: Bystander effect
Definition
Bystanders aren't as likely to help if other bystanders are around. Occurs more often to a general diffusion of responsibility and the more others are present.
Term
(Dis): Paranoid
Definition
Preoccupation with delusions or hallucinations, often with themes of persecution or grandiosity
Term
(Dis): Disorganized
Definition
Disorganized speech or behavior, or flat or inappropriate emotion.
Term
(Dis): Catatonic
Definition
Immobility (or excessive, purposeless movement), extreme negativisim, and/or parrotlike repeating of another's speech or movement
Term
(Dis): Undifferentiated
Definition
Many and varied symptoms
Term
(Dis): Residual
Definition
Withdrawal, after hallucinations and delusions have disappeared
Term
(Dis): Types of somatoform disorders
Definition
Conversion disorder and hypochondriasis and somatization disorder (consistent pain complaints)
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