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Psychology: Themes & Variations
Psychology: Themes & Variations
71
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
04/05/2012

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Term
Structuralism
Definition
Wilhelm Wundt's inspired school of thought that believed scientific psychology should analyze conscious experience through fundamental components like sensations, feelings, and images. (One of the 1st two competing major schools of thoughts) "specific points"
Term
Sensation
Definition
The sense organs' responses to external stimuli and the transmission of these responses to the brain
Term
Independent Variable
Definition
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
Term
Perceptual Set
Definition
Term
Perceptual Set
Definition
Readiness to perceive a stimulus in a particular way.
Term
Sigmund Freud
Definition
Focused on the unconscious determinants of behavior and the importance of sexuality. His ideas were controversial and met resistance in academic psychology.
Term
Endocrine System
Definition
Consists of glands that secrete hormones that are chemicals involved in the regulation of basic bodily processes. Hypothalamus and the pituitary gland are the control centers for this system.
Term
Psychology
Definition
The science that studies behavior and the physiological and cognitive processes that underlie it, and the profession that applies the accumulated knowledge of this science to practical problems; child of philosophy and physiology.
Term
Depth Perception
Definition
Interpretation of visual cues that indicate how near or far away objects are.
Term
Brain Structure Scans
Definition
CT Scans & MRI Scans (Tool to investigate brain function)
Term
Case Studies
Definition
In-depth investigation of a single individual using direct interview, direct observation, review of records, interviews of those close to the person, and other data sources. Well suited for study of psychological disorders and therapeutic practices.
Term
Lesioning
Definition
Involves destroying a piece of the brain and observing resulting behavior changes. Typically done by inserting an electrode into a brain structure and passing a high frequency current. (Tool to investigate brain function)
Term
Frequency Theory
Definition
(Theory of Pitch), that perception of pitch corresponds to the rate, or frequency, at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates.
Term
Limbic System
Definition
Is a loosely connected network of structures located roughly along the border between the cerebral and deeper subcortical; Involved in the regulation of emotion, memory, and motivation.
Term
Pitch
Definition
The quality of a tone from low to high, the number of times particles oscillate per second. (related to wavelength or frequency)
Term
Psychological Dependence
Definition
Person must continue to take drugs to satisfy emotional cravings.
Term
Consciousness
Definition
The awareness of internal and external stimuli; personal awareness; a continually changing stream of mental activity. It is adaptive & does not arise from any distinct structure in the brain but rather from activity in distributed networks of neural pathways. So variations in consciousness are correlated with variations in brain activity.
Term
CIPA - Congenital Insensitivity to Pain
Definition
Also called HSAN - Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy: can't fell any pain. It's extremely dangerous. Pain is an important function; protection mechanism
Term
Sensory Adaption
Definition
Our diminishing sensitivity to an unchanging stimulus, like smell - eventually you no longer recognize it.
Term
Applied Psychology
Definition
The branch of psychology concerned with everyday, practical problems. Encompasses 4 established professional specialties: Clinical psych, Social psych, Experimental psych, and Physiological psych.
Term
Behavior
Definition
Any overt (observable) response or activity by an organism
Term
Behaviorism
Definition
The school of thought, founded by John Watson (1913-1920s), that believed scientific psychology should study only observable behavior. Emphasizing the importance of the environment over heredity, or nurture over nature.
Term
Clinical Psychology
Definition
The branch of psychology concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders. Stimulated by the demands of WW2, this grew rapidly in the 1950s and psychology became a profession as well as a science.
Term
Cognition
Definition
The mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge.
Term
Critical Thinking
Definition
Purposeful, reasoned, goal-directed thinking that involves solving problems, formulating inferences, working with probabilities, and making carefully thought-out decisions.
Term
Culture
Definition
The widely shared customs, beliefs, values, norms, institutions, and other products of a community that are transmitted socially across generation.
Term
Empiricism
Definition
The fundamental premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation.
Term
Theory
Definition
A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations. Helps psychologists understand behavior.
Term
Unconscious
Definition
According to Freud, thoughts, memories, and desires that are well below the surface of conscious awareness but that nonetheless exert great influence on behavior.
Term
Psychoanalytic Theory
Definition
A theory developed by Freud that attempts to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinants of behavior.
Term
Ethnocentrism
Definition
The tendency to assume that one's own culture and way of life are superior to all others and represent the norm
Term
Evolutionary Psychology
Definition
The study of the evolution or adaptive value of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.
Term
Functionalism
Definition
William James inspired school of thought based on the belief that psychology should investigate the adaptive functions or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure (One of the 1st two competing major schools of thoughts) "stream of consciousness"
Term
Natural Selection
Definition
Charles Darwin's principal that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that provide a survival or reproductive advantage will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
Term
Humanism
Definition
Finding both behaviorism and psychoanalysis unsatisfactory, a new theoretical orientation led by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers - emphasized the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and their potential for personal growth, was embraced in the 1950s.
Term
Introspection
Definition
The careful, systematic self-observation of one's own conscious experience method structuralists depended on.
Term
Positive Psychology
Definition
uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence
Term
Psychiatry
Definition
The branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders
Term
SQ3R
Definition
Study method designed to promote effective reading, includes: Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review
Term
Testwiseness
Definition
The ability to use the characteristics and format of a cognitive test to maximize one's score.
Term
Wilhelm Wundt
Definition
Established the 1st Psychological Research Lab in 1879 in Germany, as a result psychology recognized as an independent discipline. He argued that psychology should be the scientific study of consciousness.
Term
Sigmund Freud
Definition
Focused on the unconscious determinants of behavior and the importance of sexuality. His ideas were controversial and met resistance in academic psychology.
Term
Seven Unifying Themes
Definition
3 as Field of Study (Psychology is): Empirical, Theoretically Diverse, and Evolves in a sociohistorical context
4 as Subject Matter (Behavior is): Determined by multiple causes, shaped by cultural heritage, Influenced by heredity and environment, and peoples experience of the world is highly subjective.
Term
Absolute Threshold
Definition
The minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
Term
Sensation
Definition
The sense organs' responses to external stimuli and the transmission of these responses to the brain
Term
Perception
Definition
Process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events
Term
Stimulus Detection
Definition
How intense does a stimulus need to be to detect it?
Term
Signal Detection Theory
Definition
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus amid background noise
Term
Difference Threshold
Definition
The smallest change in stimulation that a person can detect
Term
Weber's Law
Definition
The principle that accounts for how one notices the difference threshold for any change must be proportional
Term
Fechner's Law
Definition
A law that expresses the relationship between the intensity of the sensation and the intensity of the stimulus, and states that sensation increases more slowly as intensity increases.
Term
Just Noticeable Difference
Definition
The smallest change in a sensory perception that is detectable 50% of the time.
Term
Rods & Cones
Definition
Visual light receptors in the retina, that translate light wave into nerve impulses which pass through the retina.

Rods: function best in dim light, night vision and peripheral vision
Cones: function best in color and bright light , daylight vision and color perception
Term
The Visual System
Definition
Light enters the eyes through the cornea and pupil and is focused on the retina, reversing the image from right to left and from top to bottom - contralateral process. Retina transforms light into neural impulses that are sent to the brain via the optic nerve, the brain then reconstructs it to the image we see.
Term
Hue
Definition
Quality of a color
Term
Saturation
Definition
The intensity of a color; how close it is to a pure hue (brighter or duller)
Term
Trichromatic Theory
Definition
(Theory of Color Vision) - idea that color vision is based on our sensitivity to three different colors: blue, green, and red - 3 types of color receptors in the retina
* But couldn't account for after image
Term
Opponent Process Theory
Definition
(Theory of Color Vision) - alternative theory used to explain after images; suggest that the retina contains three pairs color receptors or cones-yellow-blue, red-green, black-white; pairs work in opposition
Term
Dual Process Theory
Definition
(Theory of Color Vision) - combines both theories to account for color vision, believes the eye has 3 types of cones with each being sensitive to a diff band of wavelengths (Tri Theory) & cells respond in opposite ways to red vs green and blue vs yellow (Opp Theory)
Term
Audition - Hearing
Definition
Stimuli for hearing are sound waves.
Term
Frequency
Definition
The # of sound waves, cycles per second. Most common sounds are in lower frequencies.
Term
Amplitude
Definition
The height/depth of a wave, corresponds with the loudness; the greater the amplitude the louder the sound.
Term
Timbre
Definition
The wave purity or mixture of sound.
Term
Frequency Theory
Definition
(Theory of Pitch), that perception of pitch corresponds to the rate, or frequency, at which the entire basilar membrane vibrates.
Term
Place Theory
Definition
(Theory of Pitch), the idea that different sound frequencies stimulate different locations on the basilar membrane
Term
Olfactory System
Definition
The sensory system for smell, in which stimuli are chemical substances often abosrbed my muscus in the nose, and olfactory receptors called cilia, hairlike stuctures in the upper portion of the nasal passage that receives, transmits through the olfactory bulb and interprets odors at the brain
*Only sensory input system that is not routed through the thalamus.
Term
Pheromones
Definition
Chemical signals that are found in natural body scents in human and other species.
Term
Basic Qualities of Taste
Definition
sweet, sour, salty, & bitter and recently umami (meaty savory)
Term
Tactile Sensation - Touch
Definition
3 Primary Sensations: pressure, temperature, and brain or pain?
Term
Taste Preferences
Definition
Largely learned and subject to cultural influences; also newborns prefer sweet tastes to the others because of breast milk.
Term
Gustatory System
Definition
Sensory system for taste, gustatory receptors - taste buds detect of chemicals that dissolve in our saliva to produce sense of taste, they trigger neural impulses that are routed through the thalamus to the cortex.
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