Exam #1

Psychology 1310 with Dula, Christopher at East Tennessee State University

About this deck

By: Ashley Gillenwater
Created: 2011-09-21
Size: 70 flashcards
Views: 23

About StudyBlue

STUDYBLUE makes things that make you better at school. Things like online flashcards with photos and audio. Things like personalized quizzes and friendly reminders about when (and what) to study next. Think of it as a digital backpack™: access to all of your study materials online and on your phone. STUDYBLUE exists to make studying efficient and effective for every student, for free. Join us.

“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj

Sign up (free) to study this.

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

Founding father of psychology, studied consciousness

Functionalism

The school of thought which asserted that the function of consciousness, rather than its structure, is more important to its understanding.

Psychodynamic Approach

Attempts to explain personality, motivations, and psychiatric illness by exploring the "unconsvious" mental processes

Sigmund Freud

Developed the Psychoanalytic Theory (very controversial), suggested we have primiative desires

Behaviorism

asserts that behavior is governed by the environment which serves as stimulus (detectable input from the environment)

Watson

father of behaviorism, thought it was unworth of psychology to study consciousness as it's unobservable. Wanted to study behavior as it can be measured objectively

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist, emphasized environmental factors in behavior

Thornkike's Law of Effect

repeat actions that lead to positive outcomes but don't repeat ones that lead to negative or neutral outcomes, "free will" is an illusion

Humanism

individualism, capacity for personal growth, free will, positive qualities

Gestalt psychology

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts, means "shape/form", contributed to cognitive and humanism

Max Wertheimer

founder of Gestalt psychology

Cognitive Approach

Focuses on the mental processes involved in knowing and how we direct our attention, perceive, and solve problems.

Biological Aproach

Views understanding the brain and nervous system as central to understanding behavior, thought, and emotion. Also looks at genetics.

Sociocultural Approach

Emphasizes the social and cultural influences on behavior.

The Evolutionary Psychology Approach

Emphasizes the importance of functional purpose and adaptation in explaining why behaviors are formed, are modified, and survive.

The Positive Psychology Movement

Emphasis on the experience that people value subjectively (e.g., happiness), positive individual traits (e.g., capacity for love), and positive group and civic values (e.g., responsibility).

Empiricism

accumulation of knowledge resulting from objective observation

Hypothesis

“a tentative statement about the relationships between 2 or more variables” a.k.a. “educated guess”; Research question and possible answer, based on theory and previous research.

Theory

"a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations"

Operational Definition

“describes the actions or operations that will be made to measure or control a variable” Created by the researcher

Scientific Method

1. Hypothesis
2. Design a Study
3. Collect Data
4. Analyze
5. Draw Conclusions
6. Devise hypothesis/theory

Experiment

When at least 1 variable is manipulated by a researcher under controlled conditions

Independent variable

the variable manipulated

Dependent Variable

Thought to be affected by the independent variable

Random Sampling

where any member of the population has an equal chance to be selected as a member of the sample; It is an ideal and we can only approximate a true random sample.

Random Assignment

where any member of a sample has an equal chance of being assigned to any of the experimental or control group(s)

Experimental Group

subjects are assigned to a group which receives some level of the independent variable(s) (treatment group)

Control Group

subjects are assigned to a group that does NOT receive any level of the independent variable(s) This group should be very similar to the experimental subjects on all other variable(s)

Central Tendencies

Central Tendency: based on a “normal distribution”, the idea that a great amount of the data lies toward the middle values of the data set; mean, median, mode

Mean

Numerical Average

Median

The middle value if all values are put in ascending order

Mode

The measurement that appears most often

Standard Deviation

the Positive Square Root of the Variance

Normal Distribution/curve

in any given population
≈68% of the measurements will fall within 1 SD of the mean;
≈95% within 2 SD of the mean;
≈99.7% within 3 SD of the mean.

Correlation

when 2 or more variables are related to each other

Neurons

individual cells that receive, organize, and transmit information

sensory neurons

perceive messages from outside the nervous system

Afferent

carry information to the Central Nervous System

Interneurons

communicate only with other neurons

Motor Neurons

transmit signals to muscles

Soma

Cell body containing nucleus and organelles

Dendrites

receive specialized information from neurons

Axon

"antenna-like" structure that transmits signals to other neurons

Glial cells

support network of neurons

Myelin Sheath

insulates some types of axons (divided like tiny perforations by gaps known as Nodes of Ranvier.) Signals jump the gaps and are speeded on their way.

Terminal Buttons

at the end, the axon branches in many places and are capped by knobs which secrete neurochemicals

Action potential

stimulated neuron destabilizes, allows in pos(+) charged ions, briefly ↑ neuron’s charge in a pos(+) direction.

Synapse

Microscopic junction area where terminal knobs of a neuron intermingle with the dendrites of the next neuron (membrane to membrane). Signals must cross this area and be received

Neurotransmitters

chemicals released into the synaptic gap (cleft), which transmit the signals across the gap to the dendrites.

Postsynaptic Potentials (PSP)

"receptor site” gets neurotransmitter that causes an electrical change in the “post “synaptic neuron’s membranes

Excitatory PSP

shift in voltage that increases the probability that a neuron will reach its threshold and fire its action potential

Inhibitory PSP

shift in voltage that decreases the probability that a neuron will reach its threshold

Acetylcholine (Ach)

activates motor neurons = movement (1stdiscovered)

Dopamine (DA)

has to do with voluntary movement, sensitivity to reward

Norepinephrine (NE)

deals with mood and arousal

Serotonin

helps regulate sleep and wakefulness, involved in mood

Endorphins

similar to opiates associated with pleasure and pain suppression

Nerves

bundles of neuron axons

Central Nervous System

brain and spinal cord

Peripheral Nervous System

all nerves outside brain and spinal cord, function is to connect the rest of the body to the CNS

Somatic Nervous System

Nerves communicating with voluntary muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

nerves communicating with involuntary muscles and taking care of involuntary body functions

Hindbrain

ancient brain, responsible for physical survival

Cerebellum

muscles movements and balance

Medulla

regulates automatic activities

Pons

Regulates sleep and wake patterns

Midbrain

deals with dopamine regulation

Thalamus

all sensory input (except for smell)

Hypothalamus

pea-sized gland, controls biologial needs (Feeding, fleeing, fighting, fucking; 4F's)

About this deck

By: Ashley Gillenwater
Created: 2011-09-21
Size: 70 flashcards
Views: 23

About StudyBlue

“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj