Exam 1

Psychology 111 with Schreier at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

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By: Amy Afonso
Created: 2010-10-03
Size: 69 flashcards
Views: 106

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7 Themes for Psychology

-Empirical
-Theoretically diverse
-sociohistorical context impacts theory and practice
-Determined by multiple causes
-Shaped by cultural heritage
-Interaction of heredity and environment (influence behavior)
-Experiences are subjective

Psychology definition

•The scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior
–Reflects the influences of: –Biological processes –Individual differences -- Time and culture

4 Goals of psych

•Describe how people and animals behave •Understand and explain the causes of behavior •Predict behaviors/reactions across situations •Control behavior through understanding its causes and consequences

Localization of Function

Discovered due to accident with Phineas Gage who had pole go through his head and his personality changed

Psychodynamic Perspective

-identified the role of the unconscious forces which determine behavior

-personality determined by early life experiences

-drives and motivations conflict leading to compromises

-Freudian slip

Positive Psychology

•focuses on adaptive, creative and positive aspects of the human experience -Look at subjective experiences of positive emotions: contentment, happiness, optimism

9 Areas of Research Study

Social, developmental, experimental, physiological, cognitive, personality, Psychometric: Looks at the measurement of behavior through the development of psychological tests, health, educational

Applied Psych

Clinical: diagnose/treat emotional problems Counseling: deal with the problems of everyday life Educational: enhance school performance, resolve emotional problems, curriculum,teacher training Industrial/Organizational: Staff human service department working morale, job satisfaction, productivity

Theory

a systematic way of organizing and understanding observations

Hypothesis

a proposed relationship between two variables

Variable

anything which can be measured or described along a particular dimension

Continuous Variable

can be measured across a continuum
-time

Categorical Variable

with a fixed meaning or attribute

Systematic Observation

explores changes in variables of interest

Independent Variable

manipulated by the experimenter

Key parts of the neuron

Soma: cell body
Dendrites: branching structures that receive signals from other cells
axon: fiber that carries signals away from the soma to other cells
myelin sheath: insulating material that encases some axons

Terminal buttons

(part of the neuron)
small knobs at the ends of axons that release neurotransmitters at synapses

Resting Potential (neural impulse)

neuron's stable, negative charge when inactive

Action Potential (neural impulse)

voltage spike that travels along axon

Absolute refractory Period (neural impulse)

brief time after action potential before another action potential can begin

All-or-none Law

A neuron either fires or it doesn't

consciousness

awareness of external and internal stimuli. ex: awareness of external events, internal sensations, yourself as the unique being, thoughts about these experiences

Subliminal perception

perception of sensory stimuli below an individuals absolute threshold for conscious perception

Preconscious

thoughts that are unconscious at the particular moment of question but are not repressed and capable to become conscious

Unconscious

wishes, needs and conflicts that lie below the surface of conscious awareness

Circadian cycles

individuals have different internal clocks

Most run on a 24 hr cycle

Almost all are set for sleep at night

Night time sleepiness: 2am-6am peak

Siesta zone 1-4pm

Programmed for naps

Functions of Sleep

-Memory consolidation

-Energy conservation

-Helps restore bodily functions

Sleep deprivation

-Immune functions decrease

-Leads to hallucinations and perceptual disorders

-Less alert and attentive more irritable

-Ability to perform simple task declines

REM Sleep

•active brainwaves, increased heart rate and blood pressure, limp muscle state •80% of rem is dream sleep
•Alternates on 90 min cycles

Non-REM Sleep Stage 1 + 2

–Stage 1: light sleep, small irregular brain waves, muscles relax –Stage 2: high peaking waves, sleep spindles, burst of electrical activity

Non-REM Sleep Stage 3 + 4

–Stage 3: Deep sleep, Delta waves, slow with high peaks –Stage 4: Progressively more Delta Waves (Deep Sleep) –Cycle: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, then go to REM sleep

Delayed Phase Preference

term for the changing biological clock which leads to adolescents preferring to stay up late/sleep later

Elderly Sleep Patterns

are most commonly impacted by changes in sleep patterns, alterations in sleep cycles
spend more time in bed, take longer to fall asleep, awake more in the night, sleep is less efficient: increase in stage1 and decrease in stage 4

Sleep Apnea

3 types, most extreme constricts the airway causing awakenings

Narcolepsy

falling asleep suddenly or “sleep attacks” which occur at any time, and last a few second or 30 mins
Cataplexy or sudden loss of muscle control is characteristic May experience sleep paralysis •May be accompanied by vivid dream like images

transient insomnia

lasts only a few nights; due to anxiety

short-term insomnia

poor sleeping for 2-3 weeks because of stressor or med problems

chronic insomnia

underlying med issues; hereditary

Sleep Terror

•Sudden awakening with physical behavior associated with intense fear •Screaming, fighting, trying to escape Episodes last about 15 mins •Person returns to sleep, unable to recall in the morning •More common in childhood
Parental reassurance

REM Movement Disorders

Usually in sleep the paralysis which normally occurs does not function and a person actually acts out his dream •Most common in older men and may result in violent behavior These people may remember their vivid dreams •Treated with medication

Manifest Content of Dream

surface level of the dream

Latent Content

hidden meaning, wishes, fears or impulses trying to be expressed

Systematic observation

explores changes in variables of interest

independent variable

manipulated by the experimenter

dependent variable

measured to assess any changes in response to the manupulation

Sampling bias

skewed samples will give results which don't generalize

experimental group

•receive the special treatment in the experiment

control group

•receive all the same treatment except the independent variable to assess its impact

extraneous variable

: variable other than the IV which can impact the results…time of day, lighting, procedural variations

standardization

keeping research procedures constant to assure confidence when comparing results

placebo effect

expectancies can impact subjective experiences

demand characteristics

•subjects may behave in ways they think are expected of them; responding to subtle or unintentional cues from the experimenter

experimenter bias

•research expectations may impact the interpretation of results

single-blind study

controls for subject bias by limiting their knowledge

double-blind study

controls for subject and experimenter bias with limited knowledge for both

advantages and disadvantages of the experimental design

–Permits researchers to draw conclusions about causation
–Can be replicated
–May not have real world applicability
–Not appropriate for all areas of inquiry due to ethical or practical limitations

descriptive and correlational studies

•Looks at patterns of behavior across conditions •Links variables which show consistent patterns or relationships

Case studies

•In-depth study of an individual or small group •Provides systematic observations •Limited generalizability •Susceptible to researcher bias

correlational studies

Explores the relationships between two variables using a numerical value Scale of –1 to +1
-1: is a strong negative relationship
+1: is a strong positive relationship
0 : indicates no relationship •Correlations don’t indicate causations

standard deviation

how much individual scores vary (> the sd the less typical the mean)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Descriptive /Correlational Research

•–Allows for investigation where experiments are not possible or ethical
–Can observe real world phenomenon
–Can not draw cause and effect conclusions

Obedience

a form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands
Stanley Milgram’s Obedience to Authority research project led to significant ethical challenges although one can observe the strength of its experimental design

Milgram study

Replication studies explored the influence of different independent variables

Zimbardo study

•Explored the power of situational forces and social roles
•Randomly assigned subjects to the role of prisoner or guard
•Significant criticism of the methods and ethics of this research study

Nervous System

•The Body’s electrochemical communication system
•Divided into two parts: The Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System

the central nervous system

Includes: brain and spinal chord
99 % of neurons are located here
Functions: receiving, processing and storing incoming info; sends out messages to muscles, glands and internal organs; central command system that controls thought and movement

Peripheral nervous system

•Nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord which handles input and output of the CNS

•Connects the brain and spinal cord to the other areas of the body

neurons

Individual Cells which receive, integrate and transmit information

Sensory or Afferent Neurons: carry info to the brain from the skin, muscles or organs
Motor or Efferent Neurons: carry the brains output to muscles, glands and organs

Mirror neurons

neurons which are activated by performing and action or by seeing another perform the same action
may play a role in developing new motor skills, empathy and languages (based on imitation), dysfunction linked to autistic spectrum disorders

About this deck

By: Amy Afonso
Created: 2010-10-03
Size: 69 flashcards
Views: 106

About StudyBlue

“I have been getting MUCH better grades on all my tests for school. Flash cards, notes, and quizzes are great on here. Thanks!”
Kathy