ap psych chapters 1-3
operational definition
a definition of a variable as it relates to the procedure; a form of standardization
measure of central tendency
a statistic that represents the data as a whole: mean, median, or mode
confounding variable
a variable, other than the ones introduced by the experimenter, that affects a participant's behavior and confuses data interpretation
behavior
actions through which organisms adjust to their environment
determinism
all events are determined by specific smaller factors; mental processes follow predictable patterns
neuromodulator
any substance that modifies the activities of the postsynaptic neuron
standard deviation
average distance between each data element and the mean
behaviorist perspective
behavior is caused by environmental stimuli; study antecedent conditions, behavioral response, and consequences
evolutionary perspective
behavior is caused by evolution and natural selection to serve larger adaptive purposes
biological perspective
behavior is caused by functions of genes, brain, nervous system, and endocrine system
humanistic perspective
behavior is caused by human decision; focuses on individual's perspective
cognitive perspective
behavior is caused by human thought; thought can be the causes and results of actions
psychodynamic perspective
behavior is caused by past experiences, instinct, biological drives, and motivation; developed by Freud
William James
believed consciousness is an ongoing stream that allows humans to adjust to their environment; mental processes are important, not the contents of the mind
Max Wertheimer
believed that the mind understands experiences as organized wholes (gestalts)
dendrites
branched fibers of neurons that receive incoming signals
terminal buttons
bulblike structures at the branched endings of axons that contain neurotransmitters
soma
cell body of a neuron, containing nucleus and cytoplasm
glia
cells that hold neurons together and facilitate neural transmission, remove damaged neurons, and prevent poisonous substances from reaching the brain
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers released from neurons that cross synapse, stimulating the postsynaptic neuron
hormones
chemical messengers that regulate metabolism and influence body growth and mood
normal curve
data from a large population in which the mean, median, and mode coincide
measures of variability
describes distribution of scores around the central tendency: range or standard deviation
range
difference between highest and lowest elements in a set
between-subjects control
different groups of participants are randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions
within-subjects design
each participant is his/her own control; behavioral changes are compared to initial behavior
Wilhelm Wundt
established first formal experimental psychology lab
expectancy effect
experimenter manipulates the situation to create the expected result
sociobiology
explains social behavior in terms of evolution
axon
extended fiber of a neuron through which nerve impulses travel from soma to terminal buttons
environmental/situational variables
external factors that influence behavior
functionalism
focuses on the functions of mental and behavioral processes in an organism's interactions with the environment
John Dewey
founder of functionalism and progressive learning
pituitary gland
gland located in the brain that secretes growth hormones and influences secretion in other glands
Walter Hess
he used electrical stimulation to probe structures deep in the brain
frequency distribution
how frequently each result occurs
PET scan (positron-emission tomography)
image that records brain activity through radioactive materials introduced into regions of the brain
correlation coefficient (r)
indicates degree of relationship between two variables; between -1 and 1
inhibitory inputs
information entering a neuron signaling it not to fire
excitatory inputs
information entering a neuron that signals it to fire
context of discovery
initial phase of research in which observations, beliefs, and information lead to a new idea
organismic/dispositional variables
internal factors that influence behavior
frontal lobe
located above lateral fissure; involved in motor control and cognitive activities
parietal lobe
located behind the frontal lobe and above the lateral fissure; contains somatosensory cortex
temporal lobe
located below lateral fissure; contains auditory cortex
occipital lobe
located in the back region of brain; contains primary visual cortex
experimental methods
manipulating the independent variable to determine the effect on the dependent variable
naturalistic observation
naturally occurring behavior is observed by a researcher, who does not attempt to interfere with it
corpus callosum
nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres
action potential
nerve impulse activated in a neuron that travels down the axon and causes neurotransmitters to be released into a synapse
endocrine system
network of glands that manufacture and secrete hormones into the bloodstream
motor neurons
neurons that carry messages away from the central nervous system toward the muscles and glands
sensory neurons
neurons that carry messages from sense receptors to the CNS
theory
organized set of concepts that explains a phenomenon; generates new hypotheses
cerebral cortex
outer surface of the cerebrum
hippocampus
part of the limbic system involved in storing memory
amygdala
part of the limbic system that controls emotion, aggression, and formation of emotional memory
A-B-A design
participants experience the baseline condition, then treatment, then return to the baseline
resting potential
polarization of cellular fluid within a neuron, which provides the capability to produce an action potential
ion channels
portion of neurons' cell membranes that selectively permit certain ions to flow in and out
EEG (electroencephalogram)
records electrical activity of the brain
cerebellum
region of brain attached to the brain stem that controls motor coordination and balance
reticular formation
region of brain stem that alerts cerebral cortex to incoming sensory signals; maintains consciousness
pons
region of brain stem that connects spinal cord with the brain and links parts of the brain together
medulla
region of brain stem that regulates breathing, waking, and heartbeat
association cortex
region of cerebral cortex in which many high-level brain processes occur
Broca's area
region of cerebral cortex that controls language
motor cortex
region of cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscles
visual cortex
region of occipital lobes that processes visual information
somatosensory cortex
region of parietal lobes that processes sensory input from various body areas
auditory cortex
region of temporal lobes that receives and processes auditory information
brain stem
regulates body's basic life processes
limbic system
regulates emotional behavior, motivational urges, and memory
cerebrum
regulates higher cognitive and emotional functions
hypothalamus
regulates motivated behavior and homeostasis
thalamus
relays sensory impulses to cerebral cortex
all-or-none law
rule that the size of action potential is unaffected by increases in the intensity of stimulation beyond the threshold level
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
scans brain using magnetic fields and radio waves
psychology
scientific study of individuals' behavior and mental processes
self-report measures
self-behaviors that are identified through a participant's reports
Robert Rosenthal
studied expectancy bias
human behavior genetics
studies the genetic component of individual differences in behavior
neuroscience
study of the brain and the connection between brain activity and behavior
structuralism
study of the structure of the mind and behavior; all mental experience can be understood as a combination of simple elements
sympathetic division
subdivision of ANS that deals with emergency response
parasympathetic division
subdivision of ANS that monitors internal functions
somatic nervous system
subdivision of PNS that connects CNS to skeletal muscles and skin
autonomic nervous system (ANS)
subdivision of PNS that controls involuntary motor responses
Sperry and Gazzaniga
tested capabilities of epileptic patients with separated hemispheres
reliability
the consistency of results produced from one procedure
validity
the extent to which a test measures what it was intended to measure
cultural perspective
used to determine how universal a theory is across all people and cultures
descriptive statistics
using mathematical procedures to summarize sets of data with respect to central tendencies, variability, and correlations
inferential statistics
using probability to determine whether outcomes result from chance
behavioral measures
ways to study overt reactions that are observed and recorded
significant difference
when the probability that something is not due to chance is over 5%
Edward Titchener
American psychologist, studied consciousness and introspection; structuralism
