Psy exam study guide

Wilhelm Wundt

(considered the father of psychology) established the first psyhcology laboratory in germany in the late 1800s

axon

(think of as the tunnel) that transmits electrical signals and triggers the release of neurotransmitters

Dendrites

(think of the synapse like a bridge) lies between the axon and the nerighboring neuron

Midbrain

- parkinsons disease -upper reticular formation -top of the brain stem

Evolutionary psychology

-adaptive mechanism -human thought and behavior have been shaped by evolutionary forces -natural sexual selection

psychopgysics

-examines human perception of light and sound -emphasis on the relationship between the physical and psychological worlds

Empiricism

Is the philosophical belief that all knowledge comes from our experiences

alleles

different forms of a gene

cerebrum

divided into two large hemispheres and is the uppermost portion of the brain

sample

a small part of the population that you are actually observing

descriptive studies

a study where we can define a problem/ question about the population but there are no variables, controls, or manipulation involved

monucular depth cues

aids to depth perception that do not require two eyes

bioncular depth cues

aids to depth perception that rely on input from both eyes

How Neurons Fire: 1 (Resting potential)

While the neuron is in the resting state, the fluid outside the axon contains more positive ions than inside of the axon where there are more negatively charged ions

mutation

a random gene in a genetic sequence

synaptogensis

formation of entirely new synases or conneciton with other neurons

arborizaiton

growth and formation of new neurons

experimental design

includes both independent and dependent variables and random assignments of participants to both control and experimental groups or conditions

behavioral measures

information is taken through observing participants actual behaviors

self-report measures

information taken from our own thoughts, feelings, and actions

corpus callosum

its primary function is connecting both hemispheres and facilitates communication between both logical and creative tasks

polygenic

made up of multiple genes

graded potentials

minor changes in the membrane potential that by themselves are not powerful enought to trigger an action potential

output

motor cortex: left hemisphere section (controls the bodys right side)

Emil kraepelin

came up with a way to systematically classify and diagnose psychological disorders *dementia pracecox and schizophrenia

falsification

changing altering or deleting data to "fit' for research opportunities

Catecholamines

chemicals involved in fight-or flight, produced by the adrenal glands

neurotransmitter

chemicals that trasnfer information between neurons

hormones

chemicals that travel in the bloodstream and carry messages to tissues and organs all over the body

monogenic

come from a single gene

Genome

contains all our genetic informaiton in our DNA

interneruons

only communicate with other neurons helps curb inhibition of impulses from one neuron to the next

insula ( deep inside)

perception, emotion, addiction

genes

small segments of dna that contain information for producing proteins

pariental lobe

somatosensory cortex (touch). Parallels the motor cortex

input

somatosensory cortex: left hemisphere section recieves input from the body right side

Basal ganglia

sometimes considered part of the limbic system -collection of structures

dependent variable

that is measured outcome or response

perceptual constancy

the ability of the brain to preserve the perception of object in spite of changes int he retinal image when an object changes in positiong or distance from the viewer

depth perception

the ability to see things in three dimensions and to discriminate what is near from what is far

neuroplasticity

the brains ability to adopt new functions, reorganize itself, or make new neaural connections

soma

the cell body of the neuron (means to the body to help you remember)

Neuron

the cells that process and transmit information

phenotype

the characteristic of a living being that we can actually see

transduction

the conversion of physical into neurol information - is the basic process of sensation

binocular disparity

the difference in the retinal image from the two eyes

population

the entire group that you are referencing for your study

Glial cells

the glue that holds everything in the CNS together

terminal buttons

the little knob at the end of the axon that contains tiny sacs storing the neurotransmitters

pituaitary gland

the master endocrine gland that controls the release of hormones from glands elsewhere in the body

heredity

the passing our physical and mental characteristics from one generation to another

debriefing

the process of explaining study purposes to participants after data collection

cortisol

the stress hormone that regulates important metabolic functions

developmental psychology

the study of how we thik and behave across our lifespan -how do we develop in utero -is it nature or nurture (both) -how can we promote healthy aging

enddocrine system

the system of glands that secrete and regulate hormones

indepent variable

the variable that can be manipulated or changed

motor neurons

transmits information through the body to initiate movement

Continuity

we see points or lines in such a way that they follow a continous path

proximinty

we tend to group objects together that are near one another

law of closure

we tend to perceive a whole object in the absense of complete information

similarity

we tent to group like object together in visual perception

Plagiarism

when someone presents someone else's words and ideas as their own

How neurons fire: 2 ( action potential)

when the neuron is stimulated, an action potential occurs. Next sodium channels within the axon open up, and positibely charged sodium ions flow into the axon riasing the electrical charge inside the axon to 40mV

physiological measures

where we can examine physical/bodily responses to assess changes in psychological states

sensory neruons

recieve incoming information

adrenal glands

releases hormones important in regulating the stress reponse and emotions

longitudinal studies

-how do human behaviors change over time -vary by length of study duration

cross-cultural psychology

-how do our cultural backgrounds affect how we experience the world around us -why are things considered normal in some cultures but completely alien in other cultures -what does it mean to individualistic versus communal -how do we find commonality across cultures

social psychology

-how do we form groups? - why are we more likely to help others who look like us than others who do not look like us -what does it mean to be altruistic/pro social -how do our biases affect our ability to get along with others

industrial organizational psychology

-how do we put psychology to work -how can psychology help with employee productivity -how can companies use psychology to strategize for increased customer satisfaction

clinical psychology

-how do we treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders -how do we find ways to promote psychological health

sports psychology

-how does psychology affect athlete performance -how we promote and optimize exercise for everyday living -how do we increase participation in sports

twin adoption studies

-how strong ar eour genetic influences on behavior -genetic -environmental -trait

limbic system

-hypothalamus -major drives -pituitary (hormones)

Hindbrain

-medulla: breathing, heart, arousal, survival reflexes -pons: "bridge" -cerebellum: balance, coordination

temporal lobe

-memory, emotion -auditory cortex (hearing)

frontal lobe

-planning impulse control, abstract thinking, etc

forebrain

-thalamus -sensory relay station -the smell is the only sensory system that has no thalamic relay

personality psychology

-what makes us tick -can our personalities change over time -what can our personality tell us about predicting our behaviors and how we interact with eachother -who are we at our core

forensic psychology

-what place does psychology have in the study and practice of law -what does it mean to be an expert withness -how cna psychology influence criminal justice proceedings

behavioral neuroscience and biological psychology

-why is it important to study the neural networks in the brain -what is neurogenesis -how does our brain chemistry affect our physical capabilities -what happens when our nervous system is damaged

Scientific Method

1.) observe 2.)predict 3.) test 4.)interpret 5.)comomunicate 6.)replicate

Pseudoscience

A fake or false science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence.

meta-analysis

A method of cross-referencing published findings across many sources of a particular body of literature to develop new hypotheses and ask new questions

neuropsychological

Behavioral genetic -foundation for thought and behavior is biological and genetic forces -brain structures, neurochemicals, and genes

How neurons fire: 3 (return to resting potential)

As the impulse moves down the axon, potassium ( k+) channels open allowing more potassium to flood out of the cell restoring the neuron to the resting potential (-70mV)

Behaviorism

Learning -a belief that for psychology to be true science, we should be more focused on studying behavior and not abstract thoughts or ideas

Genotype

The entire genetic information of a single organism

Nodes of ranvier

The gaps in the myelin sheath where the action potential jumps

research ethics

The rules and standards we abide by in order to conduct ourselves as a group or ina specific situation ( do no harm)

Psychology

The science/study of thoughts and human behavior

cognitive psychology

The study of the brain and the brains effect on behavior - what do we think? -how do we make decisions? -how do we acquire language? -how do we remember?

chromosomes

a coiled up thread of DNA

neurogensis

development of new neurons

Physics

examines the physical properties of light and sound

big data

extremely large amount of data typically captured from online behaviors, analyzed for patterns using sophisticated analytic programs

sigmund freud

famous for developing a treatment procedure called "psychoanalysis

Humanist

positive psychology -people deserve to be treated with kindness are overall trying to do good in the world and find happiness *living my best life*

fabrication

presenting or publishing made-up data

occipital lobe

primary visual cortex

Psychoanalytic

psychodymanic approach -our behavior is shaped by our early childhood as well as our unconscious mind and notices