PSYC 2301 Final

What is the strongest possible numeric relationship between two variables?

+/- 1

Describe the following approach to psychology: Social Cognitive Theory

Environmental conditions: thoughts modify the impact of environment on behavior; Imitation/ modeling. Albert Bandura

What is the responsibility/function of the Autonomic Nervous System?

Communicates with the body's internal organs; monitors involuntary processes including breathing, heart rate, and digestion; divided into two parts

What are the 4 characteristics of the Nervous System?

Complexity, Integration, Adaptability, Electrochemical transmission

What is the responsibility/function of the Somatic Nervous System?

Consists of sensory nerves; conveys info from the skin and muscles to the CNS about voluntary conditions such as pain and temperature; motor nerves then tell muscles what to do

Define the following parts of a neuron: Nucleus

Contains neuron specific information that is shared with other neurons.

Define Transduction

Converting sensory stimuli to neural impulses, sent along to the brain.

Define Corpus Callosum

Bundle of neural fibers that connects the brain's two hemispheres.

What is the responsibility/function of the Parasympathetic Nervous System?

Calms the body; conserves energy.

Explain how "Noise" interferes with absolute threshold

Can impair our ability to perceive accurately.

Define the following parts of a neuron: Soma

Cell body.

Ions

Charged particles that are moved across the cell membrane.

Define and explain Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers released by neurons Travel across the synapse Allow neurons to communicate with one another

Control group

Comparison group, treated like experimental, but not manipulated.

Define Sample Bias

Research participants are unrepresentative of the larger population.

Confidentiality

A principle of professional ethics requiring providers of mental health care or medical care to limit the disclosure of a patient's identity, his or her condition or treatment, and any data entrusted to professionals during assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

Debriefing

A researcher explains the purpose of the study, explains the use of deception (if any was used), encourages the participant to ask questions about the study, and allows the researcher to address any harm to the participant that may have resulted from their participation in the study.

What is the weakest possible numeric relationship between 2 variables?

0

Placebo Effect

A participant's expectations or beliefs, rather than the actual drug or treatment, influences the experimental outcome.

Who is Phineas Gage? What happened to him and what was the result?

25-year-old railroad worker September 1848 Head injury when a charge of blasting powder drove an iron rod in his face He recovered; Lived another 12 years Injured frontal lobe Affected his personality Became irresponsible and rowdy

5 types of descriptive research: Meta-Analysis

A statistical technique for combining analyzing data from many studies in order to determine overall trends.

Define Sample

A (representative) section of the group.

Neural Impulse

A brief electric surge that carries the neuron's message.

Theory

A broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain certain observations. (Why)

Define the following parts of a neuron: Myelin sheath

A layer of fat cells that encases/covers the axon to increase accuracy and speed of transmission.

Define/Explain what a Correlation Coefficient. Use the terms magnitude and direction in your explanation.

A number between 0 and 1 that indicates the direction and strength of the relationship between 2 variables

4 lobes of the brain: Temporal

Above the ear; involved in hearing, language processing, and memory.

Informed Consent

An ethical principle requiring that research participants be told enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate.

Hypothesis

An idea that is a testable prediction, predicts an outcome.

5 types of descriptive research: Case Study

An in-depth look at a single individual (Rare condition, Interviews, Sometimes a small group).

Define the term variable.

Any factor that can vary or change and can be obsereved, measured, and verified

What is the responsibility/function of the Sympathetic Nervous System?

Arouses the body; mobilizes energy during times of stress.

4 lobes of the brain: Parietal

At the top; Registers spatial location, attention, receives & interprets bodily sensation.

4 lobes of the brain: Occipital

Back of the head; deals with vision & visual perception.

What are the 4 aspects of Scientific Thinking?

Be curious, be skeptical, be objective, think critically.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Trait View

Behavior and personality are products of enduring psychological characteristics.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Behavioral Approach

Behavior shaped by the environment; Rewards and punishments mold behavior. John B. Watson & B.F. Skinner

4 lobes of the brain: Frontal

Behind forehead; control of voluntary muscles, motor control, intelligence, and personality.

What structures make up the Central Nervous System?

Brain and Spinal Cord

Describe the following approach to psychology: Biological View

Brain and nervous system; physical aspects.

Define the following parts of a neuron: Dendrites

Branch like structures that collect/receive information from neighboring information and orient it (bring it back) toward the cell.

What are the 3 types of research data collection methods?

Descriptive, Correlational, Experimental.

Define Sensation

Detecting & collecting stimulus energies from the environment; stimuli are physical energy such as light, sound, heat.

Main classes of sensory receptors: Chemoreception

Detection of chemical stimuli, perceived as smell and taste.

Main classes of sensory receptors: Photoreception

Detection of light, perceived as sight.

Main classes of sensory receptors: Mechanoreception

Detection of pressure, vibration, and movement, perceived as touch, hearing, and balance.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Health Psychology

Devoted to understanding how people stay well, why they become ill, and how to cope with illness.

How can experimenter bias and participant bias be alleviated?

Double-Blind Experiment: neither the experimenter nor the participant are aware of groups.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Developmental View

Emphasizes change that occurs across the lifespan.

Random assignment

Equal chance for participants to be assigned to either group.

Define the following parts of a neuron: Synapses

Exchange points where information is shared between the axon of one neuron and dendrites of surrounding neurons.

What is experimenter bias?

Experimenter's expectations influence the outcome of research.

Norepinephrine

Function: Attention, arousal, learning, memory, dreaming, emotion, stress Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstacy (MDMA), adderall (ADHD) Known or Suspected Effects: Low levels associated with depression; high levels linked with agitated, manic states

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Function: Emotional arousal, memory Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Amphetamines, ecstacy (MDMA), cocaine Known or Suspected Effects: Increases metabolism of glucose necessary for energy release

Serotonin

Function: Emotional states, dreaming, impulse control, appetite, sensory perception, arousal, temperature regulation, pain suppression Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Ecstacy (MDMA), LSD, cocaine, SSRIs, like Prozac (depression) Known or Suspected Effects: Linked with impulsivity; undersupply associated with depression

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

Function: Learning, anxiety regulation, major role in inhibitory messages Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Acohol, GHB, rohypnol, valium (anxiety) Known or Suspected Effects: Undersupply linked to seizures and insomnia; tranquilizing drugs, like Valium, increase inhibitory effects and thereby decrease anxiety

Acetylcholine

Function: Learning, attention, sleeping, memory, muscle contraction Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Nicotine, amphetamines, LSD, PCP, marijuana Known or Suspected Effects: Neurons producing ACh deteriorate; decreased ACh plays a suspected role in Alzheimer's disease

Glutamate

Function: Learning, movement, memory, major role in excitatory messages Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Alcohol, phencyclidine (PCP) (mind-altering drug), ketamine (anesthetic) Known or Suspected Effects: Improves learning and memory; low levels linked to anxiety, depression, migraines, and seizures

Dopamine

Function: Movement, emotion, learning, attention Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Cocaine, methamphetamine, LSD, GHB, PCP, marijuana, ecstacy (MDMA), L-Dopa (Parkinsons), chlorpromazine (schizophrenia) Known or Suspected Effects: Oversupply linked with schizophrenia; undersupply linked with Parkinson's disease; key role in addiction and the reward system

Endorphins

Function: Pain perception, positive emotions Examples of Agonist/Antagonist Drugs: Heroin, morphine, oxycodone (treatments for pain) Known or Suspected Effects: Decreases pain perception; improves/increases mood, memory, learning, blood pressure, appetite, sexual activity

Experimental group

Group is manipulated.

Why are neurons important?

Human brain contains about 100 billion neurons; Most neurons are developed early in life.

What is the purpose/goal of correlational research?

Identify the strength of the relationship between two or more events or characteristics. The greater the strength, the greater the prediction. Does not indicate cause/effect: be cautious with results.

Placebo

Inactive substance or fake treatment; mimics the IV but isn't really the IV; sugar pill.

Define Split-Brain Patients

Individuals who have had the corpus callosum surgically severed; Formally a treatment for seizures.

What is the purpose of the experimental design?

Involves manipulation and control of variables to determine cause of behavior (AKA Cause/effect).

What are the basic duties of: Licensed Professional Counselor

LPC; Therapy, Research, testing.

Other careers

Licensed Specialist in School Psychology LSSP, Case Manager, Social Worker LMSW or LCSW, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor LCDC, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist LMFT

What are the basic duties of: Psychiatrist

MD; Prescribe medication, light therapy.

Define, explain, and give examples for Independent Variable

Manipulated, influenced, experimental factor in the experiment; controlled by the experimenter; AKA treatment variable. Ex: new medication thought to anxiety (IV)

Describe the following approach to psychology: Cognitive

Mental processes involved in knowing: Attention, Perceive, Remember, Solve problems

Deception

Methodological technique whereby a participant is not made fully aware of the specific purposes of the study or is misinformed as part of the study.

Define Absolute Threshold and provide an example

Minimum amount of stimulus energy that an individual can detect; The moment we detect the presence of a stimulus; People have different thresholds. Ideal circumstances = very low absolute thresholds

Define Neurons

Nerve cells specialized for processing information; basic unit of the nervous system; receive, integrate, and transmit electrochemical info.

Define Glial Cells

Nerve cells that provide support and nutritional benefits to the nervous system.

What is the responsibility/function of the Peripheral Nervous System?

Network of nerves; connects brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body; Takes info to and from the brain spinal cord; Carries out the commands of the CNS; Divided in to 2 parts

What are the 6 steps of the Scientific Method?

Observation & Literature Review, Develop a hypothesis, Research Design, Gather objective data & Analyze results • Publish, criticize, and replicate results, Theory Development

Define, explain, and give examples for Dependent Variable

Observed and measured for change; factor that is affected (or dependent on) the IV. Ex: anxiety level of the participant/client (DV)

What is the purpose of descriptive research?

Observing and recording behavior and mental states. Cannot prove causation.

5 types of descriptive research: Naturalistic Observation

Observing behavior in real-world settings with no manipulation (Jane Goodall and the chimpanzees).

Define Perception

Organizing and interpreting sensory information to give it subjective meaning.

What is participant bias?

Participants' behavior is influenced by what they believe they are supposed to have.

Define the following parts of a neuron: Axon

Pathway that carries away neuron specific information (to other neurons).

What are the basic duties of: Psychologist

PhD; Therapy, Research, Projective testing.

What does a positive vs. a negative correlation mean?

Positive (+): as one variable increases, so does the other Negative (-): as one variable increase, the other decreases

What is the complete definition of Psychology?

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Describe the following approach to psychology: Humanistic Approach

Seeking personal growth; Free will, self-actualization; Developing individual,positive qualities; Maslow/ Rogers; Therapist = warm, nurturing, and supportive

Magnitude

Size of the number between 0 and 1. The closer to 1 (positive or negative), the stronger the relationship.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Sociocultural Approach

Social interaction and cultural influences. Culture includes: Geography, Ethnicity, Religion

Sensory receptors

Specialized cells; detect and transmit stimulus information to sensory nerves and the brain.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Evolutionary Perspective

Stresses natural selection, adaptation, and reproduction.

5 types of descriptive research: Survey

Structured (Likert scale) vs. unstructured, convenient, social desirability.

Define and explain Antagonist Drug

Substance that binds to a receptor and blocks or inhibits an NT's effect.

Define Agonist Drug

Substance that binds to a receptor and mimics or enhances an NT's effect.

Define Subliminal Perception

The ability to detect information below the absolute threshold/level of conscious awareness.

Define Population

The entire group.

Define/explain 3rd variable and illusory correlations

The phenomenon of perceiving a relationship between variables even when no such relationship exists.

Describe the following approach to psychology: Cognitive Behavioral Approach

Thoughts impact feelings; Modify and manage thoughts. Albert Ellis

Describe the following approach to psychology: Psychodynamic Approach

Unconscious dynamics; Biological instincts and society's demands; Early experiences. • Sigmund Freud

5 types of descriptive research: Standardized Tests

Uniform way of administering and scoring. Describe current state; may change in time.