Psychology chapters 1-2

________ is defined as a special kind of systematic observation, used by correlational researchers, that involves obtaining measures of the variables of interest in multiple waves over time.

A longitudinal design

________ stress is the momentary stress that occurs in response to life experiences.

Acute

The ________ has developed ethics guidelines for its members, and the ________ evaluates the ethical nature of research conducted at their colleges and universities.

American Psychological Association (APA); Institutional Review Board (IRB)

________ believed that psychology should be about what people do, and should not concern itself with what cannot be seen, such as thoughts, feelings, and goals.

B. F. Skinner

________ is an abnormal disruption in the tissue of the brain resulting from injury or disease.

Brain lesioning

________ is a complex molecule in the cell's chromosomes that carries genetic information.

DNA

________ carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the body.

Efferent nerves

________ are natural opiates that mainly stimulate the firing of neurons.

Endorphins

________ refers to the degree to which an experimental design really reflects the real-world issues it is supposed to address.

External validity

________ provide support, nutritional benefits, and other functions in the nervous system.

Glial cells

________ refers to the degree to which changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable.

Internal validity

________ provide ways by which correlational researchers may attempt to demonstrate causal relations among variables, even though the causal relationship may still be somewhat unclear.

Longitudinal designs

________ are the thoughts, feelings, and motives that each of us experiences privately but that cannot be observed directly.

Mental processes

As it relates to the functioning of the brain's two hemispheres, which of the following is true?

Most day-to-day activities involve an interplay between the brain's two hemispheres.

________ are interconnected groups of nerve cells that integrate sensory input and motor output.

Neural networks

________ is the scientific study of the structure, function, development, genetics, and biochemistry of the nervous system.

Neuroscience

________ are chemical substances that are stored in very tiny sacs within the neuron's terminal buttons and involved in transmitting information across a synaptic gap to the next neuron.

Neurotransmitters

________ inhibits the firing of neurons in the central nervous system, but it excites the heart muscle, intestines, and urogenital tract.

Norepinephrine

________ provide an objective description of how variables are going to be measured and observed in a particular study.

Operational definitions

________ is a hormone and neurotransmitter that plays an important role in the experience of love and social bonding.

Oxytocin

________ is a term used by scientists to describe the influences of multiple genes on behavior.

Polygenic inheritance

________ refers to researchers' assignment of participants to groups by chance, to reduce the likelihood that an experiment's results will be due to preexisting differences between groups.

Random assignment

Which of the following principles should psychologists abide by to ensure that the results of their experiments are replicable?

Researchers should be thorough in reporting the methods of their research.

________ is a genetic method in which organisms are chosen for reproduction based on how much of a particular trait they display.

Selective breeding

________ are the circumstances and events that threaten individuals and tax their coping abilities.

Stressors

Which of the following is true of research that uses a within-participant design?

The participants in the experimental and control groups are the same people.

________ refers to the soundness of the conclusions that a researcher draws from an experiment.

Validity

Which of the following theorists primarily used the structuralism approach to studying human behavior?

Wilhelm Wundt

________ is most often regarded the "founding father" of modern psychology.

Wilhelm Wundt

The brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon is

action potential.

According to the science of psychology, a behavior is a(n)

action that can be directly observed.

Morphine mimics the actions of endorphins by stimulating receptors in the brain and spinal cord associated with pleasure and pain. Morphine, therefore, is an example of a(n)

agonist.

An ________ is a drug that mimics or increases a neurotransmitter's effects, whereas an ________ is a drug that blocks a neurotransmitter's effects.

agonist; antagonist

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique that

allows scientists to see what is happening in the brain while it is working.

Discrimination of objects that are necessary for survival (such as appropriate food) as well as emotional awareness and expression involves the

amygdala.

Drugs used to treat schizophrenia interfere with the activity of dopamine. Such a drug is an example of a(n)

antagonist.

The function of the ________ is to take messages to and from the body's internal organs, monitoring such processes as breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

autonomic nervous system

The sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system are components of the

autonomic nervous system.

Large neuron clusters located above the thalamus and under the cerebral cortex that work with the cerebellum and the cerebral cortex to control and coordinate voluntary movements are called

basal ganglia.

The ________ approach emphasizes the scientific study of observable actions and/or responses and their environmental determinants.

behavioral

Neuroscience studies are based on the ________ approaches to psychology.

biological

Psychologists who adopt a(n) ________ approach examine behavior and mental processes by focusing on the body, especially the brain and nervous system.

biological

The ______ approach asserts that human behavior is the product of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

biopsychosocial

The term "plasticity" refers to the

brain's special capacity for change.

In the context of descriptive research methods in psychology, ________ are performed mainly by clinical psychologists when, for either practical or ethical reasons, the unique aspects of an individual's life cannot be duplicated and tested in other individuals.

case studies

The brain and spinal cord make up the

central nervous system

The ________ is part of the forebrain, the outer layer of the brain, and is responsible for the most complex mental functions, such as thinking and planning.

cerebral cortex

In the human cell, threadlike structures that come in 23 pairs, one member of each pair originating from each parent, and that contain DNA are called

chromosomes.

According to ________ psychologists, your brain houses a "mind" whose mental processes allow you to remember, make decisions, plan, set goals, and be creative.

cognitive

Which of the following approaches to psychology focuses on how we direct our attention, perceive, remember, think, and solve problems?

cognitive

The ________ approach to psychology views the mind as an active and aware problem-solving system. This view contrasts with the ________ outlook, which portrays actions as controlled by external environmental forces.

cognitive; behavioral

When the axons of healthy neurons adjacent to damaged cells grow new branches, ________ has occurred.

collateral sprouting

A(n) ________ is a person who is given a role to play in a study so that the social context can be manipulated.

confederate

According to the principle of ________, researchers are responsible for keeping all of the data they gather on individuals completely confidential and, when possible, completely anonymous.

confidentiality

In correlations research, third variables are also known as

confounds.

The endocrine system

consists of a set of glands that regulate the activities of certain organs by releasing their chemical products into the bloodstream.

The ________ is the large bundle of axons that connects the brain's two hemispheres and is responsible for relaying information between the two sides.

corpus callosum

Neurosurgeons can reduce the unbearable seizures some epileptics experience by severing the

corpus callosum.

Which of the following attitudes are central to the scientific approach to psychology?

critical thinking, curiosity, skepticism, and objectivity

A key aspect of the process of testing hypotheses in the scientific method is

data analysis.

After a research study has been completed, the researchers should inform the participants of its purpose and the methods they used. This is in accordance with the principle of

debriefing

Which of the following is one of the issues addressed by the ethics guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association?

debriefing

Aspects of a study that communicate to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave are known as

demand characteristics.

The goal of ________ research is to determine the basic dimensions of a phenomenon.

descriptive

What area of specialization in psychology examines how people become who they are, from conception to death, concentrating on biological and environmental factors?

developmental psychology

A(n) ________ allows researchers to identify the specific effects of the independent variable from the possible effects of the experimenter's and the participants' expectations about it.

double-blind experiment

In a ________, neither the experimenter administering the treatment nor the participants are aware of which participants are in the experimental group and which are in the control group until the results are calculated.

double-blind experiment

Information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles is sent through ________, thus enabling the body to move.

efferent nerves

The ________ involves gaining knowledge by observing events, collecting data, and reasoning logically.

empirical methodCorrect

The final step in the scientific method of psychology is

evaluating conclusions.

The ________ approach to psychology relies on concepts such as adaptation, reproduction, and natural selection as the basis for explaining specific human behaviors.

evolutionary

Which of the following research methods allow(s) researchers to determine causality?

experimental studies

In the context of psychological research methods, which of the following refers to a carefully regulated procedure in which the researcher manipulates one or more variables that are believed to influence some other variable?

experiments

When a neuron sends an action potential, it is commonly said to be

firing.

Which of the following is the second step in the scientific method?

formulating hypotheses and predictions

The ________ are involved in personality, intelligence, and the control of voluntary muscles.

frontal lobes

William James, a prominent American psychologist and philosopher, focused on human interactions with the outside world to understand the purpose of thoughts. His view is known as

functionalism

Which of the following refers to an organism's complete genetic material?

genome

Which of the following is defined as organs or tissues in the body that create chemicals that control many bodily functions?

glands

In the context of the major regions of the brain, which of the following is the lowest portion of the brain?

hindbrain

The chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands are known as

hormones.

The ________ approach emphasizes a person's positive qualities, the capacity for positive growth, and the freedom to choose one's destiny.

humanistic

In an experiment, the ________ is conceptualized as the "potential cause" and the ________ is conceptualized as the "resulting effect."

independent variable; dependent variable

In experimental research, the ________ is a manipulated experimental factor, and the ________ is the outcome.

independent variable; dependent variable

According to the principle of ________, all participants must know what their participation will involve and what risks might develop.

informed consent

Which of the following characteristics of the brain refers to the brain's ability to pull information together?

integration

In the case of ________, one wants to know whether the experimental methods are free from biases and logical errors that may render the results suspect.

internal validity

A case study

is an in-depth look at a single individual.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in

learning and memory.

The ________ is a set of subcortical brain structures central to emotion, memory, and reward processing.

limbic system

In the context of brain imaging, ________ involves creating a magnetic field around a person's body and using radio waves to construct images of the person's tissues and biochemical activities.

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Genes

manufacture the proteins that are necessary for maintaining life.

Which part of the nervous system regulates breathing and heart rate?

medulla

The ________ is the part of the cerebral cortex that processes information about voluntary movement.

motor cortex

A ________ is a layer of fat cells that insulates most axons and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses.

myelin sheath

Which of the following terms refers to Charles Darwin's principle of an evolutionary process; the process in which organisms that are best adapted to their environment will survive and, importantly, produce offspring?

natural selection

The ________ is the outermost part of the cerebral cortex, making up 80 percent of the human brain's cortex.

neocortex

The ________ system is the body's electrochemical communication circuitry.

nervous

Which of the following types of cells in the nervous system handle the information-processing function?

neurons

The field that studies the nervous system is called

neuroscience.

The cell body contains the ________, which directs the manufacture of substances that a neuron needs for growth and maintenance.

nucleus

Which of the following is the first step in the scientific method?

observing some phenomenon in the world

The ________ is defined as a dual-purpose gland under the stomach that performs both digestive and endocrine functions.

pancreas

In the context of the autonomic nervous system, the ________ calms the body.

parasympathetic nervous system

Researchers usually should submit their findings to a journal for review by their colleagues, who make a decision about whether to publish the paper, depending on its scientific merit. This process is known as

peer review.

The ________ connects the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body.

peripheral nervous system

The somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system are components of the

peripheral nervous system.

Psychology began as a science in the discipline of

philosophy

The ________ gland is defined as a pea-sized gland just beneath the hypothalamus that controls growth and regulates other glands.

pituitary

The membrane of the resting neuron is said to be

polarized.

Which of the following techniques involves an analyst unlocking a person's unconscious conflicts by talking with the individual about his or her childhood memories, dreams, thoughts, and feelings?

psychoanalysis

Which approach to psychology emphasizes unconscious thought?

psychodynamic approach

A ________ is a sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected.

random sample

The subset of a population chosen by an investigator for study is a

sample.

Depression is associated with low levels of which neurotransmitter?

serotonin

The ________, located at the front of the parietal lobes, is defined as a region in the cerebral cortex that processes information about body sensations.

somatosensory cortex

Resting potential is the

stable, negative charge of an inactive neuron.

The reticular formation of the midbrain is involved in

stereotyped patterns of behavior such as walking, sleeping, or turning to attend to a sudden noise.

A correlation coefficient is a statistic that tells the

strength and direction of association between two variables.

Corticosteroids are

stress hormones.

In which of the following psychological approaches did researchers ask participants to think about what was going on mentally as various events took place?

structuralism

Wilhelm Wundt's approach to discovering the basic elements of mental processes is called

structuralism

Wilhelm Wundt was the founder of ________, whereas William James was the founder of ________

structuralism; functionalism

The ________ is the part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body to mobilize it for action and thus is involved in the experience of stress.

sympathetic nervous system

Which of the following refers to tiny spaces between neurons?

synapses

Structures in the cerebral cortex that are involved in hearing, language processing, and memory are called

temporal lobes.

A population is

the entire group about which investigators want to draw conclusions.

The axon is

the part of the neuron that carries information away from the cell body toward other cells.

Which of the following situations occurs when participants' expectations, rather than the experimental treatment, produce an experimental outcome?

the placebo effect

A(n) ________ is a broad idea or set of closely related ideas that attempts to explain observations and to make predictions about future observations.

theory

Dendrites are

treelike fibers which receive information and orient it toward the neuron's cell body.