Psychology Exam 1

Four primary goals of science:

description, prediction, control, and explanation

Three Main Types of Research Methods

descriptive, correlational, experimental

Rene Descartes' ________ was important for the development of psychology because it offered the possibility of being able to understand and explain at least some parts of human behavior in purely mechanical terms.

development of the hydraulic model of reflexes and the distinction between mind and body

Rene Descartes' ________________ was important for the development of psychology because it offered the possibility of being able to understand and explain at least some parts of human behavior in purely mechanical terms.

development of the hydraulic model of reflexes and the distinction between mind and body.

T or F An experiment with 2 IVs and 2 DV is by necessity confounded

false

T or F In a correlational study the experimenter manipulates an IV and measures a DV.

false

T or F. If we collect data on Number of classes missed and Final Grade in the course, we most likely would find that as Number of Classes missed increases, final grade decreases. This would demonstrate a positive correlation.

false

T or F. Dr. C has a Ph.D. in psychology, he is a specialist in statistics, and IQ test development. He is known as a clinical neuro-diagnostician.

false

T or F. In reference to surveys, sampling bias means that the participants in the survey are biased against the questions asked.

false

T or F. The Burden of Proof standard for evaluating theories is that if you do not believe a theory, it is up to you to prove that it is wrong - the burden to disprove the theory fall on you not the proponents the theory

false

On hot summer days, Devon relies on what brain structure to monitor his thirst and the need to drink more water?

hypothalamus

In an experiment on the effects of cocaine on maze learning in rats, the experimenter gives one group of rats cocaine and another group no cocaine and then measures the number of trails each rat needs to learn the maze. In this experiment, Drug is the ______ variable and number of trials needed to learn the maze is the ______ variable.

independent/dependent

Two types of ions that contribute to a neurons resting membrane potential:

sodium and potassium ions.

Correlations

+1.0 > = r > = -1.0 positive: as A increases B increases negative: as A increases B decreases zero: A and B are unrelated R = -0.9 indicates a stronger relationship that R = +0.7

Action Potential

- Aka neural firing - The electrical signal that passes along the axon. This signal causes the terminal buttons to release chemicals that transmit signals to other neurons.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

- Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Correlation Studies

- Examine how variables are naturally related in the real world, without any attempt by the researcher to alter them or assign causation between them. - Used to describe and predict relationships between variables. - Cannot be used to determine the casual relationship between variables. - Researchers cannot alter variables. - Researchers cannot draw conclusions from this.

Amygdala

- Located in front of the hippocampus - Involved in learning about biologically relevant stimuli - Plays a special role in responding to stimuli that elicit fear. - Also involved in evaluating facial expressions emotional significance. Especially strong in a fearful face. - Also intensifies the function of memory during times of emotional arousal.

Cerebral Cortex

- Located on the forebrain -

Hypothalamus

- Master regulatory structure. - Indispensable to the organisms survival. - Located below the thalamus. - Projects influence to almost everywhere in the body and brain. - Affects the functions of many internal organs, regulating body temperature, body rhythms, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.

Hippocampus

- Plays an important role in the formation of new memories.

Three major advances

- Progress in understanding brain chemistry - Developments in neuroscience - Advances in decoding the human genome

Once a neurotransmitter has finished binding with the postsynaptic receptor site, which of the following occur at the end of the transmission?

- Reuptake - Autoreception - Enzyme deactivation

Alicia is being tickled by her older sister. Which divisions of the nervous system are receiving the signals from her sister's fingers?

- Somatic - Peripheral

When Andrew proposes to Heidi, her heartbeat quickens, her pupils dilate, and her breath quickens as she answers, "Yes!" Which parts of the nervous system are activating these responses?

- Sympathetic - Autonomic - Peripheral

Basal Ganglia

- System of subcortical structures crucial for planning and producing movement. - Sends input to the motor centers of the brain stem. - Can impair the learning of movements and habits.

Both of William's parents have brown hair, but he was born with red hair. Which of the following occurred to produce this redheaded child?

- Two recessive red hair genes combined. - William inherited red hair genes.

Jorge takes a drink offered to him at a party. The next thing he knows, he wakes up in the middle of a field and cannot recall the night's events. What might the drink have contained?

- a glutamate antagonist - an acetylcholine antagonist

Which parts of the nervous system would send messages from a person's sore knee to alert him or her to stop running and rest?

-Peripheral -Somatic

Synapse

A junction where information is transmitted from one neuron to the next.

Cerebellum

A large protuberance connected to the back of the brain stem. Looks like an extra brain. Important for motor function.

Six steps of the scientific method

1. forming a hypothesis 2. conduct a literature review 3. design a study 4. conduct the study 5. analyze the data 6. report the results

Jean Piaget

1924 Proposed a theory of infant and child development. Cognitive development occurs in a fixed series of "stages", from birth to adolescence.

Casual Interference

A conclusion that when one thing happens, another specific thing will follow.

Myelin Sheath

A layer of fatty tissue segmentally encasing the fibers of many neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed of neural impulses as the impulse hops from one node to the next. Made up of glial cells.

Corpus Callosum

A massive bridge of millions of axons, connects the hemisphere and allows information to flow between them.

Nocebo Effect

A negative placebo effect due to the expectation of adverse consequences from receiving treatment

Axons

A part of a neuron that carries impulses away from the cell body

Refractory Period

A period of inactivity after a neuron has fired

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

A powerful magnetic field used to momentarily disrupt the brains magnetic forces. Energy is released from brain tissue in a form that can be measures by detectors surrounding the head. Provides information about the structure of the brain. Ex: can determine the location of brain damage or of a brain tumor.

Hypothesis

A specific, testable prediction, narrower than theory is based on.

Theory

An explanation or model of how a phenomenon works. Used to explain prior observations and to make predictions about future events.

The action potential starts from the

Axon Hillock

Biopsychologist

Behavioral neuroscientist

Dr. C has a PhD in psychology, she conducts research on hormonal influences on brain development and neural integrity in rats. She is known as a..

Biopsychologist

Dendrites

Branchlike parts of a neuron that are specialized to receive information.

Standard of Proof for Scientific Evidence

Data collected using scientifically accepted methods Peer review of data and theory Replication of data

Research

Careful collection, analysis, and interpretation of data.

Neurotransmission

Chemical signals between neurons, take chemical from one neuron, transmit it to another

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that are made in the axon and stored in vesicles. After they are released from the vesicle, they convey a signal across the synapse to postsynaptic cells.

Axon Hillock

Cone shaped region of an axon where it joins the cell body.

Brain Stem

Consists of the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the midbrain. It houses the nerves that control the most basic functions of survival, such as heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting, urination, and orgasm. Performs functions similar to the spinal cord.

Polarization

Created the electrical energy necessary to power the firing of the neuron.

Excitatory Signals

Depolarize the cell membrane. i.e. decrease polarization by decreasing the negative charge inside the cell. Encourages the neuron to fire.

Electroencephalograph

Device that measures brain activity.

All or None Principle

Dictates that a neuron fires with the same potency each time.

Serotonin

Emotional states and impulsiveness Dreaming

Glutamate

Enhancement of action potentials Learning and memory

Experimenter Expectancy Effect

Evidence that observer expectations can change the behavior being observed.

Directionality Problem

Ex: the more weight people gain, the less likely they might be to exercise.

Experiment Demand Characteristic

Experiment's appearance/demeanor suggests a response. (Orne, 1969)

Inhibitory Signals

Hyperpolarize the cell. i.e. increase polarization by increasing the negative charge inside the cell. Discourages the neuron from firing.

Parsimony

Identifying the simplest and most accurate explanation for brain processes and human behaviors

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)

Inhibition of action potential Anxiety reduction

Case Study

Intensive examination of an unusual person or organization

Participant Seriousness

Is the participant serious and honest about being surveyed?

Sampling Bias

Is the sampling of participants appropriate for the population to which you wish to generalize.

Cell Body

Largest part of a typical neuron; contains the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm

Broca's Area

Left frontal region Crucial for the production of langauge.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Makes use of the brains blood flow directly by tracking a radioactive substance. Measures blood flow directly by tracking a radioactive substance. Measures blood indirectly by assessing changes in the bloods oxygen level.

Autoreceptors

Monitors how much neurotransmitter has been released into the synapse.

Acetylecholine

Motor control over muscles. Learning, memory, sleeping, and dreaming.

Postsynaptic Neuron

Neuron that receives the signal.

Presynaptic Neuron

Neuron that sends the signal

Enzyme Deactivation

Occurs when an enzyme destroys the neurotransmitter in the synapse.

Reuptake

Occurs when the neurotransmitter is taken back into the presynaptic terminal buttons.

Zero Correlation

One variable is not predictly related to a second variable. Ex: height and intelligence

Endorphins

Pain reduction Reward

Burden of Proof

Proponents of position must offer valid proof of claim.

Empiricism

Psychologists gain accurate knowledge about behavior and mental processes only by observing the world and measuring aspects of it

Autoreception

Released neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the presynaptic neuron.

Replication

Repeating a study to see if the results are the same (or similar)

Descriptive Research

Research methods that involve observing behavior to describe that behavior objectively and systematically.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Responsible for motor control at the junctions between nerves and muscles.

Dopamine

Reward and motivation Motor control over voluntary movement

Nodes of Raniver

Small gaps of exposed axon, between the segments of myelin sheath, where action potentials take place

Variable

Something in the world that can vary and that a researcher can manipulate, measure, or both

Broca linked a loss of function in his patients to lesioned areas in the left hemisphere of their brains. What is the function of Broca's area?

Speaking

Receptors

Specialized proteins that are located on the postsynaptic membrane that specifically respond to the chemical structure of the neurotransmitter available in the synapse.

Bell Magendie The Reflex Arc

Stimulus -> Afferent (Dorsal) Neuron Interneuron -> Efferent (Ventral) Neuron -> Response

Environment Demand Characteristic

Structure of the environment suggests a response. (Orne, 1969)

Self Report Methods

Surveys or questionnaires Can be used to gather data from a large number of people in a short time.

Observational Method

Systematically and objectively collect information about behavior in its natural setting.

Case Study Method

Systematically and objectively collecting information about the behavior of a single individual. Ex: Freud's psychoanalysis Broca and Tom

Terminal Buttons

The branched end of the axon that contains neurotransmitters.

Resting Membrane Potential

The difference in the electrical charge occurs because the ratio of negative to positive ions is greater inside the neuron than outside it.

Hyperpolarization

The movement of the membrane potential of a cell away from rest potential in a more negative direction.

Naturalistic Observation

The observer is passive, separated from the situation and making no attempt to change or alter ongoing behavior

Depolarization

The process during the action potential when sodium is rushing into the cell causing the interior (cell membrane) to become more positive.

Participant Observation

The researcher is involved in the situation

Cognitive Psychology

The study of mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language, memory, and decision making.

Phrenology

The study of the conformation of the skull based on the belief that it is indicative of mental faculties and character.

Independent Variable

The variable that gets manipulated in a research study.

Dependent Variable

The variable that gets measured in a research study.

Negative Correlation

The variables move in opposite directions. An increase in one variable predicts a decrease in the other variable.

Question Form

The wording of a question leads to a response bias.

A recent study reported that in children there is a positive correlation between exposure to lead, exposure to smoke and ADHD. From this result you can safely conclude that: A. these three variable are positively correlated. B. smoke and lead exposure interact to cause ADHD C. smoke & lead exposure separately cause ADHD D. ADHD causes both exposure to smoke and exposure to lead.

These three variables are positively correlated.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Uses a very fast but powerful magnetic field to disrupt brain activity momentarily in a specific brain region.

Polarized

When a neuron has more negative ions inside that outside

Positive Correlation

When higher or lower values on one variable predict higher or lower values on a second variable. Describes a situation where both variables either increase or decrease together- the move in the same direction.

A man and a woman in their sixties both suffer strokes of comparable severity. Who is likely to have less impairment in language use?

Woman

Falsifability

a theory must lead to hypotheses that, when tested, could actually fail to support the theory

The _____ principle holds that when a neuron fires, it fires with the same potency each time; a neuron either fires or not—it cannot partially fire, although the frequency of firing can vary

all-or-none

Norepinephrine

arousal, vigilance, attention

Dr. C has a Ph.D. in psychology, she conducts research on hormonal influences on brain development and neuronal integrity in rats. She is known as a..

biopsychologist -behavioral neuroscientist

T or F. The scientific method is superior to other claim of knowledge because it is self-correcting and requires precision of thought.

true

T or F. Case studies and some observational methods could encounter a problem in that 1) the presence of the observer may change the behavior of the participant, and 2) the sample of participants used may not be representative of the population you might want to generalize

true

T or F. Rene Descartes' hydraulic model of reflexes was important for the development of psychology because it offered the possibility of being able to understand and explain at least some parts of human behavior in purely mechanical terms.

true

T or F. Two of the major advantages of the scientific method are it's precision of thought and self-correction.

true