Psychology Chapter 1-3

Neurons

(nerve cells): building blocks of the nervous system; consist of: The cell body is the cell's life-support center

Describe the physiological and psychological effects of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.

*Depressants reduce the activity of the central nervous system - slows down reactions and reduces the strength of response. It can also cause drowsiness; *Stimulants improve performance on many tasks as well as in keeping someone awake in a period of time. Continued use in these drugs may lead to a cycle of arousal. It will be then followed by depressions *Hallucinogens produce perpetual and temporal distortions, affect the perception and thinking by producing distortions. The distortion that is produce might be pleasurable or it may be upsetting and frightening. Hallucinogens cause negative psychological effects and anti-social behavior.

Explain the statement "everything psychological is simultaneously biological."

All processes of the body are interconnected. There are different chemicals/genes that affect our psychological make-up/design

Explain why psychologists study animals and discuss the ethics of experimentation with humans and animals.

Because humans have similar biology but they want to value human life before animal life

Discuss the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural influences on drug abuse.

Biological influences- Increased risk when seen in identical twins, fraternal twins, siblings, and biological parents Genetic predispositions and genetically influenced traits Culprit genes that may produce deficiencies in the brain's natural dopamine reward system Psychological influences: Lacking sense of purpose Significant stress Psychological disorders, such as depression Social-cultural influences: Difficult environment Cultural acceptance of drug use Negative peer influences

How does the endocrine system transmit messages?

The endocrine system is a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream, where they travel through the body and affect other tissues, including the brain. In an intricate feedback system, the brain's hypothalamus influences the pituitary gland ( the endocrine system's master gland) which influences other glands (such as the adrenals) to release hormones, which in turn influence the brain.

How do evolutionary psychologists use natural selection to explain behavior?

as genetic variations increasing the odds of reproducing and surviving are most likely to be passed on to future generations. Some variations arise from mutations (random errors in gene replication), others from new gene combinations at conception. Humans share a genetic legacy and are predisposed to behave in ways that promoted our ancestors' surviving and reproducing. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is an organizing principle in biology. He anticipated today's application of evolutionary principles in psychology.

Identify the methods for studying the brain.

imaging of the brain- brain waves cat scan- 3D/xray of brain (best way) MRI- (magnetic residence imaging) gives detailed picture of the brain, use magnetic field PET - Positron Emission Tomography- sallow pill When people die study brain- autopsy

Describe sleep theories.

recharge batteries taking out the trash (clean out synapsis/stuff we don't need) recordkeeping- organize memories for the day dreaming

Sympathetic nervous system

Arousing

Nervous system

Body's speedy communication network

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord

Nerves

Bundled axons forming neural cables connecting CNS with muscles, glands, sense organs

Parasympathetic nervous system

Calming

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that cross synaptic gaps between neurons Released by sending neurons Neurotransmitters then travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on receiving neuron Neuron may or may not generate a neural impulse

Describe the function of dreams including Freud's theory of wish fulfillment.

Dreams perserve sleep and provide a psychic safety valve-- expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; contain manifest (remembered) content and a deeper layer of latent content (a hidden meaning) Lacks any scientific support; dreams may be interpreted

Describe current prevention and treatment in drug and alcohol addictions.

Educate young people about the long-term costs of a drug's temporary pleasures. Attempt to modify peer associations or to "inoculate" youths against peer pressures by training them in refusal skills. Help young people find other ways to boost their self-esteem and discover their purpose in life. Life purpose: living according to your goals and values while striving to make a positive difference in the world (Strecher, 2016).

How do heredity and environment work together?

Genes and environment-nature and nurture-work together Genes are self-regulating; rather than acting as blueprints that lead to the same result no matter the context, genes react Genes and experience interact

Describe the many career opportunities in the field of psychology.

School psychologists, Social psychologists, Neuropsychologists, sports psychologist

What are the structures and functions of the limbic system?

This neural system sits between brain's older parts and its cerebral hemispheres Neural centers includes amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus Is linked to emotions and drives

What structures make up the brainstem?

midbrain, pons, medulla

Define Psychology and trace its historical development.

the science of behavior and mental processes. Dec 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt measured the time lag between people's hearing a ball hit a platform and their pressing a key

Peripheral

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body.

Identify the components of the SQ3R method of study and the additional tips for study described by the authors.

1. Survey- Scan/Skim what you are about to read, especially outlines and section heads 2. Question- Try to answer each main sections numbered learning objective questions before reading it 3. Read- Actively search for answers to questions, reading only as much as you can absorb. Read actively 4. Retrieve- Recall what you've read, in your own words. Test yourself with quizzes. 5. Review- review what you've read, with notes you've taken and an eye to the concepts and organization of topics

Myelin sheath

Covers the axons of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses Terminal branches of axons form junctions with other cells

Describe the prevalent methods psychologists use to conduct research and the steps of the scientific method.

Experimentation Variables Definition Surveys Case studies Naturalistic Observations Lab

Dendrites

Fibers that receive messages from other cells

Discuss how twin studies inform the gene-environment interaction.

Identical twins- an egg that splits in two Fraternal twins- 2 eggs Studies of twins in adulthood show that identical twins are more alike than fraternal twins in: Having disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder Personality traits such as extraversion (sociability) and neuroticism (emotional instability).

Identify and describe the major sleep disorders.

Insomnia: Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep Narcolepsy: Sudden uncontrollable sleep attacks, with sufferer sometimes lapsing directly into REM sleep Sleep apnea: Stopping of breathing while asleep and repeated momentary awakenings; associated with obesity, especially in overweight men Night terrors: High arousal and appearance of being terrified, target children during first few hours of NREM-3 sleep Sleepwalking and sleeptalking (mostly childhood disorders): Occur during NREM-3 sleep; diminish with age

Identify and define the current perspectives in psychology.

Neuroscience- How the body and brain enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences Evolutionary- How the natural selection of traits has promoted the survival of genes Behavior Genetics- How our genes and our environment influence our individual differences Psychodynamic- How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts Behavioral- How we learn observable responses Cognitive- How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information Social-cultural- How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures

Somatic nervous system

PNS division that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Autonomic nervous system

PNS division that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs.

Axon

Passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons or to muscles or glands

How does selective attention work to our benefit? What are inattention and change blindness?

Selective attention- You choose what you are paying attention to Inattention-When you can't focus on just one thing Change blindness- when you don't notice when things change

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Sensory and motor neurons connecting the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body gathers and transmits information Somatic nervous system and autonomic nervous system