PSY 200: Chapters 1-5
State and/or identify the four structures of the limbic system and describe their main functions.
- Hippocampus: memory formation, neurogenesis - Thalamus: relays sensory information, relays motor information, involved in attention and awareness - Hypothalamus: links the brain to the endocrine system, regulates the autonomic nervous system, behaviors related to survival - Amygdala: memory, emotion, threat detection and response, and involved in unconscious racial bias
Describe and/or identify the different ways drugs and other substances can interfere with the normal functioning of neurotransmitters.
- Increase/decrease amount of neurotransmitter released by neurons - Block/reduce how long neurotransmitters stay in synapse - Mimicking some transmitters
Identify the five provisions for ethical research (as defined by the APA)
- Informed consent and voluntary participation: inform all participants of the purpose of the research, all risks, must be given an option to say no, and doesn't use coercion - Students as research patients: if participation counts for credit in a class, they must be given another option for earning that credit - Deception allowable only if: the research would be impossible without it and the value of potential discoveries justifies deception - Informing and debriefing after research: all participants must be given access to info about the aims and results of the research and researchers must actively prevent misconceptions about research - Confidentiality of information: may not talk about or right anything that would reveal someone's identity
List the steps in a spinal reflex and state its adaptive value.: helps us reduce the amount of pain/danger we are experiencing
- Receptors detect pain - Sensory neurons send messages to spinal cord - Spinal cord sends messages to motor neurons - Motor neurons tell them to back away from what caused the pain - Spinal cord reflexes - Thalamus relays the messages - Brain finally connects that there was pain/danger
State and/or identify the four lobes on the cerebral cortex and the primary functions of each.
- Temporal lobe: processes sound - Occipital lobe: processes visual information - Parietal lobe: processes information from body sensations - Frontal lobe: planning, decision making, self-control, social functions, and deliberate movements
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Positive
A field of psychological research and theory focusing on the study of positive emotions and psychological states, positive individual traits, and the social institutions that foster those qualities in individuals and communities. Try to determine what factors promote wellbeing and positive development
Discriminate and/or describe the difference between a theory and a hypothesis
A hypothesis is a specific question or prediction to be tested. Whereas a theory is a tentative explanation that tried to account for diverse findings on the same topic. A theory can create new hypothesis, but a hypothesis can't create a new theory.
Explain the difference between the absolute threshold and the difference threshold.
Absolute: smallest possible strength of a stimulus that can be detected half the time Difference: smallest possible difference between 2 stimuli that can be half the time
Differentiate between an agonist versus an antagonist drug effect.
Agonist: binds to recepter site, increases activation in post-synaptic neuron Antagonist: blocks a receptor site, decreases activation in the post-synaptic neuron
Identify emotional and psychological factors that can increase, decrease, and generally affect the experience of pain
Anxiety, Depression, Sense of control, positive mood, cultural beliefs, and social situations/demands
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Evolutionary
Application of the principles of evolution to explain psychological processes and phenomena. - Survival of species depends on adjustment to environment - Species develop helpful characteristics over time that promote survival(passed on through genes)
Identify and describe the function of each division of the peripheral nervous system: autonomic
Autonomic nervous system: - Sympathetic nervous system: energy used, increased heartbeat, quicker breathing, "fight or flight" - Parasympathetic nervous system: energy saved, slower heartbeat and breathing, increased digest, "Rest and digest"
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Behavioral
Based on theories of Watson, Pavlov, and Skinner. Continues to study how behavior is acquired or modified by environmental causes. Behavior is acquired and modified through experience and environment (Results and consequences of behavior, learning through punishment and reward, and patterns of behavior and thought)
Explain the difference between bottom-up processing and top-down processing
Bottom-up processing: sensory receptors more important, detail on basic features, part to whole Top-down processing: Pre-existing concepts and cognitive processes more important, determining the meaning stimuli, goes from whole to part
Identify and describe the properties of light waves that allow us to perceive color.
Brightness: how intense the color appears Hue: which color you perceive Saturation: property of color that corresponds to the purity of the light wave
State and/or identify the two main divisions of the nervous system and the primary structures of each
Central nervous system: Brain and Spinal cord Peripheral nervous system: All nerves outside the CNS that extend to the outermost body borders, including the skin
Describe the basic idea of the opponent-process theory
Color visions results from opposing pairs(black/white, red/green, blue/yellow)
Identify the type of statistics used for a descriptive research design
Correlation coefficients
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of descriptive research: correlation studies
Correlation doesn't mean causation
Describe the three steps of the scientific method discussed in lecture: Testable hypothesis
Create a tentative statement that can be tested to see if it is true or false
State what sensory adaptation is; be able to identify an example of it.
Decline in sensitivity to a constant stimuli. Ex: sensory receptors become desensitized to something
List the differences between neurotransmitters and hormones.
Differences: - Hormones: circulated in the blood, mainly focuses on the influence on physical processes, emotions, and behaviors, secreted by the endocrine glands, regulated in the brain by the hypothalamus gland - Neurotransmitters: in the synapse, produced by synapse,
Explain the basic idea of the place theory.
Different frequencies cause larger vibrations at different locations in the cochlea
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Cross-Cultural
Emphasizes diversity of behaviors across cultures. Studies the effects of cultural context on psychological phenomena
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Biological
Emphasizes studying the physical bases of human and animal behavior, including the nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and genetics
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Cognitive
Focused on the important role of mental processes(memory, perception, and language) in how people process and remember information, develop language, solve problems, and think.
Describe the main features of a descriptive research design
Focused on the systematically way to observe and describe behavior
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Humanistic
Focuses on the motivation of people to grow psychologically, the influence of interpersonal relationships on a person's self-concept, and the importance of choice and self-direction in striving to reach one's potential. Uses self-direction, self-determination, importance of choice in human behavior, and emphasized the person's conscious experiences. Influences by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
Explain the difference between an experimental group and a placebo group.
For example, scientists are testing to see the effect of alcohol on memory. When performing the experiment the experimental group gets real alcohol and the placebo gets what they think is alcohol but in reality it has no alcohol.
State the function of the endocrine system, and its relationship to the nervous system
Glands located throughout the body and nervous system that transmit information by producing and receiving chemical messengers. Creates hormones to influence the body(in physical and mental processes)
Identify the type of sensory receptor found in the ear, and describe how it responds to sound waves.
Hair cells that are different lengths to pick up different wavelengths of sound
Describe psychology's origins in philosophy and physiology
Has always been around just in different ways. For example in the ancient times it was "What are dreams?" Where as now it is "How is the body connected to the mind?" William Wundt was the first person to write a psychology textbook and open the first psychology lab. He was criticized for relying on introspections. Edward Tichener was Wundt's student and followed in his footsteps. William James believed that people evolve and adapt to their environments
Describe the main idea behind each major psychological perspective: Psychodynamic
Influenced by Sigmund Freud, emphasize the importance of unconscious influences, early life experiences, and interpersonal relationships in explaining the underlying dynamics of behavior or in treating people with psychological problems, emphasized sexuality and aggression. Used psychoanalysis
Describe what Gestalt Theory attempts to explain.
It attempts to explain how we perceive objects as separate from each other
Identify and describe the different types of descriptive research methods: case studies
It is an intensive, in-depth investigation, a family, or some other social unit
Describe the importance of the figure-ground relationship
It is important because it requires perceptual processing to determine the difference between the object and its background
Explain the importance of reporting the results of research.
It is important to report the results of the research because it allows other scientists can attempt to replicate the experiment to see if the experiment was correct or not.
Explain why an experimental design includes a control group, and why that is important.
It is to create a group to compare the experimental group and to show what the changes are
Explain what it means for language to be lateralized, and state which side of the brain is usually dominant for language functions
It means that only one hemisphere of the brain processes language. The left hemisphere is usually the dominant hemisphere for language functions.
Explain the major limitation associated with descriptive research.
It only explains the what and not the why it is happening
State and/or identify the two divisions of the forebrain.
Left and Right
Identify the properties of sound waves and the characteristics of sound that they determine.
Loudness/amplitude- the vibrations. Pitch/Frequency- rate of vibration/number of soundwaves per sound
Identify the different types of sensory receptors in the skin.
Mechanoreceptors: pressure Thermoreceptors: temperature Nociceptor: pain
Define lock and key binding
Neurotransmitters that have a specific shape fit into a a certain place that is for that specific shape
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of descriptive research: surveys
One advantage is information can be gathered from a much larger group of people than is possible with other research methods. One limitation is that people don't always answer honestly
Define pain, and explain the basic idea of the the gate-control theory
Pain is the unpleasant sensory and emotional experiment associated with damage to body issues. The gate-control theory is the theory that physiological and psychological factors cause spinal gates to open and relay to the brain patterns f stimulations that are perceived as pain
Describe the three steps of the scientific method discussed in lecture: Collect and interpret data
Perform an experiment to gather data and interpret to draw a conclusion to verify or deduct the hypothesis
Describe the three steps of the scientific method discussed in lecture: Operational Definitions
Precise description of how the variable in a study will be observed or measured
Describe the process of transduction
Process in which physical energy is converted into an electrical signal that can be processed and interpreted by the nervous system
Describe how sensory information contributes to physical coordination and balance.
Proprioception is when the body senses and uses signals to control the body. The vestibular system helps maintain balance, posture, and position depending on the sensory information. If too much sensory input is happening, dizziness occurs.
Define psychology as a science, and describe its primary aims
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The primary aims are to describe, predict, explain, and control (or influence).
Explain the value of replication in the research process
Replication is important in the research process because it can give evidence on whether a hypothesis is correct or incorrect. If you do a study multiple times and it replicates the same answers, then you are validating the hypothesis.
Name and identify examples of the four Gestalt principles of organization.
See picture
Differentiate between sensation and perception
Sensation is the sensory neurons being activated, but perception is what is actually recognized
Describe the basic idea of the trichromatic theory.
Sensation of color results because cones in the retina are specialized. Explanation of red-green color blindness
List the similarities between neurotransmitters and hormones.
Similarities: can be chemically equivalent to neurotransmitters, can influence activation in neurons, each type of both has certain jobs for each, drugs can affect both
Identify examples of visual cues that are used for depth perception.
Size, overlap, or distance
Identify and describe the function of each division of the peripheral nervous system: somatic
Somatic nervous system:controls deliberate body movement - Sensory info sent to CNS from sensory organs - Motor messages carried from the CNS to muscles
Describe and/or identify the limitations associated with the experimental research design.
Some limitations are that the results may no the able to apply to real-world situations and that they may not be able to possibly or ethically control the experiment.
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of descriptive research: case studies
Some limitations are that your can't necessarily generalize to other cases and can be biased by researcher's
Define sensory receptor and state the role these receptors have in the sensory process
Specialized cells to unique to each sense sense organ that respond to a specific form of physical energy
Explain the basic idea of the frequency theory.
Speed of signals to signal to brain matches frequency of sound wave
Name the sensory receptor for each of the specific senses, and where it is located.
Taste: taste buds on the tongue Touch: nerves in the skin Hearing: hair cells in the cochlea Vision: retina in the eye
Describe what a sensory threshold is
The amount of energy that is needed to produce an activation response
Describe the meaning of plasticity as it relates to the human brain
The capacity the human brain has to change in response to experiences.
neuron
The function of a neuron is to transmit information within the nervous system.
Describe the process of neurotransmitter reuptake
The neurotransmitter is released, absorbed, and recycled to be used again
Describe and/or identify the primary advantage associated with the experimental research design.
The primary advantage of the experimental research design is that it is randomized
Define sensation
The process of detecting a physical stimulus, such as light, sound, heat, or pressure
Define perception
The process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensations
Define vestibular system
The system that maintains your balance, posture, and position in space
Identify and describe the different types of descriptive research methods: naturalistic observation
The systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural settings
Define and identify examples of perceptual constancy
The tendency to perceive objects, as consistent and unchanging, even if sensory input is changing Size: moving objects perceived as staying the same size rather than growing or shrinking Shape: familiar objects perceived as having their usual shape, even when seen under different light conditions Color: familiar objects perceived as being their usual color even when seen under different light conditions
Describe the process of communication within a neuron
The transmitters transfer frm the axon to a dendrite of another through the synapse
Describe the advantages associated with descriptive research.
There are many different types of methods that the descriptive research uses to collect data.
Describe the features of an experimental research design
There is an experimental group, control group, cofounding variables and the study must be randomized. The experimental group is the group of participants that is changed. The control group is the group that nothing is changed. The researcher compares the two groups. The confounding variable is the factors that could affect the DV.
Explain the role of neurotransmitters in synaptic transmission
They are the chemical messengers that are transporting the electrical signals
Describe the steps of communication between neurons (synaptic transmission): third step
Transmitter gets to the dendrite of the other neuron
Describe the steps of communication between neurons (synaptic transmission): second step
Transmitter goes through the synapse(hopefully without getting blocked by an agonist or antagonist)
Describe the steps of communication between neurons (synaptic transmission): first step
Transmitter leaves the axon of one neuron/enters synapse
Identify and describe the different types of descriptive research methods: surveys
a structural set of questions designed to investigate the opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of a particular group
Describe the major characteristics of Broca's aphasia
can comprehend language but not speak it involved in the lower left frontal lobe
Describe the major characteristics of Wernicke's aphasia
can speak some but can't comprehend, is involved in the left lobe behind the Broca's area
Identify and describe the different types of descriptive research methods: correlational studies
examines how strongly two variables are related to each other
State and/or identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each: myelin sheath
insulates and increases the transmission speed
State and/or identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each: cell body(soma)
nucleus, chromosomes
Explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of descriptive research: naturalistic observation
one limitation is that it answers the question "what" but not the question "why"
State and/or identify the main functions of the midbrain
processes and relays auditory and visual information
State and/or identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each: dendrites
receive incoming electrical signals
State and/or identify the main functions of the hindbrain
regulate basic life functions like breathing and circulation
State and/or identify the main functions of the forebrain
responsible for complex behaviors and mental processes
Define nociceptor
sensory receptors for painful stimuli
State and/or identify the parts of a neuron and the function of each: axon
transmits outgoing electrical signals
