Psy exam study guide
Wilhelm Wundt
(considered the father of psychology) established the first psyhcology laboratory in germany in the late 1800s
axon
(think of as the tunnel) that transmits electrical signals and triggers the release of neurotransmitters
Dendrites
(think of the synapse like a bridge) lies between the axon and the nerighboring neuron
Midbrain
- parkinsons disease -upper reticular formation -top of the brain stem
Evolutionary psychology
-adaptive mechanism -human thought and behavior have been shaped by evolutionary forces -natural sexual selection
psychopgysics
-examines human perception of light and sound -emphasis on the relationship between the physical and psychological worlds
Empiricism
Is the philosophical belief that all knowledge comes from our experiences
alleles
different forms of a gene
cerebrum
divided into two large hemispheres and is the uppermost portion of the brain
sample
a small part of the population that you are actually observing
descriptive studies
a study where we can define a problem/ question about the population but there are no variables, controls, or manipulation involved
monucular depth cues
aids to depth perception that do not require two eyes
bioncular depth cues
aids to depth perception that rely on input from both eyes
How Neurons Fire: 1 (Resting potential)
While the neuron is in the resting state, the fluid outside the axon contains more positive ions than inside of the axon where there are more negatively charged ions
mutation
a random gene in a genetic sequence
synaptogensis
formation of entirely new synases or conneciton with other neurons
arborizaiton
growth and formation of new neurons
experimental design
includes both independent and dependent variables and random assignments of participants to both control and experimental groups or conditions
behavioral measures
information is taken through observing participants actual behaviors
self-report measures
information taken from our own thoughts, feelings, and actions
corpus callosum
its primary function is connecting both hemispheres and facilitates communication between both logical and creative tasks
polygenic
made up of multiple genes
graded potentials
minor changes in the membrane potential that by themselves are not powerful enought to trigger an action potential
output
motor cortex: left hemisphere section (controls the bodys right side)
Emil kraepelin
came up with a way to systematically classify and diagnose psychological disorders *dementia pracecox and schizophrenia
falsification
changing altering or deleting data to "fit' for research opportunities
Catecholamines
chemicals involved in fight-or flight, produced by the adrenal glands
neurotransmitter
chemicals that trasnfer information between neurons
hormones
chemicals that travel in the bloodstream and carry messages to tissues and organs all over the body
monogenic
come from a single gene
Genome
contains all our genetic informaiton in our DNA
interneruons
only communicate with other neurons helps curb inhibition of impulses from one neuron to the next
insula ( deep inside)
perception, emotion, addiction
genes
small segments of dna that contain information for producing proteins
pariental lobe
somatosensory cortex (touch). Parallels the motor cortex
input
somatosensory cortex: left hemisphere section recieves input from the body right side
Basal ganglia
sometimes considered part of the limbic system -collection of structures
dependent variable
that is measured outcome or response
perceptual constancy
the ability of the brain to preserve the perception of object in spite of changes int he retinal image when an object changes in positiong or distance from the viewer
depth perception
the ability to see things in three dimensions and to discriminate what is near from what is far
neuroplasticity
the brains ability to adopt new functions, reorganize itself, or make new neaural connections
soma
the cell body of the neuron (means to the body to help you remember)
Neuron
the cells that process and transmit information
phenotype
the characteristic of a living being that we can actually see
transduction
the conversion of physical into neurol information - is the basic process of sensation
binocular disparity
the difference in the retinal image from the two eyes
population
the entire group that you are referencing for your study
Glial cells
the glue that holds everything in the CNS together
terminal buttons
the little knob at the end of the axon that contains tiny sacs storing the neurotransmitters
pituaitary gland
the master endocrine gland that controls the release of hormones from glands elsewhere in the body
heredity
the passing our physical and mental characteristics from one generation to another
debriefing
the process of explaining study purposes to participants after data collection
cortisol
the stress hormone that regulates important metabolic functions
developmental psychology
the study of how we thik and behave across our lifespan -how do we develop in utero -is it nature or nurture (both) -how can we promote healthy aging
enddocrine system
the system of glands that secrete and regulate hormones
indepent variable
the variable that can be manipulated or changed
motor neurons
transmits information through the body to initiate movement
Continuity
we see points or lines in such a way that they follow a continous path
proximinty
we tend to group objects together that are near one another
law of closure
we tend to perceive a whole object in the absense of complete information
similarity
we tent to group like object together in visual perception
Plagiarism
when someone presents someone else's words and ideas as their own
How neurons fire: 2 ( action potential)
when the neuron is stimulated, an action potential occurs. Next sodium channels within the axon open up, and positibely charged sodium ions flow into the axon riasing the electrical charge inside the axon to 40mV
physiological measures
where we can examine physical/bodily responses to assess changes in psychological states
sensory neruons
recieve incoming information
adrenal glands
releases hormones important in regulating the stress reponse and emotions
longitudinal studies
-how do human behaviors change over time -vary by length of study duration
cross-cultural psychology
-how do our cultural backgrounds affect how we experience the world around us -why are things considered normal in some cultures but completely alien in other cultures -what does it mean to individualistic versus communal -how do we find commonality across cultures
social psychology
-how do we form groups? - why are we more likely to help others who look like us than others who do not look like us -what does it mean to be altruistic/pro social -how do our biases affect our ability to get along with others
industrial organizational psychology
-how do we put psychology to work -how can psychology help with employee productivity -how can companies use psychology to strategize for increased customer satisfaction
clinical psychology
-how do we treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders -how do we find ways to promote psychological health
sports psychology
-how does psychology affect athlete performance -how we promote and optimize exercise for everyday living -how do we increase participation in sports
twin adoption studies
-how strong ar eour genetic influences on behavior -genetic -environmental -trait
limbic system
-hypothalamus -major drives -pituitary (hormones)
Hindbrain
-medulla: breathing, heart, arousal, survival reflexes -pons: "bridge" -cerebellum: balance, coordination
temporal lobe
-memory, emotion -auditory cortex (hearing)
frontal lobe
-planning impulse control, abstract thinking, etc
forebrain
-thalamus -sensory relay station -the smell is the only sensory system that has no thalamic relay
personality psychology
-what makes us tick -can our personalities change over time -what can our personality tell us about predicting our behaviors and how we interact with eachother -who are we at our core
forensic psychology
-what place does psychology have in the study and practice of law -what does it mean to be an expert withness -how cna psychology influence criminal justice proceedings
behavioral neuroscience and biological psychology
-why is it important to study the neural networks in the brain -what is neurogenesis -how does our brain chemistry affect our physical capabilities -what happens when our nervous system is damaged
Scientific Method
1.) observe 2.)predict 3.) test 4.)interpret 5.)comomunicate 6.)replicate
Pseudoscience
A fake or false science that makes claims based on little or no scientific evidence.
meta-analysis
A method of cross-referencing published findings across many sources of a particular body of literature to develop new hypotheses and ask new questions
neuropsychological
Behavioral genetic -foundation for thought and behavior is biological and genetic forces -brain structures, neurochemicals, and genes
How neurons fire: 3 (return to resting potential)
As the impulse moves down the axon, potassium ( k+) channels open allowing more potassium to flood out of the cell restoring the neuron to the resting potential (-70mV)
Behaviorism
Learning -a belief that for psychology to be true science, we should be more focused on studying behavior and not abstract thoughts or ideas
Genotype
The entire genetic information of a single organism
Nodes of ranvier
The gaps in the myelin sheath where the action potential jumps
research ethics
The rules and standards we abide by in order to conduct ourselves as a group or ina specific situation ( do no harm)
Psychology
The science/study of thoughts and human behavior
cognitive psychology
The study of the brain and the brains effect on behavior - what do we think? -how do we make decisions? -how do we acquire language? -how do we remember?
chromosomes
a coiled up thread of DNA
neurogensis
development of new neurons
Physics
examines the physical properties of light and sound
big data
extremely large amount of data typically captured from online behaviors, analyzed for patterns using sophisticated analytic programs
sigmund freud
famous for developing a treatment procedure called "psychoanalysis
Humanist
positive psychology -people deserve to be treated with kindness are overall trying to do good in the world and find happiness *living my best life*
fabrication
presenting or publishing made-up data
occipital lobe
primary visual cortex
Psychoanalytic
psychodymanic approach -our behavior is shaped by our early childhood as well as our unconscious mind and notices