Psychology ch 1&2

cognition

the use of mental processes to perceive and mentally represent the world think, and engage in problem solving and decision making.

sociocultural perspective

the view that focuses on the roles of ethnicity, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status in behavior and mental processes -studies how people differ from one another

Broca's area

- located frontal lobe -controls muscle, tongues, throat, etc when speaking

afferent nerves

- neurons that transmit messages from sensory receptors to the spinal cord and brain -also called sensory neurons

evolutionary perspective

- our behavior and mental processes have been shaped, at least in part, by natural selection as our ancestors strived to meet prehistoric and historic challenges -Charles Darwin: survival of the fittest -inherited tendencies whisper in our ears and move us in certain directions (tendencies)

biological perspective

- seeks to understand the nature of the links between biological processes and structures such as the function of the brain, the endocrine system, and heredity, on one hand and the behavioral and mental processes on the other. - use CAT scans and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to show things like blood flow when thinking

neurotransmitters

- the "chemical keys to communication" -chemical substances involved in the transmission of neural impulses from one neuron to another -when neural impulse reaches axon terminal, snaptic vesicles release the _________

efferent nerves

-"exit" -neurons that transmit messages from the brain or spinal cord to muscles and glands. -also called motor neurons

humanistic perspective

-"to invent" ourselves -stresses the human capacity for self-fulfillment and the central roles of consciousness, self awareness and decision making. -Consciousness: sense of being in the world that unifies our personalities -personal experience is the most important thing

Wernicke's area

-temporal lobe near the auditory cortex -damage to this are impairs ability to comprehend speech

heredity

-Human Genome Project

bahaviorism

-John B. Watson -viewed people as doing things because of their learned histories, their situations, and rewards rather than because of conscious choice.

Serotonin

-involved in behavior patters and psychological problems, including obseity, depression, insomnia alcoholism, and aggression -drugs that slow down the intake of serotonin help in the treatment of depression

Norepinephrine

-accelerates the heart rate, affects eating, and is linked with activity levels, learning and remembering -drugs like cocaine create excess norepinephrine -imbalances linked with mood disorders such as depressoin and bipolar disorder

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

-an inhibitory neurotransmitter that may lessen anxiety -tranquilizers and alcohol may counter anxiety by binding with GABA receptors or increase the sensitivity of receptor sites to GABA

pathway of neural message

-carry messages in one direction -dendrites or cell body- through the axon - axon terminals -transmitted from terminal buttons - other neurons, muscles, or glands

Acetylocholine

-causes muscle contractions and is involved in formation of memories -found at synapses between motor neurons and muscles -deficiencies of ACh linked with paralysis and Alzheimers disease

Synapse

-consists of axon terminal button from the transmitting neuron, a dendrite or the body of a receiving neuron, and a fluid-filled gap between the two called the snaptic cleft

Endorphins

-inhibit pain by locking pain-causing chemicals out of their receptor cites -endorphins may be connected with some people's indifference to pain, the painkilling effects of acupuncture, and the "runner's high" experienced by many long-distance runners

left brain

-intellectual -problem solving -language -math

Dopamine

-plays role in voluntary movement, learning, attention, memory, and emotional response -Tremors of parkinson's disease linked with low levels of dopamine -people with schizophrenia may over-utilize dopamine

Social-cognitive theory

-school of psychology in the behaviorist tradition that includes cognitive factors in the explanation and prediction of behavior -modern social cognitive theorist think that can modify or create their own environments intentional learning by observing others

cognitive perspective

-study the mind -how we perceive & mentally represent the world, how we learn, remember the past, plan for the future, solve problems, use language, etc.

existentialism

-views people as free and responsible for their own behavior ** humanistic-extential psychologist stress the importance of subjective experience and assert that people have the freedom to make choices

right brain

-visual problems (solving puzzle) -colors -emotional

KNOW ALL ABOUT DOPAMINE

-voluntary movements, learning and memory, and emotional arousal -deficiencies (Parkinson's disease) where people progressively lose control over muscles. (jerky movements) -schizophrenia is also linked. said that these pple have more receptor sites for dopamine in an area of the brain that is involved in emotional responding

Key Neurotransmitters and their functions

1) Acetylocholine 2) Dapomine 3) Norepinephrine 4) Sertotonin 5) Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) 6) Endorphins

what are the brain waves and when they occur?

1) Delta waves : occur during sleep. dreamless sleep 2) Theta waves: associated with sleep, deep relaxation (like hypnotic relaxation), and visualization. In dreams where we hold our fears, etc. not conscious 3) Alpha waves: occur when we are relaxed and calm 4) Beta waves: occur when we are actively thinking, problem-solving, etc.

scientific method

1) formulating a research question (hypothesis) 2) examine research question or test hypothesis thru experiment 3) evidence/observations 4) drawing conclusions (dont assume correlation) 5) theory construction and modification 6) new research question or hypothesis