Ch 1-3 Flashcards
evolution in psych, methods of psych, neuroscience & behavior (208 cards)
1
Q
empiricism
A
the belief that knowledge is acquired through experience & observation, opposite of nativism
John Locke
2
Q
nativism
A
the belief that some knowledge is innate, opposite of empiricism
Emmanuel Kant
3
Q
sensory neurons
A
receive info from external world & convey to the brain via spinal cord
4
Q
motor neurons
A
carry signals from brain to spinal cord to muscles to produce movement
5
Q
interneurons
A
connect sensory, motor, & other neurons
6
Q
Steps of electrochemical action
A
- Electrical signal conducted within neuron
- Chemical signal transmitted from one neuron’s axon terminal across synapse to another neuron’s dendrites
7
Q
When action potential reaches threshold, _____ channels open up
A
sodium
8
Q
Which occurs first, depolarization or repolarization?
A
depolarization
9
Q
depolarization
A
charge gets close to zero
10
Q
autoreceptors
A
receptors on sending neuron that neurotransmitters bind to to stop release of more NTs
11
Q
neurotransmitters
A
chemicals that transmits info across synapse
12
Q
terminal buttons
A
knoblike structures branching out from axon
13
Q
receptors
A
parts of cell membrane that receive NTs and initiate or prevent new electrical signal, lock-and-key system
14
Q
nodes of Ranvier
A
gaps in myelin sheath, parts of axon that charge jumps between
15
Q
glial cells
A
‘support’ cells in nervous system; provide physical & structural support for neurons; produce myelin
16
Q
myelin sheath
A
insulates axon to make action potentials more efficient; produced by glial cells
17
Q
synapse
A
fluid-filled gap between neurons across which NTs carry information
18
Q
vesicle
A
sacs that contain NTs
19
Q
3 ways that NTs are removed from synapse
A
- Reuptake by terminal buttons of presynaptic neurons, or by glial cells
- Enzyme deactivation (specific enzymes in synapse break down specific NTs)
- Diffusion out of synapse (NTs don’t reach receptors)
20
Q
Steps of synaptic transmission
A
- Signal reaches terminal buttons
- Action potential of presynaptic neuron triggers release of neurotransmitters
- NTs carry info across
21
Q
hormones vs. neurotransmitters
A
hormones released by endocrine glands into bloodstream, travel far throughout body
NTs released by neurons across short distance of synaptic cleft
22
Q
agonist
A
increases action of NT
(ex: Adderall increases norepinephrine, increasing focus)
23
Q
antagonist
A
blocks function of NT
24
Q
Tabula Rasa
A
“blank slate” AKA babies are born knowing nothing, an idea of empiricism; Aristotle
25
psychology
study of observable behavior and mind/mental processes
26
dualism
Rene Descartes, the idea that mind and body are separate things but connected, opposite of materialism
27
ghost in the machine
Dualism idea of immaterial mind inside material body
28
materialism
Thomas Hobbes, mind & body are NOT fundamentally different things, mind is what body does, opposite of dualism
29
Who was the Father of Psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
30
Who was the Father of American Psychology?
William James
31
realism
perception is like a camera, sends exact picture of world to brain
John Locke
32
idealism
perception is like a painting, people have different interpretations
Immanuel Kant
33
When was the 1st psych lab established?
1879
34
structuralism
idea of breaking down the mind into simple parts to understand what it is LIKE, observation; introspection & self-reports
Wilhelm Wundt
35
functionalism
focusing on PURPOSE of mental process rather than components, what is the mind FOR
William James
36
introspection
technique used by structuralists to analyze subjective experience by having study volunteers describe their experience with various presented stimuli
37
Sigmund Freud
physician who believed nervous disorders were result of childhood trauma residing in unconscious, developed psychoanalytic theory
38
psychoanalytic theory
theory developed by Freud, emphasizes influence of unconscious on feelings, thoughts, behaviors
39
John Broadus (JB) Watson
believed psych should focus on science of stimuli and response
40
"Little Albert" experiment
JB Watson trained a child who loved rats to have a phobia of rats by making a loud noise whenever the child interacted with the rat
41
behaviorism
restricts scientific inquiry to objectively observable behavior
John Watson
42
What did Watson believe about behaviorism?
Studying behavior would allow psychs to predict & control it
43
BF Skinner
psych student who wanted to know how animals learn to do things; proposed principle of reinforcement
44
"Skinner Box"
BF Skinner's experiment: put a rat in a cage with a lever that delivered food when pressed; recorded frequency of rat's lever-presses; behavior-consequence relationship
45
Ivan Pavlov
studied digestion in dogs, figured out that they associated footsteps with food
46
principle of reinforcement
developed by Skinner, states that any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and vice versa
47
Why was Skinner's experimentation controversial?
people believed he wanted control and would use reinforcement to gain it
48
illusory motion
2 lights flashing on screen, when time between flashes is longer, people thought it was 2 lights; when shorter time, thought it was 1 light moving back and forth
Occurs bc brain has theories of how world works
49
Gestalt psychology
emphasizes way in which mind creates perceptual experience; the whole is more than the sum of its parts
50
social psychology
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of people in context of society and its norms
Kurt Lewin
51
cognitive psychology
study of human info-processing (perception, thought, memory, reasoning); new tech allowed this
52
developmental psychology
study of way in which psych phenomena change over the lifespan
53
Kurt Lewin
believed people react to world as they see it, not as it is; introduced social psych
54
evolutionary psychology
how mind & behavior are shaped by natural selection
John Garcia
55
John Garcia
studied taste aversion in rats, noticed they associated nausea with food eaten & would not associate it with any other stimuli; concluded that they evolved to avoid spoiled food and therefore could not be blank slates
56
cultural psychology
studies how cultures influence mental processes of their members
57
fMRI
shows blood flow in brain to see which areas are being supplied with more oxygen at given time/which are working during various tasks
58
How is cognitive vs. evolutionary psych similar to structuralism vs functionalism?
cognitive & structuralism ask what the mind is LIKE; evolutionary & functionalism ask what the mind is FOR
59
Broca's area
region of brain's left frontal lobe responsible for verbal/written word understanding & speech/language production; named after Paul Broca, who treated a man whose area was damaged and the man could understand words but stopped being able to produce them
60
rationalism
knowledge acquired via reason & argument
61
cognitive neuroscience
relationship btwn brain & mental processes
62
behavioral neuroscience
relationship btwn brain & behavior
63
Mary Whiton Calkins
1st female president of APA
64
APA
American Psychological Association
65
Margaret Fly Washburn
1st woman to receive psych PHD, later became APA president
66
Francis Cecil Sumner
1st Black person to receive psych PHD
67
Kenneth Clark
1st Black president of APA
68
What did the Clarks study?
psychological harm of racial segregation on Black children; their research was cited in Brown v. Board and helped conclude that segregation is unconstitutional
69
Mamie Phipps Clark
studied effect of racial segregation on Black kids
70
scientific method
procedure for using empirical evidence to establish facts; based on empiricism
71
dogmatism
tendency to cling to one's beliefs
72
theory
explanation of natural phenomenon; can NEVER be proven right
73
What are the 6 (simplified) steps of the scientific method/experimentation?
1. identify problem
2. gather info
3. develop falsifiable hypothesis
4. design & conduct experiment
5. analyze data & make conclusions
6. restart the process!
74
__% of people receiving PHDs in psych are women
70
75
hypothesis
FALSIFIABLE prediction made by a theory
76
demand characteristics
people change behavior in different settings, behave as they believe they are expected to
can avoid by using naturalistic observation, keeping participants blind to research question, allow anonymity
77
Why isn't naturalistic observation always possible?
not enough time, money; some events not naturally occurring; some events can only be observed through direct interactions; observer bias
78
observer bias
expectations can influence researchers' observations & perceptions of reality
avoid by using double-blind study
79
double-blind study
neither observed nor observer know true purpose of study
80
participant observation
researcher secretly joins group being observed
often only way to access group, but observer bias and reactivity are increased
81
case study
in-depth analysis of unique
circumstance, person, or group
of people
82
Phineas Gage case study
railroad worker whose entire personality changed when an iron bar went through his head & damaged most of his left frontal lobe
83
Genie case study
abused child who was neglected, causing her brain to not develop properly; cortex for language and speech was not stimulated in Genie’s brain due to neglect & lack of stimulation
nature versus nurture debate
84
survey research
quick and easy method to collect info on opinions, perspectives, attitudes; can't survey entire population, sampling error & bias
85
research ethics
set of principles/standards behavioral psychs must follow when conducting research to protect participants
86
historical ethical failures
Tuskegee syphilis study
Little Albert
Stanford Prison Experiment
Milgram experiment
87
5 ethical principles for psych research
1. Beneficence (do no harm)
2. Fidelity & Responsibility (disclose risks, can opt out)
3. Integrity (accurate, non-biased practice)
4. Justice (equality in choosing participants; they should benefit from the study)
5. Respect for People's Rights & Dignity (informed consent, confidentiality, NO COERCION)
88
deception
withholding info about purpose/procedure of study during informed consent
89
How to be approved for use of deception?
minimal risk
doesn't affect wellbeing/rights of participant
justify why it's used
debriefing occurs after study is over to reveal true purpose
90
extraneous/confounding variables
variables unrelated to study but must be controlled or they will impact results
91
population
every single member of a group we are studying
92
sample
subset of whole group we are studying
93
simple random sample
everyone has equal chance of being selected
94
stratified random sample
divide sample into subgroups & pull from those groups
ensures equal representation of subgroups
95
non-random sample
everyone does NOT have equal chance of being selected
96
convenience sample
participants selected bc of preexisting condition, easy access, convenience (ex: SONA)
97
A measure can be ____ without being ____
reliable; valid
98
measurement must have
reliability, validity, power
99
reliability
consistency of measurement (precision)
100
validity
accuracy of measurement (to true value)
101
internal validity
How much did IVs cause changes in DVs? Can this be replicated?
102
power
ability to detect differences in measurements, when present
103
external validity
How well do findings
generalize to real-world settings?
104
correlation
capture strength & direction of relationship
between 2 variables
105
correlation coefficient
r, ranges from -1 to +1
106
curvilinear
as X scores increase, Y scores alter direction after a certain point
107
positive correlation
r = 1
108
negative correlation
r = -1
109
no correlation
r = 0
110
third-variable problem
correlation between two variables can actually be explained by a third variable that hasn’t been accounted for
111
nervous system
interacting network of neurons that convey electrochemical info throughout body
112
nervous system "tree"
central
peripheral:
somatic
autonomic:
sympathetic
parasympathetic
113
central nervous system
composed of brain & spinal cord
receives sensory info from external world, processes & coordinates info
sends commands to skeletal & muscular systems for action
114
peripheral nervous system
composed of nerves outside of brain & spinal cord; connects CNS to body's organs & muscles
somatic & autonomic
115
3 qualities that make humans hard to study
1. COMPLEX (brain has A LOT of neurons & activity)
2. VARIABLE (no 2 ppl ever do/say/feel the same under the same circumstances
3. REACTIVE (ppl act differently when they think they're being observed)
116
empirical method
set of rules & techniques for observation
117
construct validity
degree to which operational definition adequately describes important features of phenomenon being studied (ex: most people think happy people would smile more)
118
operational definition
description of a property in measurable terms (ex: number of smiles in an hour [define happiness in measure] and then detect by counting smiles)
119
naturalistic observation
gathering info by unobtrusively observing ppl in their natural environments
120
primacy
the first thing you learn about someone influences everything else you learn later
121
somatic nervous system
Contains neurons & nerves that
control voluntary movement
Integrates sensory info from body to brain
conveys info btwn skeletal muscles & CNS
122
autonomic nervous system
carries involuntary commands controlling blood vessels, organs, glands; divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic
123
sympathetic nervous system
prepares body for action
“fight or flight” (arousing)
increases heart rate, blood flow, respiration; inhibits saliva (dry mouth), digestion, pain responses, etc
124
informed consent
verbal agreement to participate in a study, given by an adult who has been fully informed of all risks associated with participation
125
psych honor code
1. report truthfully
2. share credit
3. share data
126
parasympathetic nervous system
helps body return to normal resting state
slows heart rate, etc; mirrors sympathetic nervous system
127
brain function
supports perception, motor functions, emotion, cognition
128
spinal cord function
transmits sensory info to brain & distributes motor info to organs and muscles
129
spinal reflexes
simple pathways in the
nervous system that rapidly generate
muscle contractions; signal reaches spinal cord but not brain
130
divisions of brain
hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain
131
hindbrain
coordinates incoming & outgoing info from spinal cord, controls basic life functions
132
midbrain
responsible for orientation & movement
133
forebrain
highest level of brain; critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, & motor functions
134
hindbrain structures
medulla, reticular formation, pons, cerebellum
135
medulla
survival center; controls heart & lungs
136
reticular formation
regulates arousal, sleep, wakefulness, attention, alertness
137
pons
"bridge", relays info from cerebellum to rest of brain; detailed functions poorly understood (for now)
138
cerebellum
controls & coordinates fine motor movements
139
midbrain structures
tectum, tegmentum
140
tectum
helps orient an organism in the environment via stimuli received from senses
141
tegmentum
involved in movement & arousal; also helps orient organism towards sensory stimuli
142
forebrain structures
cerebral cortex, subcortical structures
143
cerebral cortex
outermost layer of brain, divided into 2 hemispheres; controls & coordinates fine motor movements
144
subcortical structures
areas of forebrain housed under cerebral cortex, near center of brain; relay info throughout brain & perform specific tasks
145
basal ganglia
direct intentional movement
146
thalamus
relay station for sensory info, filters & transmits it to cerebral cortex; control center, receives all sensory BUT smell; closes pathways during sleep
147
hypothalamus
4 F's; regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, sexual behavior; motivated behaviors
148
hippocampus
creates & integrates new memories; critical for learning & memory
149
amygdala
critical for emotional processes; responsible for emotional memories
150
pituitary gland
"master gland" of endocrine system; releases hormones directing function of other glands in body; controls stress, digestive activities, & reproductive processes; receives signals from hypothalamus
151
What structure is associated with the 4 F's (fight, flight, flee, fuck)?
hypothalamus
152
thyroid gland
regulates bodily functions like heart rate & body temperature
153
adrenal glands
above kidneys, regulate stress responses
154
pancreas
controls digestion & blood sugar levels; produces insulin
155
pineal gland
produces melatonin; influences sleep-wake cycle
156
commissure
bundle of axons
157
The right hemisphere controls movement for the ____ side of the body
left
158
corpus callosum
largest commissure connecting L&R hemispheres of brain; supports communication across hemispheres
159
Each brain hemisphere is divided into __ lobes
4
160
lobes of the brain
occipital, parietal, temporal, frontal
161
occipital lobe
back of brain; processes visual info & light stimuli
162
parietal lobe
processes touch info; contains somatosensory cortex
163
gyrus/gyri
ridge(s) of cerebral cortex
164
sulcus/sulci
groove(s) of cerebral cortex
165
temporal lobe
processes sound input from auditory nerves
(hearing); responsible for hearing & language; contains primary auditory cortex & Wernicke's area
166
Wernicke's area
involved in language comprehension; located in temporal lobe
167
somatosensory cortex
strip of brain tissue behind motor cortex, on parietal lobe; different areas correspond to touch on different areas of body; more sensitive areas have larger section of cortex
168
primary auditory cortex
receives sensory info from ears, secondary areas process info into words/speech
169
frontal lobe
responsible for movement, planning, memory, judgment, etc; contains pre-frontal cortex, motor cortex, & Broca's area
170
Limbic system
consists of thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala
171
pre-frontal cortex
complex decision-making; adolescent development
172
motor cortex
strip of tissue in front of somatosensory cortex; initiates voluntary movements; areas of cortex correspond to areas of body
173
endocrine system
network of glands that produces & secretes hormones into bloodstream
174
hormones
chemical messengers that influence several basic functions (e.g. metabolism, growth, sexual maturation)
175
neuroplasticity
ability of neurons & their networks to change
176
association areas
specific regions of the cerebral cortex that are responsible for integrating and processing info from different sensory modalities
177
mirror neurons
found in frontal & parietal lobes; activated when organism engages in or observes behavior; some of same neurons become active in observer’s brain as are active in the actor’s brain; more highly activated when observing action within a context; important role in social behavior
178
plasticity
sensory cortices can adapt to change; functions assigned to certain brain areas may be reassigned to other areas; greater use of function may command greater space on cortical map
179
_____ can benefit strength & connections of synapses in brain
Exercise
180
dendrites
"branches" on cell body; receive info from other neurons & relay to soma
181
soma
cell body; coordinates information-processing tasks & keeps cell alive; holds nucleus w/ DNA
182
axon
carries messages (action potentials) from soma to terminals; covered in myelin sheath
183
axon terminals
located at end of axon; release NTs upon receiving AP
184
presynaptic neuron
sending neuron; terminal buttons
185
postsynaptic neuron
receiving neuron; dendrites
186
resting potential
difference in electric charge between inside & outside of neuron’s cell membrane; -70mV inside cell when at rest
187
refractory period
time following an AP during which a new AP can’t be initiated
188
action potential
electric signal conducted along neuron’s axon to synapse; threshold is reached: “all-or-none”
189
acetylcholine
NT involved in attention & movement
190
glutamate
major excitatory NT
191
GABA
major inhibitory NT
192
endorphins
NT; pain pathways & emotional centers; ex: runner’s high
193
dopamine
NT; motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, & emotional arousal
194
epinephrine
NT; fight-or-flight response
195
serotonin
NT; sleep & wakefulness, eating, aggressive behaviors
196
norepinephrine
vigilance & hyperawareness
197
gene
unit of hereditary transmission; sections on DNA strands that code
for protein molecules that affect traits; organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes
198
monozygotic twins
twins from the same zygote that divides in half; share 100% of their DNA
199
dizygotic twins
twins from different zygotes (fraternal twins); share 50% of their DNA
200
epigenetics
environmental
influences that change
expression of genetic material without changing underlying DNA structures
201
EEG
records electrical activity of neurons
202
CT
uses x-rays to show
tissue densities & locate
lesions/tumors
203
MRI
uses magnetism to see different body tissue & help localize brain damage (hi-res)
204
fMRI
measures activation of areas by tracking blood flow to various parts
205
PET
uses radiation to track
activation, molecular changes, & NT release
206
split-brain surgery
corpus callosum severed, often used for seizure patients to keep seizure from crossing between hemispheres & creating feedback loop; stops communication btwn L&R hemispheres
207
left hemisphere
reading, writing, speaking, arithmetic, reasoning, understanding
208
right hemisphere
perceptual tasks (e.g. recognizing faces, perceiving emotion); making inferences; creativity, imagination
