Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is the study of psychology?
The study of the mind and how to describe, predict, and explain behavior.
What did Plato believe about knowledge?
Plato believed in nativism (knowledge is inborn)
What did Aristole believe about knowledge?
Aristotle believed knowledge is gained through experience
What did Descartes believe about knowledge?
Descartes thought the mind and body were separate entities.
Define introspection
Introspection involves examining and breaking experiences into components by focusing on one’s internal experiences.
What is structuralism?
Structuralism is the idea that consciousness experiences can be broken down into their elemental components.
What is functionalism?
Functionalism, introduced by William James, involves the direct observation of stimuli and emphasizes how mental processes help individuals adapt to their environment.
Explain psychoanalysis
Developed by Freud, psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious mind and underlying psychological forces.
What does behaviorism study?
Behaviorism, proposed by Skinner, studies how the brain interacts with the world and how it affects behavior through conditioning.
Compare humanistic and cognitive perspectives.
Humanistic psychology, advocated by Maslow and Carl Rogers, emphasizes personal growth and self-fulfillment.
Cognitive psychology studies how we think, learn, and apply knowledge to emotions and behaviors.
What is the scientific method in psychology?
A set of assumptions and procedures to guide research and formulate hypotheses, allowing for systematic investigation and acquisition of knowledge.
Define hypothesis.
An unconfirmed statement that describes a relationship between two or more variables, predicting an outcome based on conditions.
What is a single-blind test
In a single-blind experiment, participants are unaware of whether they are receiving the treatment
What is a double-blind test
in a double-blind experiment, neither participants nor researchers know who receives the treatment.
What are neurons?
Neurons are the primary type of cell that transmits information throughout the nervous system
What are glial cells?
Glial cells provide support and protection for neurons.
Describe the action potential process.
Action potential is a neural impulse triggered when the neuron’s charge becomes less negative, reaching a threshold that causes a reversal of the electrical charge across the neuron’s membrane.
Define the correlation study.
A correlation study investigates the relationship between two variables to determine if they are associated, with positive correlation indicating that they increase together and negative correlation indicating that they move in opposite directions.
What is an operational definition in research?
An operational definition is a precise description of how variables are measured or manipulated in a study.
What does the placebo effect entail?
The placebo effect occurs when participants experience changes in their condition simply because they believe they are receiving some form of treatment.
Describe the differences between experimental and control groups.
Experimental groups receive the treatment being tested in a study, while control groups do not receive the treatment but are used as a baseline to compare the effects of the treatment.
What is myelin?
Myelin is a fatty substance that insulates axons to increase signal transmission speed.
what happens when myelin degenerates?
Degeneration of myelin, as seen in conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, results in delayed signal transmission.
What are the Nodes of Ranvier?
The Nodes of Ranvier are gaps in the myelin sheath along an axon which facilitate faster signaling by allowing ions to flow in and out of the neuron.
