chapters 1-4

Question 1

What is psychology, what does it seek to understand, and what are its main goals?

Answer 1

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes to describe, explain, predict and change behavior

Question 2

Nature/Nurture

Answer 2

The ongoing dispute over the relative contributors of nature (biological and genetic factors) and nurture (environment) to the development of behavior and mental processes.

Question 3

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 3

specific prediction

Question 4

What is structuralism and what important contribution did it contribute to psychology?

Answer 4

established a model for the scientific study of mental processes

Question 5

What is sociocultural?

Answer 5

social influences and cultural interactions

Question 6

What is evolutionary psychology?

Answer 6

evolution of behavior

Question 7

What is APA?

Answer 7

American Psychological Association

Question 8

What are the 3 areas of ethical concern?

Answer 8

human, non human and psychotherapy clients

Question 9

What is informed consent?

Answer 9

a researcher must disclose potential physical risks and potential discomforts

Question 10

Causation/Correlation

Answer 10

indicates relationship; can predict likelihood

Question 11

What are experiment?

Answer 11

a carefully controlled scientific procedure that determines whether variables manipulated by the experimenter have a causal effect on other variables

Question 12

control group

Answer 12

receives no treatment

Question 13

independent variable

Answer 13

manipulated

Question 14

dependent variable

Answer 14

measured

Question 15

What are the advantages of surveys?

Answer 15

can be used on larger samples than other research methods

Question 16

What are genes?

Answer 16

found on chromosomes and determine what traits you will possess

Question 17

hormones

Answer 17

chemicals manufactured by the endocrine glands

Question 18

chromosomes

Answer 18

threadlike strands of DNA

Question 19

neurons

Answer 19

basic units of the brain and nervous system

Question 20

dendrites

Answer 20

receive information

Question 21

What is the central nervous system consist of?

Answer 21

Brain and spinal cord

Question 22

What is heritability?

Answer 22

Measure of the degree something can be inherited, related to genetics

Question 23

What is dominant and recessive genes and how do they manifest?

Answer 23

dominant needs 1 gene, recessive you need 2 genes

Question 24

serotonin

Answer 24

think depression

Question 25

cortisol

Answer 25

think stress

Question 26

What is rooting reflex?

Answer 26

stroking infant’s cheek, baby turns to that side and starts sucking motion

Question 27

What is the hypothalamus?

Answer 27

maintains homeostasis and regulates emotion

Question 28

What is stress?

Answer 28

non specific response of the body

Question 29

stressor

Answer 29

trigger

Question 30

eustress

Answer 30

good stress example - moderate exercise

Question 31

distress

Answer 31

bad stress

Question 32

burnout

Answer 32

physical and mental exhaustion

Question 33

frustration

Answer 33

result of a blocked goal

Question 34

What are the different conflicts and what do they mean?

Answer 34

approach-approach- 2 equally desirable options avoidance-avoidance - equally undesirable options approach-avoidance – one desirable and one undesirable option

Question 35

What is Type A personality?

Answer 35

intense ambition

Question 36

What is Type B personality?

Answer 36

calm and patient

Question 37

What is hardiness?

Answer 37

LEARNED behavior

Question 38

What is coping?

Answer 38

managing stress in an effective way

Question 39

What affects ability to cope?

Answer 39

coping strategy used and available resources

Question 40

What are ulcers associated with?

Answer 40

increase in stress hormones and hydrochloric acid

Question 41

PTSD

Answer 41

result of traumatic event and characterized by nightmares, flashbacks and impaired functioning

Question 42

Health psychologists?

Answer 42

study how biological, psychological, and social factors interact in health and fitness

Question 43

What is sensation?

Answer 43

Detecting, converting and transmitting raw sensory data

Question 44

What is perception?

Answer 44

Process of 3 things; selecting, organizing and interpreting

Question 45

Coding

Answer 45

process by which your visual receptors are stimulated and information is sent along the optic nerve to the occipital lobe

Question 46

What is difference threshold?

Answer 46

minimum amount of stimulus (such as color) that is required to detect a difference

Question 47

Subliminal stimulus

Answer 47

Any stimulus present below the required threshold of a person’s conscious awareness

Question 48

Decibels

Answer 48

how loudness is measured

Question 49

High decibels can lead to?

Answer 49

nerve deafness

Question 50

Cocktail Party effect

Answer 50

talking to one group of people then your attention is drawn to another group of people when you hear your name mentioned

Question 51

Depth Perception and visual cliff

Answer 51

inborn because infants and animal babies show fear at the edge of “cliffs”

Question 52

Bottom-up processing

Answer 52

starting at the bottom with details being important

Question 53

Top-Down Processing

Answer 53

understanding larger concept; details not as important; example – being able to read a sentence with a lot of misspellings

Question 54

What is ESP?

Answer 54

the alleged ability to perceive things that cannot be perceived with the usual sensory channels