Midterm 1 Flashcards
Define Psychology
The scientific study of human behaviour. Explains how we account for human actions. Why?
Why do we lose our temper?
Brain development: problem in the control center of the brain
Why do we prefer sweet to bitter?
Poison = bitter (survival mechanism)
Differentiate psychology and psychiatry
Psychiatry: Medical model; Pathology of the DSM-V; medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental disorders
Psychology: Uses cognitive ways; turn irrational thinking into rational
What is empiricism? What are empirical studies?
Data-based knowledge
Studies with data
Name some major sub-fields of psychology
Clinical psychology Counselling Developmental psychology Cognitive psychology Industrial/organizational psychology Social psychology Health psychology Forensic psychology Sport psychology
Name the 2 major forces of psychology
Genetics and Environment (interact)
How many chromosomes do we have?
46 (23 from mom and 23 from dad)
How do genes control behaviour?
INDIRECTLY, through chemical reactions
Does environment include pre-natal?
Yes
What domains do we use to describe “the person”?
Physical Motor (fine/gross motor movement) Social Intellectual Emotional
What are perspectives? How is it also called?
Different assumptions
AKA school of thought
What are the 7 perspectives in psychology?
- Physiological/behavioral
- Learning (behavioral) perspective
- Cognitive perspective
- Psychodynamic perspective (Freud)
- Humanistic perspective
- Socio-cultural perspective
- Evolutionary perspective
What is the physiological/biological perspective
Relationship between biological processes and behaviour: Field of behavioral neuroscience
Goes about brain chemistry: Abnormal behavior related to chemical imbalances (neurotransmitters: Dopamine, serotonin)
Role of genetics: Notion of genetic vulnerability (e.g. set point theory)
Hard-wired behavior: Fight or flight
Behavioural neuroscience: How neurons function (e.g. brain damage to frontal lobe)
The endocrine system
What are the 3 major types of the learning/behavioral perspective?
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Observational conditioning
Explain the classical conditioning type of the learning/behavioral perspective and who inspired it.
Ivan Pavlov
He noticed that since he always fed dogs for his study, with time the dogs started salivating when he entered the room
Associate one thing with another, we learn by pairing
Stimulus –> response (e.g. television commercials)
Explain the operant conditioning type of the learning/behavioral perspective and who inspired it.
B. F. skinner
Your behavior operates on the environment (e.g. exam grades. bad grade= will work harder, good grade = repeat the good behaviour)
Shaping behaviour: REINFORCEMENT and PUNISHMENT
Consequences
Explain the observational learning type of the learning/behavioral perspective.
Media,social network, television
Role models: modelling
Explain the cognitive perspective.
Behaviour is a function of mental process (how we think, perception, memory, problem-solving)
“We come to know how to behave”
The same stimulus can be perceived differently by two people
Childhood recognition: Jean Piaget
Explain the psychodynamic perspective and who inspired it.
Sigmund Freud
Focused on the unconscious mind, everything that shape you is from your childhood
Iceberg model
Freudian slip - pre-conscious: an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.
Psychosexual stages: Based on childhood needs
Gratification (+) or Fixation (-)
Freud belief: Unmet needs affect later life
Explain the iceberg model
Your personality is made up of 3 different entities:
- ID: Seek pleasure, avoid pain (emotional limbic part of brain)
- Ego: Reality, rational side of the brain
- Super-ego: conscience: ego ideal
What are the 5 Freudian stages?
- Oral
- Anal
- Phallic
- Latency
- Genital –> mature psychosocial
Explain the oral freudian stage.
From birth to 12 months - mouth/feeding
When a child is born, the most sensitive part of their body is their lips. If needs are not met: Smoking, eating, nail biting, dependency, aggression, sarcasm
Explain the anal freudian stage.
12 months - age 3 - toilet training
Anal retentive: Perfectionism
Anal expulsive: Careless, messiness
Explain the phallic freudian stage.
3-6 years
Erogenous zone
Penis/clitoris –> strong sexual attachment to parent of the other sex
oedipal conflict, penis envy…
Explain the latency freudian stage.
6 to puberty
Repression of sexual impulses
Normal homosexual period
Prefer to play with own gender
Explain the humanistic perspective and who inspired it.
Basic reaction to freud
People have free-will and unlimited potential
Each person is unique, no reliance on unconscious forces
Concept of congruence: How we see ourselves vs. how we behave
Abraham Maslow: Hierarchy of needs (satisfy one thing before going on to the next)
Explain the socio-cultural perspective.
Behaviours are affected by our social and cultural influences
Looks at: Gender, lifestyle, income level, age
Explain the evolutionary perspective and who inspired it.
Darwin
Examines the role of inherited tendencies
Natural selection, survival
Genes are basis of inheritance –> random mutations occur: ADAPTATION
What is a hypothesis?
An exact prediction about what is going on. A thing you refuse or affirm. NOT a question
What is a theory?
How facts are related. Explains and predicts. Theories are TESTABLE.
What are operational definitions?
Define variables. E.g. how level of PA will be measured in the study
Explain what is naturalistic observation.
Observe and record. Examination of people in normal settings.
What is the main issue in naturalistic observation?
Reliability (‘cross-validation’)
What is a case study?
Study of one subject
- Detailed description of some behaviour
- Data cannot be generalized
What is the key in surveys?
Sampling (best is random sampling=all individuals in the group have an equal chance of being chosen for the research sample)
Name 2 types of surveys
- Open-ended questions
- Likert scales (can quantify - strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, etc.)
Name the 2 basic designs for measuring change.
Longitudinal and cross-sectional
Name one benefit and two risks of longitudinal design.
Reliable
but
Takes time
Subject attrition (leave)
What is correlation and what type of relationship does it indicate?
It compares the relationship between 2 sets of data. ASSOCIATION, not cause-effect.
What is a correlation coefficient?
A number that represents how 2 measures are related
negative number = inverse correlation
The closer to 1, the stronger the correlation
What is the value of correlation?
Prediction
if you know one score, you can predict the other
Which method establishes cause-effect?
The experimental method
What is reliability in research? How do we measure reliability?
Research that we can trust, consistency of the test data
To measure reliability: Correlation coefficient
What is validity in research?
Ask question: Does it measure what it should be measuring?
Name 3 functions of neurons.
Thinking, emotions, movement… (there are +++)
Name the 4 components of neurons
Dendrite, cell body, axon, myelin
What is the function of the cell bodies in neurons?
Contain the nucleus, metabolic function, Integration of signals; decision: Fire or not fire.
What part of the neuron is defective in Down’s syndrome?
Myelin –> slow response time and decision-making
What are the 3 main tasks of a neuron?
Receive, integrate, transmit
Name 4 types of neurons.
Afferent neurons
Efferent neurons
Inter-neurons
Mirror neurons
What do afferent neurons do?
Send signal from sense organs to brain