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Module 1 and 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What does science try to understand?

A

the natural world through testing and observation

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2
Q

What is systemic observation?

A

careful observation of the natural world with the aim of better understanding it. observations provide the basic data that allow scientists to track, tally, or otherwise organize information about the natural world; best if non-participatory

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3
Q

What is the approach to inquiry that is tied to actual measurement, controls, and observation?

A

empirical method

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4
Q

What is the science of behavior and mental processes?

A

psychology

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5
Q

What is a testable set of assumptions concerning the causes of behavior?

A

theory

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6
Q

What is the method of acquiring knowledge through observation and/or experimentation/

A

scientific method

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7
Q

What 3 things do psychologists study?

A

behavior - actions and responses
**cognitions - mental processes that include thoughts, perceptions beliefs, attitudes, and memories (usually main goal)
affects - “mental” processes that include feelings, moods, and emotional states

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8
Q

what is an operational definition?

A

what every behavior, cognition, affect investigated must have first.
it is a detailed description of a concept in terms of the procedures used to measure it.

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9
Q

Which philosophers promoted empiricism?

A

John Locke (1632 -1704) and Thomas Reid (1710-1796) , they promoted the idea that all knowledge comes from experience.

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10
Q

Who developed the field of psychophysics?

A

German researchers Ernst Weber and Gustav Fechner.
it measures the relationship between physical stimuli and human perception.

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11
Q

Which physiologist measured the speed of the neuro impulse?

A

Hermann von Helmholtz (1821 - 1894)

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12
Q

Who is credited for the formal development of modern psychology?

A

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
established field of experimental psychology

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13
Q

What did Wilhelm Wundt train his students in?

A

introspection - focus on internal processes

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14
Q

When did Wundt’s version of psychology arrive in America?

A

via his student Titchener (1867-1927)

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15
Q

What was Edward Bradford Titchener’s (1867-1927) brand of experimental psychology?

A

structuralism - systematic description of the elements that make up the conscious experience.

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16
Q

Chronical the birth of experimental psychology in the US.

A

Titchener brough his brand of experimental psychology over and it spread throughout North America. the American Psychological Association in 1892 focused primarily on clinical practice.
in 1904 Titchener created the society of experimental psychologists
in 1988 the American Psychological Society was founded to advance psychological science

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17
Q

What is scientific psychologists code of ethics?

A

set of 5 research guidelines
1. informed consent
2. confidentiality
3. privacy - will not collect data in private settings without informed consent
4. benefits - beneficence
5. protection from harm - non-malfeasance

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18
Q

How is applied research used in psychology?

A

investigating effective treatment approaches, researching motivational strategies, studying keyboard designs for efficiency, finding out what makes people most productive

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19
Q

What are the three main regions of the brain?

A

hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain

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20
Q

What is the hindbrain responsible for?

A

located at the base of the brain and is responsible for regulating basic functions such as breathing, vestibular balance, and heart rate
autonomic

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21
Q

What is the midbrain responsible for?

A

located above the hindbrain and is involved in controlling movement and processing sensory (except skin and eye) information

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22
Q

What is the forebrain responsible for?

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A

largest and most complex region of the brain, responsible for higher cognitive functions such as thinking, planning, and decision-making

23
Q

What part of the brain develops first?

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A

the lower brain centers, both evolutionarily (phylogeny) and for the individual lifespan (ontogeny)
brain stem, cerebellum, reticular formation, basal ganglia

24
Q

What are the 2 parts of the brain stem?

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A

medulla - lowest part, controls vital life support functions, breathing, heart rate, BP, coughing, sneezing, and vomiting, if damaged death is likely
pons - sits on the medulla, controls fine tune motor messages, processes visual info and respiration, if damaged blindness is likely

25
What is the cerebellum responsible for?
sits at the back of the brain, has 2 hemispheres; coordinates and regulates motor movement, position, balance, and sense of direction
26
What is the reticular formation responsible for?
controls arousal, alertness, sleep cycles and dreams; if damaged result can be coma or death
27
What is the basal ganglia responsible for?
small structures control motor responses; initiation and coordination of large movements (walking) contain lots of dopamine; if damaged = jerky movements (PD)
28
What is the limbic system associated with?
emotional expression, motivation, learning, and memory amygdala, hippocampus, septum, hypothalamus, thalamus
29
What is the amygdala responsible for?
negative action, if damaged, one may go into rage attacking everything. primate studies show that destruction tames aggressive behavior
30
What is the hippocampus responsible for?
expresses learning and memory and aids in reproductive behavior, if damaged no memory storage ability.
31
What is the septum responsible for?
experience pleasure
32
What is the hypothalamus responsible for?
sits below thalamus, dtects changes and imbalances in body systems, strives to maintain and restore homeostasis
33
What is the thalamus responsible for?
above hypothalamus, 2 egg shaped halves, relay station, routes messages to cerebral cortex for processing
34
What is the largest structure in the brain?
cerebral cortex, cerebrum, where memories are stored and helps us make decisions on how to respond
35
what separates the cerebral cortex?
corpus collosum - network of dense nerve fibers.
36
What are the 3 regions of the cerebral cortex?
sensory cortex - receive sensory messages via 5 senses motor cortex - movement messages to muscles, make up 25% of cortical brain's activity association cortex - thinking, learning, memory, perception, and planning, 75% of activity.
37
What are the 4 primary lobes of the cerebral cortex?
frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
38
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
largest lobe, controls decision-making, impulse control, and all body movements contains broca's area that controls ability to speak; damage results in aphasia
39
What is the parietal lobe responsible for?
relates visual and spatial info, if damaged you may forget a side of the body contains the somatosensory cortex - receives info on touch, pressure, pain, and temp
40
What is the occipital lobe responsible for?
aids in vision, contains the visual cortex - receives sensory info from eyes, if damaged could result in blindness
41
What is the temporal lobe responsible for?
hearing contains auditory cortex which receives auditory signals and sens them to Wernicke's area that interprets the sounds
42
What are the cells in the brain?
neurons - specialized cells that are designed to communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals
43
How do neurons communicate?
at the synapse, electrical signal is converted into chemical signal and sent across small gap
44
what are the chemical messengers involved in transmitting signals between neurons?
neurotransmitters
45
What is dopamine responsible for?
NT involved in regulating reward and pleasure
46
What is serotonin responsible for?
NT involved in regulating mood and emotion
47
What part of the brain is involved in executive functions such as decision-making, problem solving, and planning?
prefrontal cortex
48
Understanding the functions of which structures in the brain help us better understand the underlying mechanisms of mental health disorders?
prefrontal cortex and amygdala. for example: research show people with depression have lower activity in prefrontal and higher in amygdala, suggests that depression may be linked to disruption in the balance between emotion and cognition in the brain
49
Which brain imaging technologies have allowed researchers to study the brain in detail?
fMRI and PET scans
50
What two hormones are involved in behavior?
testosterone - produced in testes and smaller amounts in ovaries. responsible for regulating development of male sex organs, secondary sex characteristics, muscle and skeletal growth, and aggressive behavior higher levels in men could have them engage in mate-seeking behaviors, women have more assertive approach cortisol - produced by adrenal gland in response to stress and involved in fight/flight/freeze, mobilizes energy stores and suppresses inflammation, but chronically elevated are linked to a range of negative health outcomes including depression and anxiety
51
What are SSRIs?
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - class of meds that target serotonin system and used to treat depression and anxiety disorders
52
What is the primary hormone involved in love?
oxytocin - "cuddle hormone" - released in large quantities during physical touch and affection, mother and child, between romantic partners
53
What is a parental behavior?
any behavior that contributes directly to the survival of fertilized eggs or offspring that have left the body of the female. high levels in women show them to be more physically affectionate behaviors and talked more often to their babies
54
What do they mean by "love is 'epigenetic'"?
positive experiences in early life can act upon and alter the expression of specific genes, and the reverse is true

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