PsychFinal Flashcards
Behaviorism
The view that psychology 1. should be an objective science that 2. studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists agree with (1), but not (2).
Humanistic Psychology
Historically significant perspective that emphasized the growth potential of healthy people and the individual’s potential for personal growth.
Cognitive Neuroscience
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
Psychology
The science of behavior and mental processes.
Nature-Nurture Issue
The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science sees traits and behaviors arising form the interaction of both.
Levels of Analysis
The differing complementary views, from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomenon.
Biophysical approach
AN integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological, and social cultural-levels of analysis.
Neuroscience
How the brain and the body enable emotions, memories, and sensory experiences.
Evolutionary
How the natural selection of traits promoted the survival of genes.
Behavior Genetics
How much our genes an dour environment influence our individual differences.
Psychodynamic
How behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts.
Behavioral
How we learn observable responses.
Cognitive
How we encode, process, store, and retrieve information.
Social-Cultural
How behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures.
Basic research
Pure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base.
Applied research
Scientific study that aims to solve practical problems.
Counseling Psychology
A branch of psychology that assist people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being.
Clinical Psychology
A branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders.
Psychiatry
A branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders; practiced by physicians who sometimes provide medical (drug) treatments as well as psychological therapy.
SQ3R
A study method incorporating five steps: survey, question, red, rehearse, and review.
Critical thinking
Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
Theory
An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events.
Hypothesis
A testable prediction, often implied by a theory.
Operational definition
A statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables.
Replication
Repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances.
Case study
An observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles.
Good theory
This occurs when there is a link and a an organization to good facts. Also when the hypotheses is implied and offers testable predictions and, sometimes practical applications.
Survey
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group.
Population
All the cases in a group being studied, from which samples may be drawn. Only applies to national studies.
Random sample
A sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.
Naturalistic Observation
Observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation.
Correlation
The extent to which two factors vary together, and thus of how well either factor predicts the other. Its coefficient is the mathematical expression of he relationship ranging from -1 to +1.
Illusory correlation
The perception of a relationship where none exists.
Experiment
A research method in which an investigator manipulates one of more factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). By random assignment of participants, it aims to control other relevant factors.
Random Assignment
assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance, thus minimizing preexisting differences, between those assigned to the different groups.
Experimental group
In an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.
Control group
In an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment.
Double-blind procedure
An experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug evaluation studies.
Placebo effect
(Latin for “I shall please”) - experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.
Independent variable
The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.
Dependent variable
The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulation of the independent variable.
Culture
The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.
Biological psychology
The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes.
Neuron
A nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system.
Dendrite
The neuron’s bushy, branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses toward the cell body.
Axon
The neuron’s extension that passes messages through its branching terminal fibers that form junctions with other neurons, muscles, or glands.
Action potential
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down the axon.
Threshold
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse.
Synapse
The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the _____ gap or ______ cleft.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neurons, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
Endorphins
“Morphine within” - natural, opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure.
Nervous system
The body’s speedy electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the periheral and central nervous systems.
Central nervous system
The brain and spinal cord.
Periheral nervous system
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the central that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body.
Nerves
Bundled axons that form neural “cables” connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs.
Sensory neurons
Neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord.
Motor neurons
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and the spinal cord to the muscles and glands.
Interneuron
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and intervene between the sensory inputs and the motor outputs.
Reflex
A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response.
Endocrine System
The body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream.
Hormones
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues.
Adrenal glands
A pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and nonrephinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress.
Pituitary gland
The endocrine’s system’s most influential gland. Under the influence of hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands.
Brainstem
The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions.
Medulla
The base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing.
Thalamus
The brain’s sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla.
Reticular formation
A nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal.
Cerebellum
The “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; functions include some nonverbal learning, processing sensory input and coordination movement output and balance.
Limbic system
Neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.
Amygdala
Two lima bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion.
Hypothalamus
A neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.
Cerebral cortex
The intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.
Frontal lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments.
Parietal lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position.
Occipital lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields.
Temporal lobes
Portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily form the opposite ear.
Motor cortex
An area at the rear of the frontal loves that controls voluntary movements.
Sensory cortex
Area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations.
Association areas
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory function; rather, they are involved in higher mental functions, such as learning, remembering, thinking, speaking, and integrating information.
Aphasia
Impairment of language, usually caused by left-hemisphere damage either to Broca’s Area (impairing speaking) or to Wernicke’s area (impairing understanding).
Broca’a area
Controls language expression; an area of the frontal lobe, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech. Impairment to this part disrupts speech.
Wernicke’s area
Controls language reception; a brain area, usually in the left temporal lobe, that is involved in language comprehension and expression. Impairment to the part disrupts understanding.
Angular gyrus
Disruption to this disrupts the ability to read (small part).
Plasticity
The brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience.
Neurogenesis
The formation of new neurons.
Corpus callosum
The large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
Split brain
A condition resulting form surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.
Behavior genetics
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
Environment
Every nongenteic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.
Chromosomes
Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.
Genes
The biochemical unites of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein.
Identical twins
Twins develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating to gentetically identical organisms.
Fraternal twins
Twins who develop from separate fertilized egg. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment.
Temperament
A person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
Interaction
The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).
Evolutionary psychology
The study of the roots of behavior and mental processes, using the principles of natural selection.
Natural selection
The principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed to succeeding generations.
Mutation
A random error in gene replication that leads to a change.
Gender
In psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.
Norm
An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Prescribe “normal “behavior.
Personal space
The buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies.
Individualism
Giving priority to one’s own goals over group goals and defining one’s identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications.
Collectivism
Giving priority to group goals (often those of the extended family or work group) and defining one’s identity accordingly.
Aggression
Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone.
Role
A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
Gender role
A set of expected behaviors for males or for females.
Gender identity
Our sense of being male or female.
Gender typing
The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.
Social learning theory
The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.
William Wundt
Researched reaction time and how we learn from our mistakes. Considered the father of psych.
William James
“Father of American Pysch” - wrote the first textbook on psychology.
The ABC’s
Affect (emotion), behavior, cognitive
1920’s
This era studied the area of mental life - all internal
1950’s
This era studied overt behavior.
Today
This time studies behavior and mental processes.
Somatic Nervous system
The division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeletal muscles. Also called the skeleton nervous system.
Autonomic nervous system
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arousal its parasympathetic division calms.
Sympathetic nervous system
The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations.
