Psychology

Question 1

Define psychology

Answer 1

The systematic study of thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Question 2

Define behavior

Answer 2

Refers to any observable action made by a living person or animal.

Question 3

What are the specialist areas of psychology

Answer 3

Sport psychologist 
Community psychologist
Forensic psychologist
Organizational psychologist
Educational psychologist 
Counseling psychologist 
Clinical psychologist
Neuropsychologist 
Health psychologist

Question 4

What’s a psychiatrist

Answer 4

• Psychiatrist completes a medical degree at uni,
• focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health, problems.
• qualified medical practitioners
• are able to perform medical procedures and prescribe drugs.

Question 5

What’s a psychologist

Answer 5

• Completes the equivalent of 4 years of full time study in psychology at uni
• Completes an additional 2 years full time practice under the supervision of a qualified psychologist
• cannot prescribe drugs or perform medical procedures.

Question 6

Define sociocultural normality

Answer 6

Behaviour that is accepted in a particular society or culture.

Question 7

Define historical normality

Answer 7

What is considered normal and abnormal behaviour in a particular society or culture depends on the period of time when the judgement is made.

Question 8

Define situational normality

Answer 8

A behaviour that may be considered acceptable in one situation may not be acceptable in another.

Question 9

Define medical normality

Answer 9

Behaviour that has a physical cause and can be diagnosed and treated.

Question 10

Define functional normality

Answer 10

Behaviour is viewed as normal if the individual is able to function effectively in society and vice versa.

Question 11

Define statistical normality

Answer 11

Based on the idea that any behaviour or characteristic in a large group of individuals is distributed in a normal way.

Question 12

List the 3 sections of the brain.

Answer 12

Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain

Question 13

What is the hindbrain?

Answer 13

It is located at the base of the brain and compromises structures that are necessary for vital bodily functions. The main structures of the hind brain are the medulla, the pons and the cerebellum

Question 14

What is the midbrain?

Answer 14

A relatively small area of the brain that controls motor reactions such as reflexive response to auditory and visual information

Question 15

What is the forebrain?

Answer 15

Has several structures, but the cerebral hemispheres are the biggest and most obvious structures. It relays sensory information, and controls autonomic functions.

Question 16

State the structure of the cerebral cortex

Answer 16

• the folded, outer covering of the two cerebral hemispheres.
• only 2mm thick yet contain 3/4 of all the neurons
• the bigger the cortex and organism has, the more it appears capable of behaviour we regard as intelligent
• can be divided into 4 anatomical regions called cortical lobes
• performs functions such as speech, memory, thinking, learning, and problem solving

Question 17

What are the cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 17

The cerebral cortex is divided into 2 halves called cerebral hemispheres. There are 2 almost symmetrical structures that are separated by a longitudinal fissure. Left hemisphere controls the right, vice versa.

Question 18

What is the corpus callosum?

Answer 18

A structure consisting of nerve fibres that provides the means communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres

Question 19

What does the frontal lobe do?

Answer 19

Controls planning, initiative, self awareness, personality, emotional behaviour, voluntary movements

Question 20

What does the parietal lobe do?

Answer 20

Includes somatosensory cortex which receives sensory information regarding touch, pressure, temperature, as well as information from muscles and joints

Question 21

What does the temporal lobe do?

Answer 21

Receives and processes sound, and is involved with memory tasks such as face recognition

Question 22

What does the occipital lobe do?

Answer 22

Receives and processes visual information.

Question 23

Where is the cerebral cortex located?

Answer 23

It covers each hemisphere, and can be divided into 4 regions called cortical lobes.

Question 24

What does the cerebral cortex consist of?

Answer 24

Neurons (nerve cells)

Question 25

What functions are preformed by the cerebral cortex?

Answer 25

``` Speech Memory Thinking Learning Problem solving ```

Question 26

What is the Broca's area?

Answer 26

Located in the front lobe of the left hemisphere, and is responsible for the production of articulate speech.

Question 27

What is the Wernickes area?

Answer 27

Located on the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere, next to primary auditory cortex. Involved with interpreting sounds, especially the sound of human speech.

Question 28

Describe the structure of the human brain.

Answer 28

The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres (left and right). Each hemisphere has a specialized function and shares information using the corpus callosum, functioning interactively. Each hemisphere contains lobes, in which cortexes are located, which also have specific duties.

Question 29

What are the roles of the left and right hemispheres?

Answer 29

Left is responsible for the functioning of the right side of the body, and specialists in the production and comprehension of language, analytical skills, and rationality. Right is responsible for the functioning of the left side of the body, and specialists in non-verbal, visual/spatial tasks such as reading maps or drawing objects.

Question 30

Describe the two main functions of the nervous system.

Answer 30

- to regulate the actions of the skeletal muscles (somatic NS) - to regulate primary involuntary activity such as heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion (autonomic NS)

Question 31

What does IQ stand for?

Answer 31

Intelligence quotient.

Question 32

Outline the key features of Gardner's theory of intelligence

Answer 32

``` The 'multiple personalities' theory, which proposed seven different types of intelligence. These include: Spatial intelligence Musical intelligence Linguistic intelligence Logical-mathematical intelligence Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence Interpersonal intelligence Intrapersonal intelligence ```

Question 33

Give an example of an ability associated associated with each kind of intelligence.

Answer 33

``` Linguistic- writing Musical- composing music Logical, Maths- engineering Spatial- architecture Bodily Kinesthetic- athletics Interpersonal- psychology, psychiatry Intrapersonal- understanding your own feelings ```

Question 34

What does test validity mean?

Answer 34

An intelligence test that is valid, that being, it must actually measure what it is suppossed to measure. For instance, it must measure intelligence and not some other characteristics.

Question 35

What does test reliability mean?

Answer 35

Reliability refers to the ability of a test to consistently measure what it is suppossed to measure each time it's given.

Question 36

What are cultural biased items?

Answer 36

Refers to the tendency of a test to give a lower score to a person from a culture different from that on which the test was standardized.

Question 37

What are cultural fair items?

Answer 37

Tests that attempt to provide items that will not penalize a test taker on the bias of their cultural or ethnic background.

Question 38

What is the visual perception system?

Answer 38

The complete network of physiological structures involved in vision, including the eyes, receptors, nerve pathways, and visual cortex.

Question 39

What is visual sensation?

Answer 39

The detection or awareness of the presence of light energy produced by stimulation of the visual receptors in the eye.

Question 40

What is visual perception?

Answer 40

The selection, organization, and interpretation of visual sensations by the brain into the meaningful objects and events.

Question 41

What are the senses and their proper terms?

Answer 41

Sight = vision Hearing = audition Taste = gustation Smell = olfaction Any skin sense/ touch = cutaneous Balance = equilibrium

Question 42

What are the different types of threshold?

Answer 42

Absolute threshold- the minimum amount of stimulation or energy that can be detected in order for a stimulus to be perceived. Differential threshold- the smallest possible difference that can be detected between two stimuli by a specific sensory receptor.

Question 43

What is the physical energy to which visual sensory receptors respond?

Answer 43

Light energy or photons

Question 44

What is a photoreceptor?

Answer 44

A receptor in the retina that is sensitive to light, made up of cones and rods.

Question 45

What primary role do photoreceptors play in visual perception?

Answer 45

Transduce electromagnetic energy into neutral impulses, as well as detecting and responding to light.

Question 46

Briefly explain the process of transduction

Answer 46

The process by which photoreceptors change electromagnetic energy into electromechanical energy which the brain and nervous system can use.

Question 47

Briefly explain the role of transmission

Answer 47

Transmission involves sending and receiving information in the form of electromagnetic energy from neuron to neuron along a nerve pathway to different parts of the visual cortex in the brain.

Question 48

Why can't we see when there's no source of light?

Answer 48

Because there's no light to excite the photoreceptors especially the cones which lose their ability to respond to light.

Question 49

Define sensory memory

Answer 49

Briefly preserves the impressions gained by the senses, usually for about one or two seconds.

Question 50

Define short term memory

Answer 50

Includes all the things we've recently perceived, and lasts about 20 seconds.

Question 51

Long term memory

Answer 51

Is what we commonly refer to as memory. It preserves information for days, weeks, months, or a whole lifetime.

Question 52

What are the two types of sensory memories?

Answer 52

Icon and echo

Question 53

What is an icon?

Answer 53

A visual memory that lasts about half a second

Question 54

What is an echo?

Answer 54

An auditory memory that lasts several seconds

Question 55

What does chunking memories refer to?

Answer 55

It implies that you take the material in the order in which it is presented and divide it into chunks, or sections, to reduce the number of items to be remembered.