Study Guide for PSYC 100 Midterm The Evolution of Psychology Flashcards
(155 cards)
1
Q
What is the origin of the word ‘psychology’?
A
The term ‘psychology’ originated in the 16th century.
Greek Origins: Psyche means ‘soul’ or ‘mind’; Logos means ‘the study of a subject.’
2
Q
What was the initial definition of psychology?
A
Originally defined as ‘the study of the soul or mind.’
3
Q
What shift occurred in psychology during the 1910s?
A
Psychologists moved from studying the mind (unobservable) to studying behavior (observable), giving rise to behaviorism.
4
Q
How was psychology defined in the 1920s?
A
Psychology was commonly defined as ‘the scientific study of behavior,’ focusing on observable actions.
5
Q
What was the cognitive revolution in the 1960s?
A
Interest in studying the mind was revived, leading to the modern definition: ‘The science of behavior and cognitive processes.’
6
Q
What is nativism in psychology?
A
Belief in innate knowledge and abilities, with heredity shaping them.
7
Q
What is rationalism in psychology?
A
Knowledge comes from correct reasoning and logic.
8
Q
What is empiricism in psychology?
A
Knowledge is derived from sensory experience.
9
Q
Who was Saint Augustine?
A
Explored memory, emotion, motivation, and the conflict between reason and passions.
10
Q
Who was Abu Ibn Sina (Avicenna)?
A
A Persian philosopher and physician who preserved and expanded on Aristotle’s teachings.
11
Q
Who was James McKeen Cattell?
A
First psychology professor independent of biology or philosophy departments, marking psychology as a separate academic discipline.
12
Q
What is behaviorism?
A
Focused on observable behaviors rather than mental processes, rejecting the study of the mind.
13
Q
Who was John B. Watson?
A
A founder of behaviorism, influenced by Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiments.
14
Q
What are the steps of the scientific method?
A
Observe, Ask a Research Question, Test Hypothesis, Analyze Results, Share Findings.
15
Q
What are the strengths of a case study?
A
Detailed insights, exploration of rare/unethical situations, new research avenues.
16
Q
What are the limitations of a case study?
A
Lack of generalizability, researcher bias, time-consuming, difficult to replicate.
17
Q
What are the strengths of survey questions?
A
Open-ended questions provide richer data, anonymity encourages honesty.
18
Q
What are the weaknesses of survey questions?
A
Seriousness of responses, biased wording, unreliable data if not taken seriously.
19
Q
What is correlation?
A
A statistical relationship between two variables.
20
Q
What are the types of correlation?
A
Positive Correlation: Both variables increase together; Negative Correlation: One variable increases, the other decreases; No Correlation: No predictable relationship.
21
Q
What is an independent variable (IV)?
A
The variable manipulated by the researcher.
Example: Sleep duration in a sleep-memory experiment.
22
Q
What is a dependent variable (DV)?
A
The variable measured by the researcher to observe the effect of the IV.
Example: Memory performance in a sleep-memory experiment.
23
Q
What is the APA Code of Ethics in research?
A
Ensures responsible research and protects participants’ rights.
24
Q
What are the key principles of the APA Code of Ethics?
A
Beneficence and Nonmaleficence, Fidelity and Responsibility, Integrity, Justice, Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity.
25
What is the mode in measures of central tendency?
The most frequent score.
26
What is the mean in measures of central tendency?
The arithmetic average.
27
What is the median in measures of central tendency?
The middle score in an ordered set.
28
What are dendrites in a neuron?
Receive signals from other neurons or sensory receptors.
29
What is the cell body (soma) in a neuron?
Processes signals and contains the nucleus.
30
What is the axon in a neuron?
Transmits electrical impulses to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
31
What is the myelin sheath?
Insulates axon, speeding up signal transmission.
32
What are axon terminals?
Release neurotransmitters to communicate with other neurons.
33
What is a synapse?
Gap between neurons where chemical signals are transmitted.
34
What is acetylcholine?
Involved in muscle contraction, memory, and learning.
35
What is dopamine?
Involved in pleasure, reward, and motivation.
36
What is glutamate?
Primary excitatory neurotransmitter, involved in memory.
37
What is serotonin?
Regulates mood, sleep, and appetite.
38
What is GABA?
Inhibits neural activity, controls anxiety.
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What is norepinephrine?
Involved in attention, arousal, and stress response.
40
What is epinephrine?
Increases heart rate and prepares the body for 'fight or flight.'
41
What is the central nervous system (CNS)?
Composed of the brain and spinal cord; controls thoughts, emotions, movement, and memory.
42
What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?
Includes all nerves outside the CNS, responsible for connecting the CNS to the body.
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What is the somatic nervous system?
Controls voluntary movements.
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What is the autonomic nervous system?
Controls involuntary functions, with sympathetic and parasympathetic branches.
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What does the sympathetic nervous system do?
Prepares the body for stress ('fight or flight').
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What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Restores the body to calm after stress.
47
What is the endocrine system?
A collection of glands that produce hormones regulating various body functions.
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What is the key role of the endocrine system?
Controls processes like metabolism, growth, mood, sexual function, and sleep.
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What is the major difference between the endocrine system and the nervous system?
The nervous system uses electrical impulses for quick communication, while the endocrine system uses hormones for slower, longer-lasting effects.
50
What is the function of the hypothalamus?
Controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland and regulates temperature, hunger, and thirst.
51
What is the function of the pituitary gland?
Regulates other glands and secretes hormones that control growth, reproduction, and metabolism.
52
What hormones does the pituitary gland secrete?
Growth hormone (GH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and prolactin.
53
What is oxytocin?
Secreted by the posterior pituitary; involved in childbirth and breastfeeding, associated with bonding.
54
What is the function of the thyroid gland?
Regulates metabolism by releasing thyroid hormones (T3 and T4).
55
What do the adrenal glands do?
Release hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, involved in stress response and metabolism.
56
What is the function of the pancreas?
Regulates blood sugar levels by releasing insulin and glucagon.
57
What hormones do the ovaries and testes produce?
Ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone; testes produce testosterone.
58
What is the function of the pineal gland?
Regulates sleep-wake cycles by releasing melatonin.
59
What is insulin?
Helps regulate blood sugar levels by allowing cells to absorb glucose.
60
What is cortisol?
Helps manage stress and regulates metabolism and immune response.
61
What is adrenaline (epinephrine)?
Increases heart rate and energy during stress ('fight or flight').
62
What is testosterone?
Responsible for male sexual characteristics and sperm production.
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What is estrogen?
Responsible for female sexual characteristics and the menstrual cycle.
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What is thyroxine (T3 and T4)?
Regulates metabolism and energy production.
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What is oxytocin often called?
The 'love hormone' due to its role in childbirth, breastfeeding, and social bonding.
66
What is consciousness?
Refers to our awareness of ourselves, our thoughts, and the environment around us.
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What are the levels of consciousness?
Includes alertness, daydreaming, sleeping, and coma.
68
What is sleep?
A naturally recurring state of rest for the body and mind, characterized by altered consciousness.
69
What are the stages of sleep?
NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
70
What is NREM sleep?
Includes stages of light sleep, deeper sleep, and deep sleep (slow-wave sleep).
71
What is REM sleep?
Characterized by increased brain activity, vivid dreams, and temporary muscle paralysis.
72
Why is sleep important?
Essential for physical repair, cognitive functions, and emotional regulation.
73
What are the effects of lack of sleep?
Cognitive impairment, emotional dysregulation, and physical effects like increased disease risk.
74
What is sleep debt?
Chronic lack of sleep that can be hard to recover from.
75
What are microsleeps?
Short periods of sleep lasting only a few seconds, often without awareness.
76
What is insomnia?
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, leading to daytime fatigue.
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What is sleep apnea?
Characterized by brief periods of interrupted breathing during sleep.
78
What is narcolepsy?
A neurological disorder causing excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.
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What are night terrors?
Episodes of screaming and intense fear during NREM sleep.
80
What is sleep hygiene?
Healthy sleep habits that improve sleep quality.
81
What are key tips for good sleep hygiene?
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, limit screen time, and avoid stimulants before bed.
82
What are stimulants?
Drugs that increase CNS activity, leading to heightened alertness and energy.
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What are common stimulants?
Caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, and amphetamines.
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What are the effects of stimulants?
Increased heart rate and blood pressure, enhanced focus, and risk of addiction.
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What are depressants?
Drugs that decrease CNS activity, leading to relaxation and drowsiness.
86
What are common depressants?
Alcohol, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates.
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What are the effects of depressants?
Relaxation, reduced anxiety, but impaired cognitive function.
88
What are psychedelics?
Drugs that alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes.
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What are common psychedelics?
LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and MDMA.
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What are the effects of psychedelics?
Hallucinations, enhanced sensory experiences, and potential therapeutic uses.
91
What is the stimulus for sight (vision)?
Light waves.
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What is the sensory organ for sight?
Eyes.
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What are the receptors for sight?
Photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the retina.
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What do rods detect?
Light intensity, important for low-light vision.
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What do cones detect?
Color and fine detail.
96
What is the stimulus for hearing (audition)?
Sound waves.
97
What is the sensory organ for hearing?
Ears.
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What are the receptors for hearing?
Hair cells in the cochlea.
99
What is the function of cones in vision?
Cones detect color and fine detail.
100
What are the key terms related to vision?
Pupil, Lens, Retina, Optic Nerve, Fovea.
101
What is perception?
Perception is organizing and interpreting sensory information.
102
What are the key concepts in perception?
Color Vision, Depth Perception, Accommodation.
103
What is the stimulus for hearing?
Sound waves.
104
What are the receptors involved in hearing?
Hair cells in the cochlea.
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What are the key terms related to hearing?
Outer Ear, Eardrum, Middle Ear, Cochlea, Auditory Nerve.
106
What are the key concepts in hearing?
Pitch, Loudness, Timbre, Localization of Sound.
107
What is the stimulus for touch?
Pressure, temperature, pain.
108
What is the sensory organ for touch?
Skin.
109
What are the receptors involved in touch?
Mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, nociceptors.
110
What are the key terms related to touch?
Somatosensory Cortex, Haptic Perception, Pain Perception.
111
What is the stimulus for taste?
Chemical molecules.
112
What is the sensory organ for taste?
Tongue (taste buds).
113
What are the receptors involved in taste?
Taste buds (papillae).
114
What are the key terms related to taste?
Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Umami.
115
What are the key concepts in taste?
Sensory Interaction, Super tasters.
116
What is the stimulus for smell?
Chemical molecules in the air.
117
What is the sensory organ for smell?
Nose (olfactory epithelium).
118
What are the receptors involved in smell?
Olfactory receptors.
119
What are the key terms related to smell?
Olfactory Receptors, Olfactory Bulb, Olfactory Nerve.
120
What are the key concepts in smell?
Smell and Memory, Olfactory Adaptation.
121
What is classical conditioning?
Learning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to trigger a conditioned response.
122
What are the key terms in classical conditioning?
UCS (Unconditioned Stimulus), UCR (Unconditioned Response), CS (Conditioned Stimulus), CR (Conditioned Response).
123
What is an example of classical conditioning?
Pavlov’s dogs salivating (CR) when hearing a bell (CS) after repeated pairings with food (UCS).
124
What is operant conditioning?
Learning where behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment.
125
What are the key terms in operant conditioning?
Reinforcement (Positive/Negative), Punishment (Positive/Negative).
126
What is an example of operant conditioning?
Skinner's box—rats pressing a lever for food (positive reinforcement).
127
What is positive punishment?
Addition of an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior (e.g., scolding a child).
128
What is negative punishment?
Removal of a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior (e.g., taking away a phone).
129
Who is Ivan Pavlov?
Ivan Pavlov is known for classical conditioning and discovered the conditioned reflex.
130
Who is John B. Watson?
John B. Watson is the father of behaviorism, known for the Little Albert Experiment.
131
Who is B.F. Skinner?
B.F. Skinner is known for operant conditioning and the Skinner Box.
132
What is observational learning?
Observational learning is the process of learning behaviors by watching others and imitating their actions.
133
What are the key terms in observational learning?
Modeling, Imitation.
134
Who is Albert Bandura?
Albert Bandura is a key figure in social learning theory, known for the Bobo Doll Experiment.
135
What is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.
136
What are mirror neurons?
Mirror neurons fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe the same action performed by someone else.
137
What is general intelligence (g)?
General intelligence, or g, is the idea that intelligence is a single, overarching ability influencing performance across cognitive tasks.
138
What is the g factor?
The g factor, proposed by Charles Spearman, suggests that people who excel in one cognitive area tend to excel in others.
139
What are primary mental abilities?
Primary mental abilities are independent abilities influencing specific cognitive tasks, proposed by Louis Thurstone.
140
What are some examples of primary mental abilities?
Verbal Comprehension, Reasoning, Perceptual Speed, Numerical Ability, Memory, Word Fluency.
141
What is the theory of multiple intelligences?
The theory of multiple intelligences, proposed by Howard Gardner, suggests that intelligence consists of various types of intelligences.
142
What are some types of intelligence according to Gardner?
Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial, Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Existential.
143
What is the triarchic approach to intelligence?
The triarchic approach, proposed by Robert Sternberg, suggests intelligence consists of analytical, creative, and practical components.
144
What is recall in memory?
Recall is retrieving information learned earlier that is not currently in your conscious awareness.
145
What is recognition in memory?
Recognition is identifying previously learned items.
146
What is relearning in memory?
Relearning is learning something more quickly when you learn it again.
147
What is short-term memory?
Short-term memory holds a few items briefly before being stored or forgotten.
148
What is sensory memory?
Sensory memory is the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information.
149
What is long-term memory?
Long-term memory is the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of memory.
150
What is working memory?
Working memory involves conscious, active processing of incoming information and information retrieved from long-term memory.
151
What is encoding in memory?
Encoding is the process of processing information into the memory system.
152
What is storage in memory?
Storage is the process of retaining encoded information over time.
153
What is retrieval in memory?
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory storage.
154
What is parallel processing?
Parallel processing is the brain’s natural mode of processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously.
155
What is chunking in memory?
Chunking is organizing items into familiar, manageable units.
