Unit 1 Exam

Question 1

What is the difference between Behaviors and Mental Processes?

Answer 1

Mental processes are the activities that occur in our minds like thoughts, emotions, memories, etc. Behaviors are actions that we take and responses that we can see in ourselves and others.

Question 2

What is the role of science in terms of Psychology?

Answer 2

Psychologists use the scientific method to explore behavior and mental processes.

Question 3

What mindsets are important when studying psychology?

Answer 3

Critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity, curiosity

Question 4

What are the characteristics of introspection?

Answer 4

Systematic, self-report of thoughts and feelings

Question 5

What are the differences between Structuralism and Functionalism?

Answer 5

Structuralism identifies the structures of the mind, while functionalism determines the processes of the mind and behaviors.

Question 6

Who is considered the “father of Psychology”?

Answer 6

Wilhelm Wundt

Question 7

Which famous Psychologist believed in Functionalism to study Psychology?

Answer 7

William James

Question 8

Which famous Psychologist founded the Psychodynamic approach?

Answer 8

Sigmund Freud

Question 9

What are some of the famous behavioralists?

Answer 9

Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, John Watson

Question 10

What is the Biological approach to Psychology?

Answer 10

It focuses on the body, specifically the brain and nervous system.

Question 11

What is the Psychodynamic approach to Psychology?

Answer 11

Behavior is driven by unconscious impulses, conflicts between biological drives and societal drives, early childhood experiences, and psychoanalysis (unlocking unconscious conflicts)

Question 12

What is the Behavioral approach to Psychology?

Answer 12

It focuses on visible interactions to the environment or to others. It focuses on what people do, not what they feel.

Question 13

What is the Humanistic approach to Psychology?

Answer 13

It is focused on positive human qualities; people have the free will to choose their own behavior. It revived the interest in mental processes.

Question 14

What is the cognitive approach to Psychology?

Answer 14

It is focused on mental processing like attention, perception, memory, information processing, and problem solving.

Question 15

What is the evolutionary approach to Psychology?

Answer 15

It is focused on evolution as the origin of behavior (adaptation, reproduction, natural selection).

Question 16

What is correlational research?

Answer 16

It identifies the statistical relationship between two variables (-1.00 ≤ r ≤ 1.00, determines strength of correlation).

Question 17

Why might correlational research be a good research method?

Answer 17

Third variable problem, correlation does not equal causation.

Question 18

What is experimental research?

Answer 18

It determines causation using groups; experimental group (independent variable), control group (dependent variable)

Question 19

What is the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable?

Answer 19

An independent variable is a part of an experiment that is changed to see how it affects the dependent variable, which is the one kept the same.

Question 20

What is an operational definition?

Answer 20

A statement of the procedures used to define research variables.

Question 21

What are some types of studies in Psychology?

Answer 21

Observation, survey and interview, case studies, correlational research, experimental research

Question 22

Why do experimenters use random groups when experimenting?

Answer 22

It helps prevent bias.

Question 23

What are the differences between a lab and non-lab experiment?

Answer 23

A lab experiment is more controlled and can be predicted easier. A non-lab experiment is not and can be more random, but is more accurate to real world.

Question 24

How is nature vs. nurture used to understand how people behave?

Answer 24

Nature is how people behave based on their genetics, and nurture is how people behave based on how they were raised and the environment they live in.

Question 25

What are afferent and efferent nerves?

Answer 25

Afferent nerves carry information to the brain, and efferent nerves carry information away from the brain.

Question 26

What are the important cells in the nervous system?

Answer 26

Glial cells (provide support and nutrition), neurons (information processing).

Question 27

What are the various parts of a neuron?

Answer 27

The cell body contains the nucleus, an axon is one connection from one neuron to another, the myelin sheath is an insulating layer made of proteins that forms around nerves which allows electrical impulses to move around nerves quickly, and dendrites receive the signals from other neurons.

Question 28

What is a synapse?

Answer 28

A synapse is a gap between neurons.

Question 29

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 29

Neurotransmitters carry information across the synaptic gap to the next neuron.

Question 30

What is Acetylcholine?

Answer 30

A type of neurotransmitter that controls muscle actions, learning, and memory.

Question 31

What is GABA?

Answer 31

A type of neurotransmitter that inhibits neuron firing, producing a calming effect and decreasing anxiety.

Question 32

What is serotonin?

Answer 32

A type of neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, mood, attention, and learning, and is known to make you happier. (depression decreases serotonin, antidepressants increase it)

Question 33

What is Oxytocin?

Answer 33

A type of neurotransmitter that acts as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It is associated with love, social bonding, and sexual pleasure.

Question 34

What is Dopamine?

Answer 34

A type of neurotransmitter that affects voluntary movement, sleep, mood, attention, and learning. It is also related to reward anticipation.

Question 35

What is an Antagonist drug?

Answer 35

A drug that blocks neurotransmitter production or release.

Question 36

What is an Agonist drug?

Answer 36

It increases the effect of a neurotransmitter (Prozac increases serotonin activity in the brain)

Question 37

What are some types of brain imaging tools?

Answer 37

Computerized axial tomography (X-ray of brain), Positron-emission tomography (Tracks consumption of glucose), Functional magnetic resonance imaging (Tracks consumption of oxygen)

Question 38

What parts of the brain are in the hindbrain?

Answer 38

Brain stem and cerebellum. The medulla, controls breathing, heart rate, and reflexes. The cerebellum controls motor coordination.

Question 39

What parts of the brain are in the midbrain?

Answer 39

Substantia Nigra, which contains dopamine producing neurons, and the Reticular Formation, which controls stereotyped behavior patterns like walking or sleeping.

Question 40

What parts of the brain are in the forebrain?

Answer 40

The limbic system, which controls memory and emotion and has the thalamus, which is the relay station of a lot of sensory information. It also has the Basal Ganglia, which controls coordination of voluntary movements, and Hypothalamus, which controls eating, drinking, sexual behaviors, regulates body’s internal state, emotion, stress, and reward.

Question 41

What does the limbic system contain?

Answer 41

Amygdala, which controls discrimination of objects like food for adaptation and survival and emotional awareness and expression. It also has the hippocampus, which controls the formation and recall of memories.

Question 42

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 42

It is the outer layer of the brain's surface. It contains the Neocortex, which takes up almost all of the cerebral cortex. It contains 4 lobes: Occipital (vision), Temporal (hearing, language processing, and memory), Frontal (intelligence, personality, and voluntary muscles), and Parietal (spatial location, attention, and motor control). The frontal lobe contains the frontal cortex, which controls planning, reasoning, and self-control.

Question 43

What is the function of adrenal glands?

Answer 43

They produce hormones that help regulate metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, response to stress and other essential functions

Question 44

What is the all-or-nothing principle?

Answer 44

Neurons will either transmit an impulse over the synapse to the next neuron completely or not at all.

Question 45

What is the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system?

Answer 45

The sympathetic nervous system carries signals that put the body's systems on alert, and the parasympathetic carries signals that relax those systems.