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119 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
psychology |
scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes |
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scientific study |
set of procedures used for gathering, interpreting, and making dependable observations
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behavior |
the observable actions of an organism (people) within a given environment |
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mental process |
internal working of the human mind (measured indirectly) Ex: thinking, reasoning, planning |
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4 Aims of psychology |
1. Description 2. Explanation 3. Prediction 4. Control of Behavior |
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behavioral data |
reports of observations about organisms behavior and the conditions under which the behavior occurs |
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Socrates |
knowledge comes from divine insight |
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Aristotle |
knowledge comes from observation and reasoning |
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Locke |
knowledge comes from experience (Empiricism) |
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Kant |
knowledge comes from innate ability (Nativism) |
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Fechner |
wrote the first psychological work, “Elements of Psychophysics” |
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Wundt |
founded the first formal laboratory devoted to experimental psychology (Structuralist) |
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Dewey |
focused on the functions of reflexes, his concern for the practical uses of mental processes led to important advances in education (learning by doing) (Functionalist) |
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Mary Calkins |
established one of the first psychology laboratories in the U.S. and invented important techniques for studying memory |
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Margaret Washburn |
first woman to receive a PhD in psychology |
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Helen Wooley |
accomplished some of the earliest research that examined differences between the sexes |
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Freud |
first to notice that human nature is not always rational and actions may be driven by motives that are not in conscious awareness |
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Watson |
argued that psychological research should use observable behavior as the research method for all species (Behaviorist) |
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Rogers |
emphasized that individuals have a natural tendency toward psychological growth and health, a process that is aided by the positivity of those who around them (Humanist) |
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Maslow |
coined the term “self-actualization” to refer to each individual’s drive toward the fullest development of his/her potential (Humanist) |
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Types of Psychology |
1. Structuralism 2. Gestaltism 3. Functionalism |
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Titchener |
founder of Structuralism |
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Wertheimer |
founder of Gestaltism |
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William James |
founder of Functionalism |
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Structuralism |
the study of the basic structural components of mind and behavior, the “what” of mental content, understanding experience by studying the components of that experience |
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Gestaltism |
the entirety of mental content (experiencing things as a whole) |
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Functionalism |
the “why” of mental content, understanding experience by considering the purpose of the experience |
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introspection |
examination by individuals of their own thoughts and feelings about specific sensory experiences |
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Psychological Perspectives Determine |
1. What we study
2. Where we look for information 3. How we look for that information |
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Psychological perspectives |
1. Biological 2. Behavioral 3. Humanistic 4. Cognitive 5. Evolutionary 6. Socio-culture 7. Psychodynamic |
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Biological perspective |
all behavior can be explained by underlying physical structures and biological processes |
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Behavioral perspective |
behavior can be explained by environmental conditions and the consequences of behavior |
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Humanistic perspective |
behavior can be explained by people’s attempts to use their own abilities to satisfy natural needs |
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Cognitive perspective |
behavior can be explained by the way in which people think |
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Evolutionary perspective |
behavior can be explained by natural selection |
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Socio-culture perspective |
behavior can be affected by cultural influences |
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Psychodynamic perspective |
behavior is driven, or motivated, by powerful inner forces; focuses on instincts and the attempt to solve conflicts between personal needs and society’s demands
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Ways Characteristics Are Inherited |
1. Heredity 2. Natural Selection 3. Evolution |
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Cells |
the human body is made up of trillions of cells (the functional basic units of life) |
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Nuclei |
all cells (except red blood cells) have a nucleus which contains genetic material |
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Chromosomes |
long strands of genetic material, somatic cells have 46 (23 pairs), gametes have 23 |
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Genes |
small segments of chromosomes containing instructions for the production of proteins; these proteins regulate an organism’s appearance and behavior |
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DNA |
the material of chromosomes, the sugar-phosphate backbones holding nitrogen bases, arranged in a double helix
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Genotype |
the genetic structure that an organism inherits from its parents |
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Phenotype |
the physical and behavioral characteristics of an organism |
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Polygenic Trait |
characteristic that is influenced by more than one gene |
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Genome |
the typical sequence of genes contained in the chromosomes of a species |
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Human behavior genetics |
a research field that combines genetics and psychology to explore the link between inheritance and behavior |
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Sociobiology |
provides evolutionary explanations for the social behavior and social systems of humans and other animal species |
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Evolutionary psychology |
extends the evolutionary explanations of sociobiology to include other aspects of human experience |
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Neuroscience |
the scientific study of the brain and of the links between brain activity and behavior |
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Phineas T. Gage |
Railroad accident: Brain damage changed his behavior and character, linking brain and behavior |
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Broca |
Identified a brain area that involved the production of speech |
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Wernicke |
Identified a brain area involved in the comprehension of speech |
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Looking at the brain's structure |
MRI, CAT scan |
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Looking at where events happen in the brain |
rTMS, PET, fMRI |
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Looking at when events happen in the brain |
EEG |
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nervous system |
the body’s fast electrochemical communication network consisting of highly specialized nerve cells (neurons) |
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neurons |
cells in the nervous system specialized to receive, process, and/or transmit information to other cells |
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dendrites |
receives signals from sense receptors or other neurons |
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soma |
combines information received from the dendrites |
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axon |
transmits action potential |
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terminal button |
releases neurotransmitters |
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myelin sheath |
the insulating material that surrounds axons and increases the speed of neural transmissions |
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action potential |
the nerve impulse activated in a neuron that travels down the axon and causes neurotransmitters to be released into a synapse |
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excitatory input |
information entering a neuron that signals it to fire |
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inhibitory input |
information entering a neuron that signals it to not fire |
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synapse |
joins one neuron to another so the two neurons do not touch |
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synaptic transmission |
the relaying information from one neuron to another across the synaptic gap |
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neurotransmitters |
chemical messenger released from a neuron that crosses the synapse from one neuron to another, stimulating the postsynaptic neuron (the neuron on the other side) |
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GABA |
most common inhibitory neurotransmitter |
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Glutamate |
most common excitatory; processes emotion, learning, and memory |
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neuromodulator |
any substance that modifies the activities of the postsynaptic neuron |
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resting potential |
restriction of vibration of cellular fluid within a neuron which provides the capability to produce an action potential |
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refractory period |
the period of rest where a new action potential can’t be activated in a segment of an axon (absolute or relative) |
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Peripheral nervous system (PNS) |
system connecting the body’s sensory receptors to the spinal cord and brain, and the spinal cord and brain to the muscles and glands |
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Central nervous system (CNS) |
neurons in the brain and spinal cord which processes incoming signals and sends out commands to the body |
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sensory neurons |
carries messages from sense receptors inwards, toward the central nervous system |
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motor neurons |
carries messages outwards, away from the central nervous system towards the muscles and glands |
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interneuron |
brain neuron that relays messages from sensory neurons to other interneurons or to motor neurons |
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mirror neuron |
neuron that responds when an individual observes another individual performing a motor action
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Glia |
cells that hold neuron together and facilitate neural transmission, remove damaged and dead neurons, and prevent poisonous substances in the blood from reaching the brain; make up the myelin sheath |
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3 Areas of the Brain |
1. Brain Stem - the primitive brain (shared by all primitive animals) 2. Limbic System - emotion, motivation, memory (shared by mammals) 3. Cerebrum - rational brain |
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Parts of the Brain Stem |
1. Thalamus - send info to the right side of brain 2. Pons - info crosses to other side of brain 3. Medulla - basic life support 4. Reticular formation - aware of surroundings 5. Cerebellum - coordination of movement |
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Parts of the Limbic System |
1. Amygdala - emotional control
2. Hypothalamus - motivated behavior (hunger/thirst) 3. Hippocampus - memory formation |
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Parts of the Cerebrum |
1. Frontal Lobe - executive function (planning, decision making) 2. Parietal Lobe - somatosenses (processes body senses, such as touch, temperature, and pain) 3. Occipital Lobe - visual cortex 4. Temporal Lobes - auditory cortex |
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cerebral cortex |
outer part of the cerebrum |
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Two Halves of the Brain |
1. Left Hemisphere - logic, language
2. Right Hemisphere - intuition, creativity |
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corpus colossum |
joins the two hemispheres of the brain |
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longitudinal fissue |
divides the brain in half topwise |
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Types of Glands |
1. Pituitary
2. Thyroid 3. Adrenal 4. Pancreas |
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Research Cycle/Process |
1. Decide on an idea 2. Formulate a hypothesis 3. Define your variables 4. Select a research design 5. Recruit personnel (researchers and participants) 6. Collect data 7. Analyze data 8. Report findings |
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theory |
an organized set of concepts that explains a phenomenon |
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hypothesis |
testable explanations for an observed phenomenon (specific experimental hypothesis usually take the form of predictions) |
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determinism |
the assumption that all physical, behavioral, and mental events are determined by factors that can be known |
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Independent variable |
experimental groupings |
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Dependent variable |
the thing being measured |
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Extraneous variables |
other factors that vary within the study |
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Confounding variables |
extraneous variables that could account for the experimental results (factors that mess up the study) |
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Variable |
any factor that varies in amount or kind |
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Experimental method |
involves the manipulation of independent variables to determine their effects on the dependent variables |
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Descriptive research |
records data for descriptive purposes only Types 1. Observation 2. Survey 3. Case studies - intense observation of an individual or a small group of individuals |
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Correlative research |
researcher systematically records data to see if there is a relationship between variables (correlation does not always indicate causation) Types 1. Positive - as the number of one thing increases, so does the number of another thing 2. Negative - as the number of one thing increases, the number of another thing decreases |
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Experimental research |
researcher attempts to show that a change in one variable causes a change in another variable, studies compare the performance of two or more groups given different experimental treatments Types 1. Within subjects - the same people in each experimental group 2. Between subjects - different people in each group |
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reactivity |
phenomenon that occurs when individuals alter their performance or behavior due to the awareness that they are being observed |
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expectancy effect |
result that occurs when a researcher or observer subtly communicates to participants the kind of behavior he or she expects to find, thereby creating that expected reaction |
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observer bias |
the distortion of evidence because of the personal motives and expectations of the viewer/researcher |
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stardardization |
a set of uniform procedures for treating each participant in a test or experiment |
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double blindness |
when neither the researchers of the participants know the experimental groupings |
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Measuring data |
1. Self-report 2. Physiological 3. Behavioral |
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Validity |
the extent to which a test measures what it was intended to measure |
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Reliability |
the degree to which a test produces similar results each time |
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Operational definitions |
standardize meanings in a study, a definition of a variable or condition in terms of the specific procedure used to determine its presence |
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Descriptive statistics |
describes the data |
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Inferential statistics |
to test their hypothesis |
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informed consent |
participants must be notified about experimental procedures (including potential risks and benefits) before they sign up |
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intentional deception |
withholding information about an experiment to avoid biasing the response of participants, telling people what they will do but not why they will be doing it |
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risk/gain assessment |
weighing the potential physical or emotional harm that an experiment might cause against the benefits that it might produce |
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debriefing |
providing information at the end of study to ensure that participants are not confused upset, or embarrassed |