Intro To Psychology 1300

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Structuralism

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Uncovering the fundamental mental components of consciousness, thinking and other kinds of mental states and activities

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Introspection

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A procedure used to study the structure of the mind in which subjects are asked to describe in detail what they are experiencing when they are exposed to a stimulus

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Functionalism

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Concentrated on what the mind does—the functions of mental activity—and the role of behavior in allowing people to adapt to their environments

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Gestalt Psychology

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Organizations of perception and thinking in a "whole" sense rather than on the individual elements of perception

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Neuroscience Perspective

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Views behavior form the perspective of brain, the nervous system and other biological functions

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Psychodynamic Perspective

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Behavior is motivated by unconscious inner forces over which the individual has little control

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Behavioral Perspective

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Observable, measurable behavior should be the focus of study

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Cognitive Perspective

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Focuses on how people think, understand, and know about the world

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Humanistic Perspective

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Suggests that all individuals naturally strive to grow, develop and be in control of their lives and behavior

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Free Will

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Behavior is cause primarily by choices that are made freely by the individual

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Determinism

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The idea that people's behavior is produced primarily by factors outside of their willful control

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Scientific Method

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Psychologist actually acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest

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Theories

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Broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest

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Hypothesis

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A prediction, stemming from a theory, stated in a way that allows it to be tested

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Operation Definition

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Translation of a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed

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Descriptive Research

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An approach to research designed to systematically investigate a person, group or patterns of behavior

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Archival Research

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Research in which existing data, such as census documents, college records and newspaper clippings, are examined to test a hypothesis

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Naturalistic Observation

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Research in which an investigator simply observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation

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Survey Research

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Research in which people chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts or attitudes

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Case Study

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An in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people

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Variables

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Behaviors, events, or other characteristics that can change, or vary, in some way

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Correlational Research

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Research in which the relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated, or "correlated"

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Experiment

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The investigation of the relationship between two (or more) variables by deliberately producing a change in one variable in a situation and observing the effects of that change on other aspects of the situation

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Experimental Manipulation

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The change that an experimenter deliberately produces in a situation

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Treatment

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The manipulation implemented by the experimenter

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Experimental Group

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Any group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment

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Control Group

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A group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment

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Independent Variable

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The variable that is manipulated by an experimenter

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Random Assignment to Condition

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A procedure in which participants are assigned to different experimental groups or "conditions" on the basis of chance and chance alone

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Significant Outcome

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Meaningful results that make it possible fore researcher to feel confident that they have confirmed their hypotheses

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Replication

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The repetition of research, sometimes using other procedures, settings, and groups of participants, to increase confidence in prior findings

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Behavioral Neuroscientists

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Psychologists who specialize in considering the ways in which the biological structures and functions of the body affect behavior

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Neurons

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Nerve cells, the basic elements of the nervous system

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Dendrite

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A cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receives messages from other neurons

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Axon

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The part of the neuron that carries messages destined for other neurons

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Terminal Buttons

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Small bulges at the end of axons that send messages to other neurons

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Myelin Sheath

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A protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the axon

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Resting State

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The state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about 270 millivolts within a neuron

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Action Potential

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A electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron when it is set off by a "trigger", changing the neuron's charge from negative to positive

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Synapse

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The space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages

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Neurotransmitters

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Chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite (and sometimes the cell body) of a receiver neuron

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Reuptake

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The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by a terminal buttons

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Inhibitory Message

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A chemical message that prevents or decreases the likelihood that receiving neuron will fire

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Central Nervous System (CNS)

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The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord

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Peripheral Nervous System

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The part of the nervous system that includes the autonomic and somatic subdivisions; made up of neurons with long axons and dendrites, it branches out from the spinal cord and brain and reachers the extremities of the body

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Somatic Division

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The part of the peripheral nervous system that specializes in the control of voluntary movements and the communication of information to and from the sense organs

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Autonomic Division

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The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary movement of the heart, glands, lungs and other organs

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Sympathetic Division

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The part of the autonomic division of the nevous system that acts to prepare the body for action in stressful situations, engaging all the organism's resources to respond to a threat

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Parasympathetic Division

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The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to calm the body after an emergency or stressful situation has ended

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Central Core

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The "old brain", which controls basic functions such as eating and sleeping and is common to all vertebrates

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Cerebral Cortex

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The "new brain", responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in the brain; contains four lobes

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Lobes

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The four major sections of the cerebral cortex: frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital

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Classical Conditioning

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A type of learning in which a neutral stimulus coms to bring about a response after it is paired with a stimulus that naturally brings about that response

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Operant Conditioning

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Learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened, depending on its favorable or unfavorable consequences

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Sensory Memory

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The initial, momentary storage of information, lasting only an instant

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Short-term Memory

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Memory that holds information for fifteen to twenty-five seconds

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Long-term Memory

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Memory that stores information on a relatively permanent basis, although it may be difficult to retrieve

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Grammar

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The system of rules that determine how our thoughts can be expressed

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Phonology

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The study of the smallest units of speech, called phonemes

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Phonemes

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The smallest units of speech

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Syntax

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Ways in which words and phrases can be combined to form sentences

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Zygote

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The new cell formed by the union of an egg and sperm

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Embryo

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A developed zygote that has a heart, a brain and other organs

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Fetus

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A developing individual, from eight weeks after conception until birth

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Age of Visibility

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The point at which a fetus can survive if born prematurely

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Id

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The raw, unorganized, inborn part of personality whose sole purpose is to reduce tension created by primitive drives related to hunger, sex, aggression and irrational impulses

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Ego

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The part of the personality that provides a buffer between the id and the outside world

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Superego

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The final personality structure to develop; it represents the rights and wrongs of society as handed down by a person's parents, teachers and other important figures

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Medical Perspective

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The root cause will be found in a physical examination of the individual, which may reveal a hormonal imbalance, a chemical deficiency or a brain injury

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Psychoanalytical Perspective

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Abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression

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Cognitive Perspective

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Suggests that people's thoughts and beliefs are central component of abnormal behavior

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Humanistic Perspective

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Emphasizes the responsibility people have for their own behavior, even when such behavior is abnormal

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Sociocultural Perspective

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Assumes that people's behavior—both normal and abnormal—is shaped by the kind of family group, society and culture in which they live

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Generalized Anxiety Disorder

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The experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry

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Somatoform Disorders

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Psychological difficulties that take on a physical form, but for which there is no medical cause

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Hypochondriasis

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A disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health

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Conversion Disorder

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Major somatoform disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move and arm or leg

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Psychotherapy

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Psychological techniques to helps a person overcome psychological difficulties and disorders

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Biomedical Therapy

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Therapy that relies on drugs and other medical procedures to improve psychological functioning

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Psychodynamic Therapy

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Therapy that seeks to bring unresolved past conflicts and unacceptable impulses from the unconscious into the conscious, where patients may deal with the problems more effectively

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Psychoanalysis

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The goal is to release hidden unconscious thoughts and feelings in order to reduce their power in controlling behavior

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Humanistic Therapy

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Therapy in which the underlying rationale is that people have control of their behavior, can make choices about their lives, and are essentially responsible for solving their own problems