Intro To Psychology-Definitions

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Psychology

Back 1

The study of behavior and mental processes.

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Behavior

Back 2

The way one acts on thoughts, beliefs, etc.

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Introspection

Back 3

Study of one's self. Tool used to study thought.

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Observation

Back 4

Learning about behavior/mental processes by watching.

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Description

Back 5

To describe a behavior or mental process.

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Explanation

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To unveil a cause for behavior

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Prediction

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To forecast an outcome.

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Control

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To inspire a subject to change or modify a behavior.

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Naturalistic Observation

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Observing the behavior of others w/o their knowledge.

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Hypothesis

Back 10

An educated guess about a subject matter or about the relationship between two variables.

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Independent Variables

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The variable the psychologist changes or manipulates.

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Dependent Variables

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The variable the psychologist measures.

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Extraneous Variables

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Variable that can effect dependent variable but is not of interest to the experiment.

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Population

Back 14

Everyone who is of interest to a study.

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Sample

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The subset; smaller group from the bigger population.

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Generalization

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To apply results from the sample population tp the overall population

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Representatives

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Does the sample resemble the population

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Neuron

Back 18

The building block of the nervous system -aka- nerve cells.

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Dendrites

Back 19

Wirey endigs that p/u msgs

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Cell Body

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Turns msg into an electrical impulse.

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Myelin Sheath

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Fatty covering (insulation) that surrounds the axon.

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Axon

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Tube that carries electrical impulses.

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Terminal Nodes

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Turns electrical msg into chemical msg.

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Neurotransmitter

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The actual chemical msg

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Frontal Lobes

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Part of brain that is developed last, controls speech, reasoning and logic.

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Brain Stem

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Connects the brain to the spinal cord. Part of brain that is developed first. Controls breathing and consciousness.

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Phrenology

Back 27

Measuring the bumps on a persons head to draw conclusions about spec. subjects.

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Retrograde Memory Loss

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Loose memories that occur b4 an accident.

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*Anteriograde Memory Loss


*most common

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Loose memories that occur after an accident.

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Psychosurgery

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Cutting up the brain

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Lobotomy

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Cutting out a small portion of the frontal lobes.

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Split Brain Surgery

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Brain hemispheres are split down the corpus collosum.

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Corpus Collosum

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Thick band of neuronsthat connect the two hemispheres of the brain.

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Central Nervous System (CNS)

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Controls brain and spinal cord neurons.

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Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

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Controls neurons other that the brain and spinal cord.

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Epilepsy

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All neurons in the brain "fire up" at the same time.

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Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Back 37

Studies brain activity electrically.

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Computerized Tomography (Cat Scan)

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3-D measurement of the brain.

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Pet Scan (Positronic Emissions Tomography)

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Radio-active sugar injected to stimulate neurons. Places where there is brain activity light up.

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Somatic Nervous System

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Neurons that control voluntary nerve behavior.

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*Autonomic Nervous System


*controls allot of human behavior

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Neurons that control involutary nerve behavior.

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Sympathetic Nervous System

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Arousal; when arousal occurs how do you respond? Flight or Fight Response

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Para-Sympathetic Nervous System

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Calming; slows down body function.

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Sensory Adaptation

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Gradually adapting to a sensation; allows you to pay attn to new things.

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Sensation

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Msgs sent to the brain.

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Sensory Neurons

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Pick up msgs from outside world and start process of neurons firing.
Ex:taste->taste bud->chemical

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Hypnosis

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Heightened state of suggestability; vulnerable state.

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Circadian Rythms

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Regular fluxuation in certain body functions; from a high point to a low point.
Ex: body temp

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Circadian Theory

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Sleep has evolved to keep us inactive when we do not need to be.
-humans evolve behaviorly

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Cycle

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Something that occurs repeatedly and predictably.

Ex: menstruation

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REM

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Rapid eye movement; extremely restful sleep.

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Conditioning

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Learning

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Conditioned

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Learned

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Unconditioned

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Un-learned (a natural behavior/response)

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Stimulus

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Msg from the outside world.

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Response

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Behavior

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Nature

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Biologically predisposed (genetics).

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Nurture

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Learning from an environment.

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Tabula Rasa

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Clean Slate

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Extinction

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The gradual unpairing of

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Stimulus

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Anything that elicits or evokes action in a person or creates a physiological response.

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Extinction

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The gradual unpairing of an unconditioned and conditioned stimulus.
the boy that cried wolf synd.

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Spontaneous Recovery

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Repairing of an unconditioned and conditioned stimulus only after one instance.

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Classical Conditioning

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Learn through pairing or association.

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Operant Conditioning

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Learn through experiencing consequences.

response->stimulus

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Law of Effect

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If you engage in a behavior and the stimulus you get back is positive, you will probably repea behavior and vice-versa.

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Positive

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Give something.

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Negative

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Take something away.

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Reinforcement

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Increases behavior.

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Punishment

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Decreases behavior.

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Positive Reinforcement

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Reward for good behavior.

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Negative Punishment

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To take something away in order to lower the probability of a negative response.

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Positive Punishment

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To give something in order to increase the probability of a positive response.

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Garcia Effect

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Use of vomitting and nausea to effectively evoke punishment.

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Cognitive Learning

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Observational/Social Learning
Learning by watching and then immitating /adopting the principles of people we respect or admire.