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261 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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psychology
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the scientific study of the mind and behavior
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mind
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our private inner experience of perceptions, thoughts, memories, and feelings
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behavior
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observable actions of human beings and nonhuman actions
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dualism
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mind and brain separate
how mental activity can be reconciled and coordinated with physical behavior |
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monism
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mind and brain are the same thing
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mentalistic materialism
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brain influences mind
mind can't influence brain |
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emergent materialism
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brain and mind can interact
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process philosophy
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reality influences mind and brain
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dualistic interactionism
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mind can exist without the brain
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nativism
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the philosophical view that certain kinds of knowledge are innate or inborn
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tabula rasa
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blank slate
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philosophical empiricism
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the philosophical view that all knowledge is acquired through experience
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phrenology
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specific mental abilities and characteristics are localized in specific regions of the brain
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Broca's area
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damage to this location causes impairments in language production, but not comprehension
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physiology
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the study of biological processes, especially in the human body
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stimulus
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sensory input from the environment
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reaction time
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the amount of time taken to respond to a specific stimulus
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consciousness
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a person's subjective experience of the world and the mind
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structuralism
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the analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
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introspection
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the subjective observation of one's own experience
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functionalism
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the study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment
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natural selection
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the features of an organism that help if survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations
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illusions
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errors of perception, memory or judgment in which subjective experience differs from objective reality
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Gestalt psychology
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a psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts
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hysteria
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a temporary loss of cognitive or motor functions, usually as a result of emotionally upsetting experiences
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unconsciousness
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the part of the mind that operates outside of conscious awareness but influences conscious thoughts, feelings, and actions
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psychoanalytic theory
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an approach to understanding human behavior that emphasizes the importance of unconscious mental process in shaping feelings, thoughts and behavior
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psychoanalysis
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a therapeutic approach that focuses on bringing unconscious material into conscious awareness to better understand psychological disorders
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humanistic psychology
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an approach to understanding human nature that emphasizes the positive potential of human beings
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behaviorism
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an approach that advocates that psychologists restrict themselves to the scientific study of objectively observable behavior
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response
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an action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus
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reinforcement
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the consequences of behavior determine whether it will be more or less likely to occur
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topology
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model of a person's subjective experience
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cognitive psychology
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the scientific study of mental processes, including perception, thought, memory and reasoning
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physiological psychology, behavioral neuroscience
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an approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes
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cognitive neuroscience
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a field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity
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evolutionary psychology
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a psychological approach that explains mind and behavior in terms of the adaptive value of abilities that are preserved over time by natural selection
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social psychology
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a subfield of psychology that studies the causes and consequences of interpersonal behavior
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culture
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the values, traditions, and beliefs that are shared by a particular group of people
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cultural psychology
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the study of how cultures reflect and shape the psychological processes of their members
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absolutism
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culture makes little or no difference on psychology
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empiricism
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originally a Greek school of medicine that stressed the importance of observation, now generally used to describe any attempt to acquire knowledge by observing objects or events
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dogmatism
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the tendency for people to cling to their assumptions
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method
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a set of rules and techniques for observation
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observational study
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watching the environment
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observe
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use your senses to learn about something's properties
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operational definition
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clearly define what we're talking about, description of the abstract in concrete terms
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measure
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a device that can detect the measurable events to which an operational definition refers
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electromyograph
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a device that measures muscle contractions under the surface of a person's skin
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validity
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are you measuring what you think you're measuring
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construct validity
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what you've defined
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predictive validity
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does measurement predict measurement of the future
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concurrent validity
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what does it relate to
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reliability
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continue to get same measurement
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power
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to detect change
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case method
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a method of gathering scientific knowledge by studying a single individual
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population
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the complete collection of participants who might possibly be measured
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sample
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the partial collection of people who actually were measured in a study
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demand characteristics
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those aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think an observer wants or expects them to behave
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naturalistic observation
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a method of gathering scientific knowledge by unobtrusively observing people in their environments
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correlation
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the "co-relationship" or pattern of covariation between two variables, each of which has been measured several times
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variable
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a property whose value can vary or change
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third-variable correlation
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the fact that two variables may be correlated only because they are both caused by a third variable
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experiment
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a technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables, through the manipulation
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independent variable
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the variable that is manipulated in an experiment
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experimental group
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one or more groups of participants created by the the manipulation of an independent variable, exposed to stimulus
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dependent variable
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the variable that is measured in a study
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control group
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not exposed to stimulus
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internal validity
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the characteristic of an experiment that allows one to draw accurate inferences about the causal relationship between an independent and dependent variable
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external validity
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a characteristic of an experiment in which the independent and dependent variables are operationally defined in a normal way
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theory
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a hypothetical account of how and why a phenomenon occurs, usually in the form of a statement about the causal relationship between two or more properties
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hypothesis
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a specific and testable prediction that is usually derived from a theory
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random sampling
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a technique for choosing participants that ensures that every member of a population has an equal chance of being in the sample
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sometimes generality
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doesn't matter can be determined, can be assumed
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informed consent
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a written agreement to participate in a study made by a person (adult) who has been informed of all the risks that participation may entail
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debriefing
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a verbal description of the true nature and purpose of a study that psychologists provide to people after they have participated in the study
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neuron
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cells in the nervous system that communicate with one another to perform information processing tasks
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cell body
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coordinates info-processing tasks and keeps the cell alive
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dendrites
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receives information from other neurons and relays it to the cell body
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axon
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transmits information to other neurons, muscles or glands
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myelin sheath
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insulating layer of fatty materials
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synapse
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the junction or region between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites or cell body of another
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glial cell
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support cells found in the nervous system
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sensory neurons
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neurons that receive info from the external world and convey this info to the brain via the spinal cord
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oligodendrocytes
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form the myelin sheath
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astrocytes
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guide baby neuron, blood brain barrier
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neuroneogenesis
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new neurons in the hippocampus
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microglial
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macrophages- immune response and clean up
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motor neurons
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neurons that carry signals from the spinal cord to the muscles to induce movement
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interneurons
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neurons that connect sensory neurons to motor neurons
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electric signaling
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communicating info within a neuron
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resting potential
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the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a neuron's cell membrane
cell is negatively charged (-70 millivolts) |
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action potential
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an electric signal that is conducted along an axon to a synapse (depolarization)
occurs only when the threshold for stimulation is reached cell is positively charged (+40 millivolts) |
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refracting period
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the time following an action potential during which a new action potential cannot be initiated
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terminal buttons
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knoblike structures that branch out from an axon
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neurotransmitters
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chemicals that transmit info across the synapse
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receptors
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receive the neurotransmitters and initiate a new electric signal
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reuptake
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neurotransmitter reabsorbed by terminal button if presynaptic neuron
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enzyme deactivation
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neurotransmitter destroyed by enzymes in synapse
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autoreceptors
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neurotransmitters bind to receptor sites on presynaptic neurons
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vesicle
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membrane bound pouch
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Types of neurotransmitters
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serotonin, acetylcholine, nicotine, muscatine, dopamine, glutamate,
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nicotine
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learning, memory, neuromuscular junction
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muscatine
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learning, memory
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serotonin
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95% outside the brain
14 defined receptors mood regulator, anxiety, OCD, impulse control, aggression, suicide |
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dopamine
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regulates motor behavior, pleasure, and emotional arousal
tuberoin fundibular pathway- prolactin |
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glutamate
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involved in information transmission throughout the brain (major excitator neurotransmitter)
pain, schizophrenia, psychotic |
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GABA
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involved in stopping firing of neurons in the brain (major inhibitory neurotransmitter)
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norepinephrine
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influences mood and arousal
locus ceruleus fight or flight |
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endorphins
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chemicals that act within pain pathways and emotion centers of the brain
respiratory control |
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endocanabrinoids
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emotional regulation, appetite stimulant
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anandamine
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bliss
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prozac
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helps increase reuptake of serotonin
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agonists
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drugs that increase the action of a neurotransmitter
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antagonist
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drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter
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nervous system
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an interacting network of neurons that conveys electrochemical information throughout the body
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nerves
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bundles of axons and glial cells that support neurons
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central nervous system
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the part of the nervous system composed of the brain and spinal cord
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peripheral nervous system
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outside of brain and spinal cord, nerves
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somatic nervous system
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a set of nerves that conveys info into and out of the CNS
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autonomic nervous system
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a set of nerves that is involuntary and autonomic- organs
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sympathetic nervous system
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a set of nerves that prepares the body for action in threatening situations
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parasympathetic nervous system
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a set of nerves that helps the body return to a normal resting state
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midbrain
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orientation
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hindbrain
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cerebellum, pons, medulla
an area of the brain that coordinates information coming into and out of the spinal cord, and controls basic functions of life primitive brain, basic functions |
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medulla
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coordinates heart rate, circulation, and respiration (extension of spinal cord)
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reticular formation
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regulates sleep, wakefulness, and arousal level (inside medulla)
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cerebellum
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controls fine motor skills (large part of hindbrain)
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midbrain
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small midsection of the brain that is important for orientation and movement, and also is the central location of DA and 5-HT that are involved in arousal, mood and motivation
orientation |
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tectum
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orients an organism in the environment
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tegmentum
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involved in movement and arousal
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forebrain
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the highest level of the brain, critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor function
cerebral cortex and subcortical structures thinking, planning, association |
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cerebral cortex
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the outermost layer of the brain, visible to the naked eye and divided into 2 hemispheres
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thalamus
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relays and filters info from the senses and transmits the info to the cerebral cortex
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hypothalamus
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regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, and sexual behavior
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pituitary gland
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the "master-gland" of the bodys' hormone producing system, releases hormone producing system, releases hormones that direct the functions of many other glands in the body
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hippocampus
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critcal for creating new memories and integrating them into a network of knowledge so that they can be stored in other parts of the cerebral cortex
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amygdala
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plays a central role in many emotional processes, particularly the formation of emotional memories
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klover-bucy syndrome
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lose amygdala function
social phobia, extreme shyness, can't recognize emotions |
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occipital lobe
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processes visual info
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parietal lobe
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processes info about touch
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temporal lobe
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process auditory and language
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frontal lobe
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movement and memory, abstract thinking, planning and judgment
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association areas
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areas of the cerebral cortex that are composed of neurons that help provide sense and meaning to info registered in the cortex
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plasticity
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the ability of the association areas to be molded by experience
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motor
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precental gyrus
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sensory
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postcentral gyrus
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gene
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unit of hereditary transmission, built from strands of DNA and organized in chromosomes
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chromosomes
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strands of DNA wound around each other in a double-helix configuration
come in pairs- 23 |
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degree of relatedness
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the probability of sharing genes
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monzygotic (identical) twins
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share 100% of genes
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dizygotic (fraternal) twins
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share 50% of genes
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heritability
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a measure of the variability of behavioral traits among individuals that can be accounted for by genetic factors
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synesthesia
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the perceptual experience of one sense that is evoked by another sense
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sensation
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simple awareness due to the stimulation of a sense organ
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perception
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the organization, identification and interpretation of a sensation in order to form a mental representation
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transduction
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when sensors in the body convert physical signals from the environment into neural signals sent to the nervous system
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psychophysics
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methods that measure the strength of a stimulus and the observer's sensitivity to that stimulus
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absolute threshold
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the minimal intensity needed to just barely detect a stimulus
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threshold
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difference between not sensing and sensing
detection 50% of the time |
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just noticeable difference
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the minimal change in a stimulus that can just barely be detected
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**Weber's Law
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the just noticeable difference of a stimulus is a constant proportion despite variations in intensity
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noise
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all other stimuli coming from the internal and external environment
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signal detection theory
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an observation that the response to a stimulus on the presence of noise and on a person's response criterion
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sensory adaptation
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sensitivity to prolonged stimulations tends to decline over time as an organism adapts to current conditions
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visual activity
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the ability to see fine detail
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Where does transduction occur in the eye?
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retina
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Where do we see the best?
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fovea
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cones
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detect color, operate under normal daylight conditions, and allow us to focus on fine detail
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rods
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become active only under low light conditions for night vision
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fovea
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an area of the retina where vision is the clearest and there are no rods at all
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peripheral vision
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lower activity
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what are the layers of the retina?
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rod and cone layers
bipolar and retinal ganglia cells (RGC) |
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receptive field
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the region of the sensory surface that, when stimulated causes a change in the firing rate of neurons
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additive color mixing
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increasing light to create color
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subtractive color mixing
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removing light from the mix
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color deficiency/color blindness
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one or more cone types are missing
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causing afterimage
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staring too long at one color can cause sensory adaptation, a type of color deficiency
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what chromosome is color blindness on?
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the x chromosome
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peripheral vision
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lower activity
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receptive field
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the region of the sensory surface that, when stimulated causes a change in the firing rate of neurons
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causing afterimage
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staring too long at one color can cause sensory adaptation, a type of color deficiency
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lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
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visual information travels through it
in the thalamus to area VI in the occipital cortex |
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area VI
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the part of the occipital lobe that contains the primary visual center
perceiving shapes, location, orientation and edges |
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feature detectors
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left visual field -> right brain
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blind sight
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damage to occipital lobe, but nothing is wrong with eyes
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cells
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that detect faces
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modular view
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specialized brain areas, or modules, detect and represent objects and faces
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distributed representation
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pattern of activity across multiple brain regions that identifies any viewed object (including faces)
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visual form agnosia
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the inability to recognize objects by sight
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perceptual constancy
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a perceptual principle stating that even as aspects of sensory signals change, perception remains constant
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Gestalt perceptual grouping rules
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simplicity, closure, continuity, similarity, proximity, common fate
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binocular disparity
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the difference in the retinal images of the two eyes that provides information about depth
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apparent motion
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the perception of movement as a result of alternating signals appearing in rapid succession in different locations
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sound waves
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changes in air pressure unfolding over time
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pitch
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how high or low a sound is
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loudness
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a sound's intensity
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timbre
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a listener's experience of sound quality or resonance
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pure tone
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a simple sound wave that has no overtones
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where does transduction in the ear occur?
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basilar membrane in cochlea
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Wernicke's area
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one of the two parts of the cerebral cortex linked since the late nineteenth century to speech (the other is the Broca's area)
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Secondary auditory cortex
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the processing of “harmonic, melodic and rhythmic patterns
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Area AI
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a portion of the temporal lobe that contains the primary auditory cortex
topographic organization processes simple tones |
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place code
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the cochlea encodes different frequencies at different locations along the basilar membrane
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temporal code
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the cochlea registers low frequencies via the firing rate of action potentials entering the auditory venue
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somatosenses
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the body senses
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haptic perception
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active exploration of the environment by touching and grasping objects with our hands
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What are the types of touch receptors?
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pain, pressure, texture, pattern and vibration
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where does transduction occur for touch
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the skin
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a-delta fibers
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transmit initial sharp pain
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c-fibers
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transmit longer lasting duller pain
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referred pain
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the feeling of pain when sensory info from internal and external areas converge on the same nerve
cells in the spinal cord |
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gate control theory
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a theory of pain perception based on the idea that signals arriving from pain receptors in the body can be stopped or gated by interneurons in the spinal cord via feedback from 2 directions
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where are the nerves for olfaction located?
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in the cribriform plate
goes directly to the brain |
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anosmia
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loss of smell
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pheromones
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biochemical odorants emitted by other members of a species that can affect an animal's behavior or physiology
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olfactory receptor neurons
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reeptor cells that initiate the sense of smell
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olfactory bulb
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a brain structure located above the nasal cavity beneath the frontal lobes; collects axons from ORNs
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microvilli
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taste receptors that detect 5 sensations: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami
smell, texture and temperature help |
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memory
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the ability to store and retrieve information over time
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encoding
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the process of actively relating new information to knowledge that is already in memory
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elaborative encoding
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how we remember depends on how we combine old and new information
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levels of processing
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semantic, rhyme and visual judgments
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sensory memory store
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the place in which sensory memory is kept for a few seconds or less
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iconic memory
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a fast decaying store of visual info
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echoic memory
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a fast decaying store of auditory info
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short term memory store
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a place where non-sensory information is kept for more than a few seconds but less than a minute
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working memory
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active maintenance of information is short term storage
can hold 7 bits |
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rehearsal
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the process of keeping info in short-term memory by mentally repeating it
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chunking
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combining small pieces of information into larger clusters or chunks a that are more easily held in short-term memory
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long-term memory store
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a place in which information can be kept for hours, days, weeks, or years
no known capacity limits |
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anterograde amnesia
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the inability to transfer new information from the short-term store to the long-term store
processing in the hippocampus (50 first dates) |
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retrograde amnesia
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the inability to retrieve info that was acquired before a particular date (of injury or operation)
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What is the flow of memory?
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sensory input -> sensory memory -> short term memory -> long term memory
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long term pontentiation (LTP)
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enhanced neural processing that results from the strengthening of synaptic connections
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retrieval cue:
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external information that is associated with stored information and helps bring it to mind
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encoding specificity principle
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the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps recreate the specific way on which information was initially encoded
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state dependent retrieval
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the tendency for information to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval
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transfer-appropriate processing
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the idea that memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when we process information in a way that is appropriate to the retrieval cues that will be available later
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semantic memory
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facts and general knowledge
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episodic memory
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personally experienced events
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procedural memory
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motor and cognitive skill
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priming memory
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enhanced ability to think of a stimulus such as a word or object as a result
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explicit memory
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the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences
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implicit memory
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the influence of past experiences on later behavior and performance, even though people are not aware that they are remembering them
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transience
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forgetting what occurs with the passage of time
occurs during the storage phase of memory involves a gradual switch from specific to general memory |
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retroactive inference
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situations in which later learning impairs memory fo information acquired earlier
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proactive inference
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situations in which earlier learning impairs memory for information acquired later
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absentmindedness
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a lapse in attention that results in memory failure
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priming
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an enhanced ability to think of a stimulus such as word or object as a result
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blocking
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a failure to retrieve information that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it
tip of the tongue |
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source memory
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recall of when, where and how information was acquired
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memory misattribution
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assigning a recollection of an idea to a wrong source
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suggestibility
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the tendency to incorporate misleading information from external sources into personal reflections
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bias
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distorting influences of present knowledge, beliefs and feelings on recollection of previous experiences
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consistency bias
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the bias to reconstruct the past to fit the present
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change bias
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the tendency to exaggerate differences between what we feel or believe now and what we felt or believed int he past
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egocentric bias
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the tendency to exaggerate the change between past and present in order to make ourselves look good in retrospect
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persistence
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the intrusive recollection of events that we wish we could forget
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flashbulb memories
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detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events
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William James
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first American psychologist
wrote principles of psychology |
