Psych 401 1St Quiz

Front 1

Scientific theory

Back 1

an explanation or model that fits many observations and makes valid predictions

Front 2

Parsimony

Back 2

when we choose simpler explanations to fit the facts because it's easier

Front 3

operational definitions

Back 3

a definition that specifies the operations or procedures used o produce or measure something

-gives it a numerical value

Front 4

correlation

Back 4

tells us how strongly two variables are related but doesn't tell us why

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mean

Back 5

the sum of all the scores divided by the total # of scores

ex: 5,7,9,3,6 = 30 / 5 = 6

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mode

Back 6

the score that occurs the most frequent

ex: 7,7,9,0,1,4 = 7

Front 7

median

Back 7

we arrange the scores in order from lowest to highest. the middle score is the median.

Front 8

range

Back 8

a statement of the highest and lowest scores

Front 9

Types of population samples

Back 9

-convenience: chosen because of the availability

-cross cultural: contains groups of people from at least 2 distinct cultures

-random: every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected

-representative: closely resembles the population.

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independent variable

Back 10

the variable that is manipulated

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dependent variable

Back 11

the variable that is looked at to see if it changes because of the independent

Front 12

Evolutionary Psych

Back 12

studies what humans do and what ancient humans needed to do to survive

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Comparative Psych

Back 13

searches for principles that apply to the behavior of all animals including humans

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data

Back 14

pieces of information (datum singular)

Front 15

2 categories of descriptive stats

Back 15

1. measurements of central score

2. measurements of variation of the data

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how is the central score measured?

Back 16

by mean, mode, median

Front 17

Standard deviation

Back 17

the measurement of amount of variation among scores

Front 18

2 Major divisions of the nervous system

Back 18

1.) central

2.) peripheral

Front 19

central

Back 19

nerves in the brain and spinal cord

Front 20

peripheral

Back 20

nerves between the spinal cord and the rest of the body

Front 21

Peripheral Nervous System has what 2 subdivisions

Back 21

1.) somatic : nerves that communicate with skin and muscles

2.) autonomic: controls the involuntary actions of the internal organs (gut)

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There are 2 parts to autonomic

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1.) sympathetic: fight or flight; uses energy

2.) parasympathetic: relaxed body functions;conserves energy

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Forebrain

Back 23

has two separate hemispheres: left and right

-each hemisphere controls sensation and motor functions on the opposite side of the body

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corpus callosum

Back 24

thick bundle of neuronal fibers connecting the hemispheres so that they communicate

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cerebral cortex

Back 25

1.) frontal (front) - controls movements

2.) parietal (top of the head)-contains the primary somatosensory

3.) temporal (sides of the head)- hearing & complex aspects of vision

4.) occiptal (back)- visual sensory

- lobes

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Limbic System ( three parts )

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- the hypothalamus: regulates many important body functions

- the amygdala: emotional processing

-hippocampus: memory processing

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the hind brain

Back 27

the deepest part in the brain

Front 28

cerebellum (part of the hindbrain)

Back 28

important for coordination and timing

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medulla (part of the hind brain)

Back 29

regulates levels of arousal in the brain, breathing, and heart rate

Front 30

endocrine system

Back 30

a system of glands that release hormones into the blood stream

Front 31

hormones

Back 31

chemicals that affect mood, behaviors, and even anatomy

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What is Psych?

Back 32

-the study of the mind or soul

-the systematic study of behavior and experience

Front 33

Behavior varies with peoples..

Back 33

-genetics

-health

-past experiences

-whether they are asleep or awake

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Determinism

Back 34

the idea that everything that happens has a cause that one would observe or measure

-"if everything you do has a cause your behavior should be predictable"

^ this shows that this idea doesn't seem that accurate

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free will

Back 35

the belief that behavior is caused by a persons independent decision

-" your hereditary and experiences programmed you and your make up determines your decisions

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The mind-brain problem

Back 36

the philosophical question of how experiences relates to the brain

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2 views of mind-brain problem

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Dualism: a view that says the mind is separate from the brain but somehow controls the brain and therefore the rest of the body

Monism: a view that philosophers favor that says that conscious experience is inseparable from the physical brain

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Types of psychologists

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-clinical psychologists

-psychiatrists

-psychoanalysts

-clinical social worker

-counseling psychologists

- forensic psychologists

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clinical psychologists

Back 39

have an advanced degree in psych w/ a specialty in understanding and helping people with psychological problems

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psychiatry

Back 40

a branch of medicine that deals with emotional disturbances

Front 41

psychoanalysts

Back 41

therapy providers who rely heavily on the theories and methods pioneered by the early 20th century physician sigmund freud

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Sigmund Freud

Back 42

tried to find the hidden and symbolic meaning behind peoples words and actions

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clinical social workers

Back 43

similar to clinical psychologists but with different training (less education)

Front 44

counseling psychologists

Back 44

help people with educational, vocational, marriage, health related and other decisions

Front 45

forensic psychs

Back 45

provide advice and consultation to police, lawyers, and courts

Front 46

Scientific method

Back 46

it provides guidelines for evaluating discrete claims

Front 47

3 parts of the scientific method

Back 47

1.) Hypothesis: a proposed explanation of a phenomenon

2.) Prediction: testable statement about what will occur

3.) Theory: comprehensive explanation of observable events

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Rejected Hypothesis

Back 48

a tested hypothesis that didn't work

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Supported Hypothesis

Back 49

a tested hypothesis that worked / came out w correct data

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Replication

Back 50

testing of a hypothesis must be repeated

Front 51

replicable results

Back 51

those that anyone can obtain by following the same procedures of the hypothesis

Front 52

Falsifiable

Back 52

a theory is falsifiable if it is easy to think of evidence that would contradict the theory

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problems with measurement in research

(ex: studying human behavior)

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1.) intangible phenomena: don't know why it happens

2.) each person is different

3.) behavior changes with the situation

4.) experimenter & subject biases (expectations)

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operational definiton

Back 54

specifies the exact definitions and procedures used to measure something

Front 55

population samples

Back 55

asks questions that pertain to a large population of interest

Front 56

Types of Research designs

Back 56

1.) Naturalistic observation

2.) Case History

3.) Survey

4.) correlation study

Front 57

Naturalistic observation

Back 57

careful monitoring of what people and animals do under natural circumstances

Front 58

Case History

Back 58

a thorough observation and description of a single individual

Front 59

Survey

Back 59

study of the prevalence of beliefs, attitudes or behaviors on people's responses to specific questions

Front 60

correlation

Back 60

a measure of the relationship between 2 variables which are both outside of the investigators control

Front 61

correlation study

Back 61

a procedure in which investigators measure the correlation between two variables without controlling either of them

Front 62

correlation coefficient

Back 62

a mathematical estimate of the relationship between two variables.

Coefficient can range from +1 to -1

the higher the absolute value, the stronger the relationship is regardless of the direction

Front 63

positive correlation

Back 63

ex: if someone practices basketball, the amount of hoops they score will go up

positive and positive

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negative correlation

Back 64

ex: if someone practices golf, their scores will go down

positive and negative

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0 correlation

Back 65

indicates that the measurements of one variable have no linear relationship to the measurements of the other variable

Front 66

3 Behavior explanations

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1.) psychological

2.) evolutionary

3.) developmental

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psychological

Back 67

describes the mechanisms that produce a behavior

Front 68

evolutionary

Back 68

relates behavior to the evolutionary history of the species

Front 69

developmental

Back 69

deals with changes over age. No animal or person is born without behavior

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neurons

Back 70

separate cells in your brain

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Glia

Back 71

cells found in the nervous system; support the neurons in many ways such as by insulating them, synchronizing activity among neighboring neurons and removing waste products.

Front 72

3 parts of a neuron

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1.) cell body: contains the nucleus of the cell

2.) dendrites: widely branching structures that receive input from other neurons

3.) axon: a single, long, thin, straight fiber with branches near it's tip

Front 73

some vertebrate axons are covered in

Back 73

myelin: an insulating sheath that speeds up the transmission of impulses along an axon

Front 74

What do axons do? What do dendrites do?

Back 74

axons transmit information to other cells and dendrites receive the information

Front 75

action potential

Back 75

an excitation that travels along an axon at a constant strength, no matter how far it must travel.

Front 76

synapses

Back 76

specialized junction between one neuron and another. A neuron releases a chemical that either excites or inhibits the next neuron (meaning: the chemical makes the next neuron either more or less likely to produce an action potential)

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presynaptic ending

Back 77

found on the ends of the branches on axons also known as terminal bouton.

when an action potential reaches this, it releases a neurotransmitter

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neurotransmitter

Back 78

a chemical that activates receptors on other neurons

Front 79

Types of neurotransmitters

Back 79

-glutamate

-GABA

-acetylcholine

-dopamine

Front 80

Glutamate

Back 80

the brains main excitatory transmitter, present at most synapses. Essential for almost all brain activities, including learning

Front 81

GABA

Back 81

gamma amino - butyric acid ; the brain's main inhibitory transmitter

Front 82

Acetylcholine

Back 82

increases brain arousal

Front 83

dopamine

Back 83

one path is important for movement. Another path is important for memory and cognition

Front 84

2 responses of the Spinal cord

Back 84

1.) Reflex: a rapid, automatic response to a stimulus

2.) voluntary: originates in brain and travels

Front 85

How does the spinal cord communicate with the body

Back 85

Uses 2 types of neurons:

1.) Sensory Neuron: carry info received by the sense to the spinal cord

2.) motor neuron: transmit messages from the (Central nervous system)? to the muscles

Front 86

Pet scans

Back 86

provides pics of brain activity using radioactivity from chemical injection into bloodstream

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MRI

Back 87

uses magnetic detectors to measure the amounts of hemoglobin and oxygen in different areas of the brain

Front 88

Q: if your cerebellum was damaged what would you experience?

Back 88

-off balance, dizziness, movement problems

Front 89

Psychoactive drugs

Back 89

have analogous effects on the brain. They enhance certain experiences

Front 90

stimulants

Back 90

drugs that increase energy, alertness, and activity

Front 91

Alcohol

Back 91

a class of molecules that includes methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol (rubbing alc) and others.

ethanol: the type that people drink

Front 92

Anxiolytic Drugs

Back 92

- tranquilizers

- help people relax

Front 93

GABA

Back 93

the brains main inhibitory transmitter

Front 94

Depressants

Back 94

drugs that decrease arousal

Front 95

inhibitory

Back 95

decreases likely hood of systems working

Front 96

narcotics

Back 96

drugs that produce drowsiness, insensitivity to pain, and decrease responsiveness

- ex: opiates

- these work on endorphin receptors which match our neurotransmitters

Front 97

Opiates

Back 97

either naturally derived from the opium poppy or synthetic with a chemical structure resembling natural opiates

Front 98

endorphins

Back 98

bind to the opiate receptors

-inhibit chronic pain

-also are released by the brain during pleasant experiences

Front 99

Why do commercial meds and recreational drugs work in our bodies?

Back 99

- because we have receptors for naturally neurochemicals and these drugs bind to the receptors because they fit the shape of the receptors

Front 100

Vision

Back 100

a detection of light

sensation in general is the detection of

stimuli:

- energies from the world around us that affects us in some way.

Front 101

light

Back 101

the stimulus that the visual system is designed to detect

Front 102

Receptors

Back 102

specialized cells that convert environmental energies into signals for the nervous system

Front 103

electromagnetic spectrum

Back 103

the continuum of all the frequencies of radiated energy

Front 104

our receptors respond to wave lengths from _____ to ____ _____________.

Back 104

400-700 nanometers

Front 105

Structure of the eye

Back 105

-pupil

-iris

-retina

-cornea

-lens

-fovea

Front 106

Pupil

Back 106

adjustable opening in the eye

-widens and narrows to control the amount of light entering the eye

Front 107

Iris

Back 107

the colored structure on the surface of the eye surrounding the pupil

Front 108

Vitreous numor

Back 108

a clear jelly like substance that the light passes through to strike the retina at the back of the eyeball.

Front 109

Retina

Back 109

layer of visual receptors covering the back surface of the eyeball

Front 110

The cornea

Back 110

a rigid transparent structure on the outer surface of the eyeball always focusing light the same way

Front 111

Lens

Back 111

a flexible structure that can vary in thickness, enabling the eye to adjust its focus for objects at different distances.

-becomes thin when looking at distant objects

-thickens when looking at close objects

Front 112

Fovea

Back 112

the central area of the human retina, adapted for highly detailed vision

- consists of cones only

Front 113

Vision Disorders

Back 113

1.) Presbyopia: impaired ability to focus on nearby objects because of decreased flexibility of the lens.

2.) Myopia: near sightedness

3.) Hyperopia: far sightedness

4.) Glaucoma: condition characterized by increased pressure within eyeball

5.) Cataract: a disorder in which the lens becomes cloudy

Front 114

The visual receptors

Back 114

Cones: adapted for color vision, day time vision and detailed vision

Rods: adapted for vision in dim light

Front 115

Rods

Back 115

- nearly cylindrical

-abundant in all vertebrate species

- area of the retina: toward the periphery

Front 116

Cones

Back 116

-tapered at the end

-abundant in species active during the day

- area of cone: toward the fovea

Front 117

Dark adaptation

Back 117

gradual improvement in the ability to see

Front 118

The visual pathway

Back 118

the visual receptors (cones and rods) send their impulses away from the brain, toward the center of the eye, where they make synaptic contacts with neurons called bipolar cells.

Front 119

Ganglion cells

Back 119

neurons that receive their input from the bipolar cells

- the axons from the ganglion cells join to form the optic nerve which turns around and exits the eye

Front 120

Blind spot

Back 120

the retinal area where the optic nerve exits

- filled with axons

-many tiny blind spots through your retina because many receptors lie in the shadow of the retinas blood vessels

Front 121

ciliary muscle

Back 121

- part of the eye

-changes the shape of the lens to bring objects into focus

Front 122

optic chiasm (in brain)

Back 122

here the visual input crosses over to the other side of the brain and then continues back toward the visual cortex

Front 123

Optic nerve

Back 123

nerve connecting the eye to the brain

Front 124

photoreceptor cells

Back 124

light causes a chemical reaction that sends an electrical signal to the brain

Front 125

Sclera

Back 125

white, tough wall of the eye

Front 126

Visual cortex

Back 126

part of the brain that processes and combines visual information from both eyes

Front 127

Sound waves

Back 127

vibrations of the air or of another medium. Vary in frequency and amplitude

Front 128

The ear & it's parts

Back 128

-detects and transmits sound waves

- 3 tiny bones vibrate to increase signal

1.) malleus

2.) incus

3.) stapes

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What do those inner ear bones do

Back 129

they vibrate the cochlea

Front 130

Cochlea

Back 130

spiral shaped organ containing fluid and the location of the hearing receptors

Front 131

hair cells

Back 131

the ear receptors

- connected to neurons of the auditory nerve where the impulses are transmitted

Front 132

what amount of sound waves can adults hear from

Back 132

15 to 20,000 Hz

Front 133

Hearing

Back 133

the localization of sounds

-the auditory system compares the messages received by the 2 ears

Front 134

Hearing losses

Back 134

1.) Conduction deafness

2.) Nerve deafness

Front 135

Conduction deafness

Back 135

hearing loss; results when the bones connected to the ear drum fail to transmit sound waves properly to the cochlea

Front 136

Nerve deafness

Back 136

results from damage to the cochlea, the haircells, or the auditory nerve

-cannot be fixed

Front 137

Frequency principle

Back 137

a sound wave through the fluid of the cochlea vibrates all the hair cells, which produce action potentials in synchrony with the sound waves

Front 138

Volley Principle

Back 138

each sound wave excites at least a few hair cells and volleys of them (groups) respond to each vibration by producing an action potential

Front 139

Place principle

Back 139

the highest frequency sounds vibrate hair cells near the stirrup end and lower frequency sounds vibrate hair cells at points farther along the membrane

Front 140

The vestibular sense

Back 140

detects the tilt of the head, acceleration of the head and orientation of the head with respect to gravity.

- also allows you to keep your eyes fixated on a target as your head moves

Front 141

The vestibular system

Back 141

composed of three semicircular canals oriented in three different directions and has 2 otolith organs

Front 142

Semicircular canals

Back 142

are lined with hair cells and filled with a jelly like substance

Front 143

otolith organs

Back 143

also contain haircells which lie next to the otoliths

Front 144

cutaneous senses

Back 144

(somatosensory system: body sensory system)

- the skin senses

-senses= pressure on skin, warmth, cold, pain itch, vibration, movement/stretching

Front 145

Phantom limbs

Back 145

sensations, including pain, in a limb long after it has been amputated

-produced by activity in the neurons in the somatosensory cortex adjacent to where the limb used to be

Front 146

Taste

Back 146

detects chemicals on the tongue.

Front 147

Taste buds

Back 147

located in the folds on the surface of the tongue

(human taste receptors)

Front 148

olfaction

Back 148

the sense of smell

Front 149

olfactory receptors

Back 149

located in mucous membrane in the rear passages of the nose.

-detect certain airborne molecules

-odors produce strong emotional responses

Front 150

pheromones

Back 150

chemicals that animals and humans release into the environment which attracts or detracts the opposite sex

Front 151

Synesthesia

Back 151

a condition in which a stimulus of one type, such as sound, also elicits another experience such as color

Front 152

olfactory bulb

Back 152

impulses travel here in the base of the brain that is directly in contact with the limbic system

Front 153

the limbic system

Back 153

brings emotions