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79 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What are the goals of psychology?
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Description, Explanation, Prediction, and control
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Nativism(nature)
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the idea that our thoughts, ideas, and characteristics are inborn
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Empiricism (nurture)
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knowledge is gained through experience (senses)
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Scientific Method
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way to test whether a process is true. You perceive, hypothesize, test, draw conclusions, report, and repeat
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4 types of Descriptive Research
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Naturalistic Observation, Laboratory Observation, Case Studies, Survey
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Naturalistic Observation
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Advantages: realistic picture of behavior
Disadvantages: observer bias |
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Laboratory Observation
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Advantages: more control over environment
Disadvantages: people may not show us real behavior |
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Case Studies
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Adv: Get a lot of detailed info
Disadv: what you find with one person may not apply to everyone else |
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Survey
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A technique for ascertaining the self reported attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of people
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Random Sampling
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a process by which each member of a population has an equal chance of being selected
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what are the problems with surveys
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The wording effect, wording a statement/question can affect outcome, Knowledge, and not using a representative sample
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Correlation
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a measure of the relationship between 2 variables
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Scatterplot
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a graoh comprised of points generated by values of 2 variables. The slope of points depicts the direction, and the amount of scatter indicates the strength of the relationship
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Positive Correlation
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the two variables increase in the same direction
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Negative Correlation
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the two variables have an inverse relationship
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what is the relationship between correlation and causation
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correlation doesnt prove causation
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Illusory correlation
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perception of a relationship where none exists
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How do experiments help researchers isolate cause and effect?
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researchers are able to manipulate the variable while holding everything else constant in an experiment
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Dependent variable
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factor that is proposed to change in response to independent variable
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Independent Variable
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variable that is manipulated by the experiementer
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Random assignment
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key to experimentation. Everyone has a chance of being selected
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Mode
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most frequently occurring score
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Median
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middle
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Mean
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the arithmetic average of scores in a distribution obtained by adding the scores and then dividing by their number
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Range
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the difference between the highest and lowest numbers in a set
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Standard Deviation
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A computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean
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Dendrite
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branching extensions of the cell body. Receives messages from other neurons
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Soma
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life support center of the neuron
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Synaptic cleft
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junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron
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axon
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long single extension of a neuron, covered with myelin sheath to insulate and speed up messages through neuron
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myelin sheath
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covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses
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action potential
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a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon. Generated by the movement of positively charged atoms in and out of channels in the axon's membrane
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neurotransmitters
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chemical found in the synaptic vesicles that, when released, has an effect on the next cell.
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receptors
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proteins that only allow particular molecules of a certain shape to fit into it, just as only a particular key will fit into a keyhole
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Prozac
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It keeps serotonin bound to a receptor for longer than usual thereby increasing its effect
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Central Nervous System
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Brain and Spinal cord
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Peripheral Nervous System
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the sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
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Autonomic nervous system
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division of the PNS consisting of nerves that control all of the involuntary muscles, organs, and glands
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Somatic Nervous system
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the division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles
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Sympathetic Nervous system
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"fight or flight"
division of the ANS that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations |
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Parasympathetic
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"rest and digest"
Division of the ANS that calms the body, conserving its energy |
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Lesions
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Brain lesion experimentally destroys brain tissue to study animal behaviors after such destructions
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EEG
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An amplified recording of the electrical waves sweeping across the brain's surface, measured by electrodes placed on the scalp
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PET
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Ingest radioactive glucose. Scanner detects where glucose goes while brain performs a given task
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MRI
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Like an x-ray machine, but can see soft tissue. Can see structure of brain
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Functional MRI
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measures concentrations of oxygen. Color maps show strongest "responses"
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Brainstem
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the oldest part of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells and enters the skull. Responsible for automatic survival functions
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Thalamus
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the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem. It directs messages to the sensory areas in the cortex
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Cerebellum
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the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem. It helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance. Also involved in learning skills.
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Limbic System
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a doughnut shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebrum.
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Frontal lobes
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forehead, responsible for higher mental processes and decision making as well as the production of fluent speech
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Parietal Lobes
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top to rear head. The centers for touch, taste, and temperature sensations.
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Occipital Lobes
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back head. the visual centers of brain.
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Temporal Lobes
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side of the head. Sense of hearing and meaningful speech.
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Motor cortex
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area at the rear of the frontal lobes controls voluntary movements
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Sensory Cortex (parietal cortex)
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receives information from skin surface and sense organs
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Corpus Callosum
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hemispheres connected by a mass of neural fibers. It may be cut in severe cases of epilespy.
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Aphasia
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an impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage either to Broca's area (impaired speaking) or to Wernike's area (impaired understanding)
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Sensation
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detection of physical energy (stimulus) from the environment and conversion into neural networks
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Perception
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how we select, organize, and interpret our sensations
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Bottom-up Processing
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begins with sensory information. Works up to the brain's integration of sensory information.
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Top-down processing
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the use of preexisting knowledge to organize individual features into a unified whole. Interpret sensory, physical data
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Psychophysics
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a study of the relationship between physical characteristics of stimuli and our psychological experience of them
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Absolute Threshold
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Minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
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Difference Thresholds
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Minimum difference between 2 stimuli required for detection 50% of the time, also called just noticeable difference
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Selective Attention
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the ability to deal with some stimuli and not others
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Inattentional blindness
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failing to detect visible objects when attention directed elsewhere
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Wavelength
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Hue (color) determined by wavelength. Different wavelengths of light result in different colors
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Intensity
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Brightness. Amount of energy in a wave (amplitude). Related to perceived brightness.
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Cornea
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Transparent tissue where light enters the eye
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Iris
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Muscle that expands and contracts to change the size of the opening
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Pupil
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Adjustable opening that lets light into the eye
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Lens
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focuses the light rays on the retina
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Retina
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contains sensory receptors that process visual information and send it to the brain
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Cones
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located in the center of the retina. Low sensitivity in dim light and it is color sensitive.
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Rods
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Located in the periphery of the retina. High sensitivity in dim light. It is not color sensitive.
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Tri-Chromatic Theory
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Retina contains 3 receptors maximally sensitive to red, blue, and green wavelengths
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Opponent Process Theory
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We process 4 primary colors opposed in pairs of red-green, blue-yellow, and black-white. Can explain afterimages.
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Color blindness
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most people are trichromats. Color Blindness are dichromats
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