Psychology Test 2

Front 1

1. Why should a theory be falsifiable?

Back 1

It means that the theory is stated in such clear and precise terms that we can see what evidence would count against it. We can imagine what evidence would be against the theory.

Front 2

2. Why should theories be parsimonious?

Back 2

t should take much more to change someone’s mind on craaazy theories

Front 3

3. What is a hypothesis?

Back 3

A clear predictive statement

Front 4

4. What is a survey?

Back 4

A study of the prevalence of certain beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors based on people’s responses to specific questions.

Front 5

5. What is a case study?

Back 5

A thorough description of the person including the person’s abilities and disabilities, medical condition, life history, etc. Should be a guide for further research

Front 6

7. What is a convenience sample

Back 6

A group chosen because of its ease of study

Front 7

8. What is a random sample? Why is it important?

Back 7

Every individual in the population has an equal chance of being selected. The larger the random sample the smaller the probability that its results differ substantially from the whole population.

Front 8

Representative sample?

Back 8

Closely represents the population in its percentage of males and females, blacks and whites, young and old, city dwellers and farmers, or whatever other characteristics are likely to affect the results.

Front 9

11. What is experimenter bias?

Back 9

The tendency for an experimenter to distort or misperceive the results of an experiment based on the expected outcome.

Front 10

12. What is a single-blind study? 13. Double blind study?

Back 10

a)Either the observer or the participants are unaware of which participants received treatment B)Both the observer and the participants are unaware

Front 11

14. Why is it important to have operational definitions?

Back 11

A definition that specifies the operations used to produce or measure something ordinarily a way to give it a numerical value. Enables us to get on with research

Front 12

16. Know how to interpret a correlation coefficient

Back 12

A mathematical estimate of the relationship between two variables (range of 1 to -1) Varaiable of 1 means as one increases so does the other. -1 means as one increases the other decreases. 0 means little or no relationship/

Front 13

17. What is an illusory correlation?

Back 13

An apparent relationship based on casual observations of unrelated or weakly related events.

Front 14

18. What is an experimental method?

Back 14

A study in which the investigator manipulates at least one variable while measuring at least one other variable.

Front 15

19. What’s the difference between a Correlational study and an experiment?

Back 15

Correlation shows a relationship while an experiment shows causation.

Front 16

26. What is an Institutional Review Board?

Back 16

They judge whether the proposed studies include procedures for informed consent at a university.

Front 17

27. What is the central nervous system?

Back 17

Consists of the brain and spinal cord, communicates with the rest of the body via the peripheral nervous system

Front 18

28. What is the peripheral nervous system?

Back 18

Composed of bundles of axons between the spinal cord and the rest of the body

Front 19

29. What is the somatic nervous system?

Back 19

Peripheral nerves that control the skin and muscles

Front 20

30. What is the autonomic nervous system?

Back 20

? Controls involuntary actions

Front 21

31. What is the parasympathetic nervous system?

Back 21

Upper and lower levels of the spinal cord, runs long term survival functions, nutrition, and energy conservation

Front 22

32. Sympathetic nervous system?

Back 22

Chain of nuerons lying just outside the spinal cord, it is the crisis management center (flight or fight)

Front 23

33. What is the function of the prefrontal cortex and where is it located?

Back 23

Foremost part of the frontal lobe, responsible for organization, planning of action, and aspects of memory

Front 24

34. What do the temporal lobes do and where are they located?

Back 24

Main processing areas for hearing and complex vision (left lobe for language processing and comprehension. They are located next to the ears

Front 25

35. The occipital lobe?

Back 25

Rear of the head and contains specialized areas for interpreting visual sensory information

Front 26

36. Parietal lobes?

Back 26

Contains the primary somatosensory cortex, the area of the brain that is specialized for body senses and awareness of the location of the body parts, located directly infront of the occipital lobe

Front 27

Frontal cortex?

Back 27

Front of the brain, contains prefrontal cortex and primary motor cortex

Front 28

38. What is the primary somatosensory cortex and where is it located?

Back 28

In the parietal lobe, senses and awareness of the location of body parts

Front 29

39. What does the primary motor cortex do?

Back 29

An area that is important for control of fine movements

Front 30

41. What is the amygdala, where is it found, and what does it do?

Back 30

An almond shaped structure for emotional processing found inside the temporal lobes.

Front 31

43. What is the corpus callosum?

Back 31

It is the connection between the left and right hemisphere

Front 32

44. What happens if it is severed?

Back 32

Right hemisphere needs to communicate with the left to name the objects in the visual field. Left hemisphere needs the right in order to synthesize details into a whole picture.

Front 33

45. What is the binding effect (or problem)?

Back 33

We don’t understand how the parts of the brain give us a unified point of view.

Front 34

46. Know the parts of a neuron and what they do.

Back 34

a. Cell Body-contains the nucleus and most of the organelles
b. Dendrites-widely branching structures that receive transmissions from other neurons
c. Axon-send electronical message to the next cell, coated in myelin

Front 35

47. What is a Glia cell?

Back 35

Help the nuerons by providing insulation, removing waste and foreign bodies. They are 1/10th the size of the nuerons but there are 10 times more

Front 36

48. What is the purpose of the Myelin sheath?

Back 36

Speeds up transmission

Front 37

49. What is an action potential?

Back 37

An excitation that travels along the action at a constant strength. Combination of electrical and chemical process that axons convey information. All or nothing

Front 38

50. What are hormones?

Back 38

Chemicals that affect mood, behavior, and anatomy

Front 39

51. What are neurotransmitters?

Back 39

A chemical stored in the neuron that activates special receptors of other neurons.

Front 40

53. What side of the brain is specialized for language in most people?

Back 40

Left side

Front 41

54. What is an excitatory impulse?

Back 41

Increase the probability the next cell will carry the transmission

Front 42

55. A inhibitory impulsive?

Back 42

Decrease the likelihood that the next cell will carry the transmission

Front 43

57. How does transmission occur at synapse?

Back 43

Each axon has a bulge at the end called a terminal bouton, when the action potential reaches this nuerotransmitters are released. The neurotransmitter attaches to the body or dendrite of the receiving neuron.