question

Wilhelm Wundt

answer

german physiologist who founded psychology as a formal science; opened first psychology research laboratory in 1879

question

Structuralists

answer

Believed that consciousness was made up of basic elements that were combined to produce diffferent perceptions

question

Introspection

answer

a method of self-observation in which participants report their thoughts and feelings

question

Edward Titchener

answer

Student of Wilhelm Wundt; founder of Structuralist school of psychology; set up first psychology lab in U.S.

question

Functionalists

answer

studied the function of consciousness

question

William James

answer

1842-1910; Field: functionalism; Contributions: studied how humans use perception to function in our environment; Studies: Pragmatism, The Meaning of Truth

question

Biological Approach

answer

A psychological perspective that examines behavior and mental processes through a focus on the body, especially the brain and nervous system.

question

Psychodynamic Approach

answer

Approach that states that behavior reflects unconscious internal conflict between inherited instincts and society's behavioral rules. **Sigmund Freud

question

Behaviorist Approach

answer

A theoretical perspective that focuses only on objective, observable reactions. Behaviorism emphasizes the environmental stimuli that determines behavior.

question

Classical Conditioning

answer

a learning procedure in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a learned, neutral stimulus

question

Operant Conditioning

answer

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

question

Cognitive Approach

answer

According to this approach, behavior is a result of information processing, such as perception, memory, thought, judgment, and decision making

question

Humanistic Approach

answer

approach to psychology that sees humans as basically good and striving to reach their ideal self

question

Self-actualization

answer

self fulfillment the realization of all ones potential and desire to become creative in the full sense if the world.

question

Experiments

answer

a means for researchers to assess cause-and-effect relationships between at least two variables.

question

Independent Variable

answer

The experimental factor, "cause", that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

question

Experimental Group

answer

Exposed to presumed "cause"

question

Control Group

answer

the group that does not receive the experimental treatment.

question

Dependent Variable

answer

the "effect" of an experiment; will usually involve measuring how subjects behave.

question

Random Subject assignment

answer

Is done to ensure that the average behavior of the two groups would be the same PRIOR to manipulation.

question

Placebo Effect

answer

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent

question

Blind Study

answer

participants are not told whether they're in the control or experiment group

question

Double-blind study

answer

Research method in which both the subjects and the experimenter are unaware to the anticipated results.

question

Correlational Studies

answer

research method that examines relationships between variables in order to analyze trends in data, test predictions, etc. (they do NOT discern cause and effect relationships)

question

Positive Relationship

answer

A relationship in which the values of one variable increase (or decrease) as the values of another variable increase (or decrease)

question

Negative Relationship

answer

when an increase in one variable is associated with a decrease in the other variable

question

Correlation Coefficient

answer

A numerical index of the degree of relationship between two variables, a positive number near 1.0 indicates two variables are positively related; a negative number indicates a negative relationship; zero indicates no relationship

question

Surveys

answer

Questionnaires and interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions.

question

Case Study

answer

In-depth study analysis of only one person

question

Naturalistic Observation

answer

observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

question

inter-rater reliability

answer

the degree of agreement between co-observers watching the same set of events

question

Behavioral Neuroscience

answer

an approach to psychology that links psychological processes to activities in the nervous system and other bodily processes

question

Nervous System

answer

The body system of nervous tissues--organized into the brain,spinal courd, and nerves--that send and receive messages and integreate the body's activities.

question

Sense Receptors

answer

Detect heat, light, or touch and then pass information about those stimuli on to the brain, thereby triggering thoughts about those things and/or causing behavioral responses to occur

question

Neurons

answer

individual cells that are the smallest units of the nervous system; the long, thin cells of nerve tissue along which messages travel to and from the brain

question

Sensory (or afferent) Neurons

answer

neurons that carry incoming information from the sense receptors to the central nervous system

question

Motor (or efferent) Neurons

answer

neurons that carry outgoing information from the central nervous system to the muscles and glands

question

Interneurons (or association Neurons)

answer

Central nervous system neurons that internally communicate and intervene between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

question

Cell Body

answer

contains the nucleus, where most of the molecules the neuron needs to survive and function is manufactured

question

Dendrites

answer

short fibers that branch out from the cell body and pick up incoming messages

question

Axons

answer

a part of a neuron that carries impulses away from the cell body

question

Myelin Sheath

answer

a layer of fatty tissue encasing a neuron's axon that speeds transmission

question

Action Potential

answer

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

question

Ions

answer

positively and negatively charged atoms

question

Resting potential

answer

when a neuron is in polarization; more negative ions are inside the neuron cell membrane with a positive ions on the outside, causing a small electrical charge; release of this charge generates a neuron's impulse (signal/message)

question

Refractory Period

answer

resting time; occurs in both neuron firing and in human sexual response

question

Synapse

answer

the junction between two neurons (axon-to-dendrite) or between a neuron and a muscle

question

Synaptic Gap

answer

The tiny gap at the junction between the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

question

Neurotransmitters

answer

chemical messengers that traverse the synaptic gaps between neurons

question

Vesicles

answer

small membrane sacs that specialize in moving products into, out of, and within a cell

question

Axon Terminal

answer

the endpoint of a neuron where neurotransmitters are stored

question

Serotonin

answer

a neurotransmitter that affects hunger,sleep,arousal,and mood. appears in lower than normal levels in depressed persons

question

Agonists

answer

drugs which mimic or increase the activity of neurotransmitters

question

Antagonists

answer

drugs that block the function of a neurotransmitter

question

Central Nervous System

answer

consists of the brain and spinal cord

question

Peripheral Nervous System

answer

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

question

Somatic Nervous System

answer

the division of the peripheral nervous system that connects the central nervous system with sensory receptors, muscles, and the skin

question

Autonomic Nervous System

answer

The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

question

Sympathetic Nervous System

answer

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy in stressful situations

question

Parasympathetic Nervous System

answer

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

question

Neural Networks

answer

interconnected neural cells. With experience, networks can learn, as feedback strengthens or inhibits connections that produce certain results. Computer simulations of neural networks show analogous learning.

question

Brainstem

answer

The oldest part and central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions

question

Thalamus

answer

the brain's sensory switchboard, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

question

Reticular Formation

answer

a nerve network in the brainstem that plays an important role in controlling arousal

question

Cerebellum

answer

the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; it helps coordinate voluntary movement and balance

question

Limbic System

answer

a doughnut-shaped system of neural structures at the border of the brainstem and cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions such as fear and aggression and drives such as those for food and sex. Includes the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus.

question

Hippocamus

answer

a brain structure in the limbic system that is involved in forming and indexing memories

question

Amygdala

answer

limbic system component associated with emotion, particularly fear and anger

question

Hypothalamus

answer

limbic system component that regulates hunger, body temperature and other functions

question

Pituitary Gland

answer

gland in the base of the skull that secretes nine hormones that directly regulate many body functions and control the actions of several other endocrine glands

question

Hormones

answer

chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another

question

Endoctrine System

answer

system in the body that sends messages to the bodily organs via hormones

question

Cerebral Cortex

answer

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells that covers the cerebral hemispheres; the body's ultimate control and information-processing center

question

Frontal Lobes

answer

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

question

Broca's area

answer

controls language expression-an aread of the frontal, usually in the left hemisphere, that directs the muscle movements involved in speech

question

Wernicke's area

answer

controls language reception-a brain area involved in language comprehension and expression;usually in the left temporal lobe

question

Parietal Lobes

answer

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; receives sensory input for touch and body position

question

Temporal Lobes

answer

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each of which receives auditory information primarily from the opposite ear

question

Occipital Lobes

answer

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes the visual areas, which receive visual information from the opposite visual field

question

Psychophysics

answer

the study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli, such as their intensity, and our psychological experience of them

question

Signal Detection Theory

answer

a theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus ("signal") amid background stimulation ("noise"). Assumes there is no single absolute threshold and detection depends partly on a person's experience, expectations, motivation, and level of fatigue. (Myers Psychology 8e p. 199)

question

Absolute Threshold

answer

the minimum stimulation needed to detect a particular stimulus 50 percent of the time

question

Difference Threshold

answer

also called the jnd; smallest distinction between two stimuli that can consistently be detected

question

Weber's Law

answer

the principle that for any change in a stimulus to be detected, a constant proportion of that stimulus must be added or subtracted

question

Sensory Adaptation

answer

Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation.

question

Feature Detectors

answer

nerve cells in the brain that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle, or movement

question

Gestalt

answer

an organized whole. Gestalt psychologists emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes

question

Binocular Cues

answer

depth cues, such as retinal disparity and convergence, that depend on the use of two eyes

question

Retinal Disparity

answer

a binocular cue for perceiving depth; by comparing images from the two eyeballs, the brain computes distance - the greater the disparity (difference) between the two images, the close the object

question

Convergence

answer

a binocular cue for perceiving depth; the extent to which the eyes converge inward when looking at an object

question

Monocular Cues

answer

depth cues, such as interposition and linear perspective, available to either eye alone

question

Linear Perspective

answer

a monocular cue for perceiving depth; the more parallel lines converge, the greater their perceived distance

question

Motion Parallax

answer

cue to depth that involves images of objects at different distances moving across the retina at different rates

question

Interposition

answer

monocular visual cue in which two objects are in the same line of vision and one patially conceals the other, indicating that the first object concealed is further away

question

Texture Gradients

answer

The gradual diminishing of detail that occurs in surfaces as they recede into the distance, compared with objects in the visual field that are close and seen in fine detail

question

Sensory Restriction

answer

includes loss of a sense such as sight, resulting in increase perception in other senses

question

Critical Period

answer

an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development

question

Perceptual Sets

answer

Demonstrates our readiness to percieve in a particular manner; Based on experience and expectation

question

Bottom-up

answer

refers to visual processing in which experience does not influence perception

question

Top-down

answer

refers to processing in which our experience and expectations influence our perceptions

question

Circadian Rhythm

answer

the biological clock; regular bodily rhythms that occur on a 24-hour cycle

question

Brain Waves

answer

patterns of neural activity detected by EEG

question

Alpha Waves

answer

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

question

Stage 1

answer

Disappearance of alpha waves, appearance of theta waves

question

Hypnogogic

answer

the state of intermediate consciousness preceding sleep (during first 5 minutes of stage 1)

question

Stage 2

answer

Lasts about 20 minutes and involves deeper relaxation and occasional bursts of rhythmic brainwaves called sleep spindles and K-complexes

question

Stage 3

answer

Delta Waves appear. Heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and temperature continue to lower. Very difficult to wake.

question

Stage 4

answer

stage of sleep in which Delta waves predominate

question

Slow-wave sleep

answer

consists of sleep stages 3 and 4, during which high amplitude, low frequency delta waves become prominent in EEG recordings

question

REM

answer

describes sleep in which vivid dreams typically occur; this type of sleep increases as the night progresses while stage 4 sleep decreases

question

Paradoxical Sleep

answer

REM when muscles are deeply relaxed but there are high levels of brain activity

question

Manifest content

answer

according to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream

question

Latent Content

answer

according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

question

Activation-synthesis theory

answer

the theory that dreams result from the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural signals that fire during sleep

question

Psychoactive Drugs

answer

Chemicals that affect the nervous system and result in altered consciousness

question

Barbiturates

answer

drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgment

question

Behaviorist

answer

a psychologist who analyzes how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment

question

Cognitive factors

answer

what we think which influences how we behave and our environment

question

non-associative Learning

answer

occurs when the repeated presentation of a single stimulus produces an enduring change in behavior.

question

Habituation

answer

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

question

Sensitization

answer

the process of becoming highly sensitive to specific events or situations (especially emotional events or situations)

question

Associative Learning

answer

learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).

question

Instrumental conditioning

answer

A form of learning in which the participant receives a reinforcer only after performing the desired response, and thereby learns a relationship between the response and the reinforcer. Also called operant conditioning.

question

Reinforcement

answer

a stimulus that strengthens or weakens the behavior that produced it

question

Positive reinforcement

answer

increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.

question

Negative Reinforcement

answer

increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs

Intro to Psychology CLEP – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards