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Psychology

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scientific study of behavior and mental processes

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Empirical Approach

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using the 5 senses, not opinionated statements, observing events, collecting data, reasoning logically

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Behavior

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Everything we do that can be directly observed

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Mental Processes

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Anything we are thinking, memories, feelings, emotion, cannot be directly observed

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Goals of Psychology

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Describe, predict, explain, and control behavior

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Wilhelm Wundt

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Structuralism, First to establish a psychology lab

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Structuralism

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Describing the mind by breaking thoughts down into their most basic ideas and elements

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Introspection

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Reflect inwardly about the basic units of thought

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Reaction Time

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Short: simple or basic thought Long: a complex thought

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William James

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Functionalism, studied the function of the mind

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Functionalism

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Understanding the purpose of thoughts and behavior in an individual's adaptation to the environment, incorporated natural selection

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Behaviorism

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John Watson, emphasizes the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and the environments that determine those responses

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Biological Approach

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human and animal behavior is seen as the direct result of events in the body, focuses on the brain and nervous system, neuroscience

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Behavior Approach

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emphasizes the scientific study of observable behavioral responses and the environments that determine those responses, using rewards and punishments to remodel behavior

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Psychodynamic Approach

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mental and behavioral problems are caused by conflicts between acceptable behavior; human behavior is cause dark, unpleasant, unconscious impulses; Sigmund Freud

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Humanistic Approach

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emphasizes free will, self actualization, human nature as a growth seeking experiences and motivations, Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow

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Cognitive Approach

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study how we think, remember, store and use information from our environment using a vast array of mental processes

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Evolutionary Approach

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focuses on natural selection, adaptation, and the evolution of behavior, Charles Darwin's theory

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Sociocultural Approach

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emphasizes social interactions and cultural determinants of behavior and mental processes (ethnicity, religion, occupation, and socioeconomic status)

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Scientific Method

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1. make an observation 2. Form a hypothesis 3. Test the hypothesis 4. Draw conclusion 5. Report results 6. Evaluation

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Descriptive Research

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1. Naturalistic Observations 2. Case studies 3. Surveys

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Naturalistic Observation

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watching behavior and recording data

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Case Studies

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in depth study of a single subject or small group of subjects

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Survey Research

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form of polling to measure a wide variety psycological behaviors and attitudes

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Advantages of Surveys

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lots of data in a short amount of time

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Disadvantages in Surveys

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not always accurate information

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Correlation Research

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predicts behavior, observing two or more variables to find the relationship between them, CANNOT determine cause and effect relationships

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Experimental Research

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explains behavior, experimenter manipulates the variable of interest, CAN determine cause and effect relationships

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Operational Definitions

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used for the purpose of the present experiment

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Experimental Hazards

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problems that may arise in a poorly-designed experiment

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Sample Bias

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groups in an experiment are not equivalent before the study begins

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Experimenter Bias

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researcher's expectations about the outcome of a study influence the results

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Participant Bias

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expectancies of the participant influence the results of the study

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Nervous System

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body's electrochemical communication system

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Behavioral Neuroscience

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study of how the nervous system affects and controls behavior (biopsychology)

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Complexity

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over 100 billion nerve cells, each nerve cell communicates with thousands of other nerve cells

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Integration

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tastes, smells, sights, touch, emotions, and sounds all create our reality

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Electrochemical Transmission

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communication from nerve cell to nerve cell, chemical impulses and messages

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Plasticity

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brain has a special capacity to change and adapt as we experience new things or encounter injuries

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Central Nervous System

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includes the brain and the spinal cord

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Forebrain

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"the petals", separated into the limbic system, cerebral cortex, and thalamus

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Limbic System

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in the forebrain, contains the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus

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Amygdala

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fear and anxiety

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Hippocampus

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learning and memory

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Hypothalamus

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body regulation

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Thalamus

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all sensory information is routed through here

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Right Cerebral Cortex

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spatial location, faces, art/music, creativity

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Left Cerebral Cortex

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logic, mathematics, conscious awareness

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Frontal Lobe

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part of the cerebral cortex, motor cortex

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Temporal Lobe

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part of the cerebral cortex, auditory cortex

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Occipital Lobe

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part of the cerebral cortex, visual cortex

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Parietal Lobe

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part of the cerebral cortex, somatosentory cortex

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Midbrain

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"the center", includes the tectum/tegmentum and the brain stem

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Tectum/Tegmentum

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part of the midbrain, visual reflexes

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Brain Stem

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includes the medulla, pons, and reticular formation

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Reticular Formation

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arousal

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Hindbrain

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"the stem", includes the medulla, pons, and the cerebellum

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Medulla

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vital functions such as heartbeat, and breathing

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Pons

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REM sleep, arousal

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Cerebellum

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walking and balance, coordinated abilities

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Peripheral Nervous System

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network of nerves that connects the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body, includes the somatic and autonomic

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Somatic

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sensory (pain, temperature) and motor nerves (moves muscles)

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Autonomic

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takes messages to and from the body's internal organs, includes parasympathetic and sympathetic

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Parasympathetic

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calms the body

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Sympathetic

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arouses the body to mobilize for action and is involved with stress, fight or flight reaction

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Neurons

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includes the cell body, dendrites, axons, myelin sheath, and terminal buttons

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Dendrites

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tree-like fibers projecting from neurons, receive messages

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Axons

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conducts messages to a distant location

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Myelin Sheath

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layers of cells contain fat, increases speed of chemical messages, encases axons

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Terminal Buttons

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release chemical messages onto neighboring dendrites

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Resting Membrane Potential

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voltage between the inside and the outside of the cell, negatively charged ions on inside, positively charged on outside

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Action Potential

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wave of positive charge that sweeps down the axon

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Refractory Period

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after a neuron fires there is a period of time when it cannot fire again

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All-or-none-law

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once it reaches a certain level of intensity it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing any intensity

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Synaptic Gap

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chemicals are ejected into here by the terminal buttons

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Receptors

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receive the neurotransmitters

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Synaptic Vesicles

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store neurotransmitters

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Excitatory Synapse

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neuron is more likely to produce an action potential

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Inhibitory Synapse

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neuron is less likely to produce an action potential

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Acetylcholine (ACh)

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involved in movement, learning, and memory, increased heart rate; Alzheimers and Myasthenia are associated with it; drugs that affect it include nicotine, Alzheimers drugs

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Dopamine (DA)

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involved in movement, attention, and short-term memory, decrease in hunger; Parkinson's disease; cocaine, LSD

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Serotonin (5-HT)

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involved in mood, sleep, and eating,; antidepressants and ecstasy, psychedelics

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Norepinephrine (NE)

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involved in attention and arousal, increased heart rate

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Glutamate

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primary excitatory neurotransmitter, alcohol blacks it

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GABA

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primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, low levels are linked to anxiety; Alcohol enhances it

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Endorphins

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plays an important role in the experience of love and bonding, part of the sexual orgasm that form emotional bonds; heroin, weed, tobacco

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