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Psych Exam 1

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Term
Definition
The Nervous System   electrical communication circuitry  
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bottom up processing   sensory receptors register info about environment and send it to brain for interpretation  
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What is Psychology?   the scientific study of behavior and mental processes  
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Goals of Psychological science   describe, predict, and explain behavior  
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Empirical method   based on evidence  
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How old is psychology?   142 years old - Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychology lab in 1879  
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Structuralism   -identifying basic elements of mental processes -attributed to Wilhelm Wundt  
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Functionalism   -emphasizes functions/purposes of mind and behavior in the individuals adaptation to the environment -attributed to William James  
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The Principle of Natural Selection - Charles Darwin   -organisms that are better adapted survive and reproduce -organisms compete for resources -species change through genetic mutation  
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Biological Approach   focuses on body, specifically the brain and nervous system  
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Behavioral Approach   study of observable behavioral responses  
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B.F. Skinner   rewards and punishments determine behavior  
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Psychodynamic Approach   -unconscious thought -early childhood experiences  
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Psychoanalysis - Sigmund Freud   unlocking a person's unconscious conflicts by talking to them about their childhood memories, dreams, thoughts/feelings  
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Humanistic Approach   -emphasizes the positive qualities of a person -capacity for positive growth -free will  
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Cognitive Approach   mental processes involved in knowing  
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Evolutionary Approach   evolutionary idea are basis for explaining human behaviors (aggression, fears, mating patterns)  
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Sociocultural Approach   -cultural context is important in behavior -comparing cultures/ethnic groups  
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Scientific Method   observe phenomena, formulate hypothesis, test hypothesis, draw conclusions, evaluate theory  
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Empiricism   knowledge from the senses  
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Descriptive Research   -describes phenomena -case studies -surveys  
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Correlational Research   -examines relationship between two variables to see how they change together -cross sectional design- measured at one point in time -longitudinal design- measuring over time  
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Experimental Research   -manipulating one or more variables -only way to determine cause  
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Quasi-Experiments   -does not have random assignment -can't make strong causal conclusions -used if experiment is unethical/impossible with random assignment  
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Demand Characteristic   any aspect of a study that communicates to the participants how the experimenter wants them to behave  
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Plasticity   the brain's physical capacity to change  
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Central Nervous System   brain and spinal cord  
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Double Blind Experiment   experimenter and participant are unaware of who is in control and experimental group  
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Afferent/sensory nerves   carry info to brain and spinal cord  
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efferent/motor nerves   carry info out of brain and spinal cord to muscles, glands, etc (E for Exit)  
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Peripheral Nervous System   Connects brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body -Somatic NS- sensory and motor nerves -autonomic NS- sympathetic(action/stress) parasympathetic(calms down)  
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Neurons   nerve cells that handles information processing  
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glial cells   keep neurons running smoothly  
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action potential   brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon  
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synapses   spaces between neurons  
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4 lobes of the brain   frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal  
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corpus collosum   bundle of axons that relay info between hemispheres  
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left hemisphere   language processing and production  
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right hemisphere   processing nonverbal information (spatial perception, visual recognition, emotion)  
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sensation   process of receiving stimulus energy from the external environment and transforming it into electrochemical energy  
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perception   the process of organizing and interpreting sensory information so it makes sense  
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top down processing   we begin with framework and apply info we are getting to it  
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absolute threshold   the minimum stimulation needed to detect a stimulus  
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difference threshold   the minimum difference between two stimuli required for detection  
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