ap psych sem 1 final pt. 1

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes

knowledge acquired through observation, gathering, and analyzing data to create evidence; deems psychology as scientific

inward looking; self-reflection

genetics vs. environmental influences

combining more than one approach to explain behavior

how people feel about certain visualizations and thoughts; what, how ?

the function of behavior; why do i feel this way?

neuroscience; brain chemistry, genetics, and hormones influence behavior

unconscious urges and impulses; repressed memories of childhood trauma influence behavior

learned through observation; rewards and punishments; making associations

problem solving; mental processes influence behavior; i.e. thoughts, memory, and decision making

humans are inherently good; striving to reach our potential; free will

family, peers, media, gender, religion, and ethnicity influence behavior

study of biology of behavior; hormones, nervous system

study of diagnosis; treatment of mental illnesses

study of memory, reasoning, information processing, decision making, etc.

(overlaps with clinical psychology); interviewing, testing, and providing therapy

study of human development across life span

study of how people learn and the best ways to teach them; testing, teacher training

study of conducting experiments focusing on sensation, perception, learning, conditioning, motivation, and emotion

study of HR department, working to improve staff moral, increase job satisfaction, and improvements

study of understanding individuals’ consistency in behavior

study of measurement of behavior and capacities; through psychological tests and statistical analysis

study of interpersonal behavior and role of social forces; prejudice, conformity, attraction, aggression, intimate relations, and group behavior

investigating the relationship between variables; not cause and effect

examination of one person, group, or unique situation; uses surveys and interviews; allows us to investigate rare behaviors/occurrences/topics that are unethical to test in other ways

observing behavior in a natural setting without interference

questionnaire used to learn about participants opinions, beliefs, and behaviors

establishes cause and effect; controlled setting; trying to explain behavior

doesn’t use random sampling/assignment because it’s either impossible/unethical

statistical methods for combining multiple studies on a topic; compare/contrast what’s been found by other researchers

explanation after research vs. testable prediction about the relationship between two variables

target interest group vs. members of the group chosen to participate

defines variables in a specific, measurable way for scientific testing

groups/conditions that receive the IV

groups/conditions that do not receive IV

controlled by experimenter

measured and observed if IV had an effect

third variable directly linked to IV and DV; i.e. personality, intelligence, weather

participants are unaware of the group/condition they’re assigned to; reduce bias

neither the researcher or participant are aware of the group/condition the participant is assigned to; reduces bias

participant’s expectations cause a change in behavior when given an inactive treatment

every member of the population has an equal likelihood of being chosen to participate

every participant has an equal chance of being placed into the group/condition

sample demographics are proportional to the population demographics

participants must know what they’re involved in and give their consent

participants must be told of the purpose of the study and provided ways to contact the researcher about results

identities and actions of participants must not be revealed to the researcher; voluntarily

participants cannot be placed at a significant mental/physical risk

if participants are deceived in any way about the nature of the study, the deception must not be so extreme as to invalidate the informed consent; justified

when someone's overall evaluation of a person/object/situation influences more specific ratings

seeing a relationship between 2 variables when no such relationship exists

take care of self and immediate family; autonomy of self is most important vs. work for the group and surpress identity

depicts the main aspects of sample data without inferring to target population

sample data enables researcher to make conclusions about the population

average; middle number; most frequent number

highest score-lowest score; average distance between each score and the mean of data set

how likely is it that the changes to the DV were due to the IV; significant - confidence the IV caused DV change; insignificant - not confident IV caused DV change

two variables head in the same direction vs. one variable goes up and the other goes down

statistical number that measures the relationship between 2 variables; combines direction of relationship; negative/positive

relationship between two variables vs. one variable causes another’s change

psychologist; found psychoanalysis; unconscious urges are caused by deeply rooted childhood trauma

opened the first american psychology lab; founder of the APA

interested in the purpose and value of the conscious experiment (why?); follower of darwinism

examined elements and pieces of the conscious experience; introspection

father of psychology; opened the first psychology lab in germany with the study of consciousness

brain and spinal cord; controls most functions of the body/mind; spinal cord sends information to and from the brain

connects/relays the central nervous system to limbs and organs

voluntary muscle movement

involuntary processes; organs and glands

part of autonomic nervous system; increases the overall arousal of the body; fight/flight response; prepares body for action; i.e. heart rate and respiration increase

part of autonomic (involuntary) nervous system; conserves body's resources; calms body back down; ex: heart rate and respiration decrease

sensory; brings in sensory information from body and sends it (approaches) to the brain; voluntary muscle movements

motor; carries information from the brain (exits) to muscles to guide our actions; voluntary muscle movements

sensory input via afferent neurons -> spinal cord -> brain -> spinal cord -> guide muscles/actions via efferent neurons

n somatosensory and premotor cortex; neurons that fire when we watch others perform actions

receive messages from other cells

maintains the health of the neuron

passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses; insulation

small gap between 2 neurons where communication occurs

support neurons; stimulate growth, repair damage, keep them in place

positive cell charge vs. negative cell charge

neurotransmitter/information passed along the dendrite, soma, threshold (action potential or electrical impulse is fired), axon, vesicles, and finally synapse

neurotransmitters are recycled by the presynaptic neuron; sucked back in

occurs where the cell is going back to rest, becoming polarized; during this, action potential can not fire

mimics a neurotransmitter (binds to receptor to activate), reuptake, or increases production/release vs. blocks receptor sites, preventing neurotransmitters from binding, or decreases production/release

postsynaptic neurons fire an action potential; depolarized vs. postsynaptic neurons do not fire an action potential (polarizeD)

memory; voluntary muscle movement; used by parasympathetic nervous system

arousal, alertness, and attention; used by sympathetic nervous system; also associated with mood

excitatory (keep fire) signals; strengthening neural connections; learning

experiences of pleasure - reward pathway; initiation of voluntary muscle movement

mood; sleep; appetite

inhibitory (signals; reduces activity of central nervous system; involved with sleep and arousal

reduces pain; euphoria; runner's high

in hindbrain; vital functions; heart rate, blood pressure, breathing

in hindbrain; sleeping and dreaming

in hindbrain; balance and coordination

in hindbrain; network of cells that controls alertness, attention, and arousal; stress and panic responses

in forebrain; central relay station for all senses except smell