Psychology 101 Exam 1

Front 1

Definition of Psychology

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the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior

Front 2

Who was the "father of psychology"

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Wilhelm Wundt

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Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow belong to which school of thought in psychology?

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Humanistic Psychology

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Experimental method

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A type of research that manipulates a variable of interest (independent) to uncover cause-and-effect relationships

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random assignment

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the process of appointing participants in a research study to the experimental or control groups ensuring every person has an equal chance

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experimental group

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the members of an experiment who are exposed to treatment variable or manipulation of the experimenter

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control group

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the participants in an experiment who are not exposed to the treatment variable

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placebo

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inert substance given to group members of the control group; the fake treatment that has no effects but is administered as if it does

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independent variable

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the variable manipulated by the researcher

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dependent variable

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the characteristic or response that is measured to determine the effects of the researchers manipulations

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extreaneous variable

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variable in the environment that could unintentionally influence the outcome of the study

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confounding variable

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type of extraneous variable that changes in sync with the independent variable

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neuron

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building blocks of the nervous system that transmit electrical and chemical signals in the body

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cell body

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the region of the neuron that includes a nucleus containing DNA, protein-producing mechanisms, and other structures that nourish the cell

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dendrites

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tiny, branchlike fibers extending from the cell body that receive messages from other neurons and send info in the direction of the cell body

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axon

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skinny tubelike structure of a neuron that extends from the cell body and sends messages to other neurons

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action potential

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the spike in electrical energy that passes through the axon of a neuron; the purpose of which is to convey info

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neurotransmitters

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chemical messengers that neurons use to communicate at the synapse

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cerebral cortex

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the wrinkled outermost layer of the cerebrum, responsible for higher mental functions such as decision-making, planning, and processing visual information

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frontal lobes

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the area of the cortex that organizes information among the other lobes of the brain and is responsible for higher-level cognitive functions and behavior

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parietal lobes

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the area of the cortex that recieves and processes sensory information such as touch, pressure, temperature

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occipital lobe

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the area of the cortex in the back of the head that processes visual information

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temporal lobe

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rethe area of the cortex that processes auditory stimuli and language

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association areas

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regions of the cortex that integrate info from all over the brain

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motor cortex

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a band of tissue toward the rear of the frontal lobes that works with other brain regions to plan and execute voluntary movements

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somatosensory cortex

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a band of tissue running parallel to the motor cortex that receives and integrates sensory infor from all over the body

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limbic system

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a horseshoe-shaped collection of structures that regulates emotions and basic drives like hunger and aids in creation of memory

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hippocampus

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pair of seahorse-shaped structures located in the limbic system; primarily responsible for creating new memories

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amygdala

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pair of almond-shaped structures in the limbic system that processes basic emotions such as fear and aggression as well as memories

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thalamus

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a structure in the limbic system that processes and relats sensory information to the appropriate areas of the cortex

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hypothalamus

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small structure located below the thalamus that maintains a constant internal environment within a healthy range; helps regulate sleep-wake cycles, sexual behavior, appetite

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forebrain

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largest part of the brain; includes the cerebral cortex and the limbic system

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midbrain

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part of the brain stem involved in levels of arousal; responsible for generating movement patterns in response to sensory input

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reticular formation

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a network of neurons running through the midbrain that controls levels of arousal and quickly analyzes sensory info on its way to the cortex

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hindbrain

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includes areas of the brain responsible for fundamental life-sustaining processes

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pons

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a hindbrain structure that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles and coordinate movement between the right and left sides of the body

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medulla

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structure that oversees vital functions, including breathing, digestion and heart rate

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cerebellum

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structure located behind the brain stem that is responsible for muscle coordination and balance, latin for "little brain"

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brocas areas

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an area of the cortex that is critical for speech production

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wernickes areas

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region of the cortex that plays a pivotal role in language comprehension

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corpus callosum

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thick band of nerve fibers connecting the right and left cerebral hemispheres; principal structure for information shared between the two

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endocrine system

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communication system that uses glands to convey messages by releasing hormones into the bloodstream

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pituitary glands

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pea-sized gland located in the center of the brain just under the hypothalamus; secretes hormones that dictate the release of hormones by other glands

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thyroid gland

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gland of the endocrine system that regulates the rate of metabolism

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adrenal glands

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part of the endocrine system involved in responses to stress as well as the regulation of salt balance

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autonomic nervous system

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branch of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary processes within the body such as contractions in the digestive tract and activity of the glands

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sympathetic nervous system

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division of the autonomic nervous system that mobilizes the "fight-or-flight" response to stressful or crisis situations

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parasympathetic nervous systems

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division of the autonomic nervous system that orchestrates the "rest-and-digest" response to bring the body back to noncrisis mode

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central nervous system

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a major component of the human nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord

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illusion

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perception incongruent with sensory data

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gestalt

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natural tendency for the brain to organize stimuli into a whole, rather than perceiving the parts and pieces

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figure-ground

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central principle of gestalt psychology, involving the shifting of focus; as atrention is focused on one object, all other feautures drop or recede into the background

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depth perception

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ability to perceive three-dimensional objects and judge distances

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binocular cues

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information gathered from both eyes to help judge depth and distances

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convergence

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binocular cue used to judge distance and depth based on the tension of muscles that direct where the eyes are focusing

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retinal disparity

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binocular cue that uses the difference between theimages the two eyes see to detemine the distance of objects

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monocular clues

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depth and distance cues that require the use of only one eyes

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perceptual constancy

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tendency to perceive objects in our environment as stable in terms of shape, size, and color, regardless of changes in the sensory data recieved

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shape constancy

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an object is perceived as maintining its shape, regardless of the image projected on the retina

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size constancy

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object is perceived as maintinf its size, regardless of the image projected on the retina

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color constancy

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objects are perceived as maintaining their color, even with changing sensory data

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perceptual set

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tendency to perceive stimuli in a specific manner based on past experiences and expectations

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extrasensory perception

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purported ability to obtain information about the world without any sensory stimuli

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parapsychology

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study of extrasensory perception