Common errors in thinking about PsychologyRely on common sense, anecdoteIntuition often wrongConfirmation bias-looking for evidence to agree with your thoughtsBelief perseverance-believing in something regardless of scientific evidenceForget that behavior is multiply determinedJust bc we know one thing is important doesn’t mean nothing else isThink about the situation people are inForget about cultureCulture can determine our goals, speech, actions, etc.Individualism / collectivismIndividualism- unique, MericaCollectivism- group, Japan, anything not America or western EuropeScience versus popular psychologyCommon versus uncommon sensePsychology as scienceBiases that impede scientific thinkingScientific Thinking PrinciplesExtraordinary claims require extraordinary evidenceReliabilityRuling out rival hypothesesOccam’s razor- parsimony: simpler is betterFalsifiableFalsifiable can be proven wrong/ could be trueFalsified proven wrongFalse is completely wrongUndetectable aliens have infiltrated society*Correlation isn’t causation- just bc two things happen together doesn’t mean they are connectedFalsifiability- can you turn this into testable hypothesis?MTV is destroying the American YouthThink about what “destroying” meansChild neglectPoverty (cheaper to watch tv than do clean fun activities)I Why we need good research designs?A. Our intuition is flawedHeuristics(mental shortcut) and biases1. Confirmation biasActively looking for confirmatory evidenceBeing more likely to notice confirmatory evidence2. Availability heuristicmore likely to die in airplane crash or car crashRepresentative heuristicOver estimating because they fit our stereotypeCorrupt politicianB. Bad things happen when we don’t have themPower bands, commination devices, lobotomy, etc.C. Good things happen when we do have themDesigning environment to increase good thingsYellow fire trucksTop window brake lightDesegregationII Research strategiesA. Research Settings1. Laboratory studyInternal Validity (what we think is happening is happening)2. Field studyExternal validity (does the finding make sense outside the study)B. Data-Collection Methods1. Self-reportPROBLEM: could lie2. ObservationPROBLEM: could not be possible to learn from observationC. Research Designs1. DescriptiveDescribe what goes on2. Correlationalmeasure 2 variablesDescribe the relationship between the twoPositive- two variables change in the same direction together (up and up)Negative- two variables change in different directions (up and down)Correlation does not mean causation3 ways to explain correlationA->BB->AC->A&B3. ExperimentalPopulationRandom sampleRandom AssignmentExperimental Group-treatment (IV-independent variable)Control Group- (Placebo-not knowing it is different)Measure Effects (DV-dependent variable)III Threats to Valid ResearchA. Confounds-anything that is different between your experimental and control groups that could pull to one side more than the otherDid the researcher really control everythingB. Bias1. Sample Bias-not a random selection2. Biased questions-worded in a way to persuade the respondentC. Expectancy Effect1. Experimenter Expectancyways to prevent-don’t tell the experimenter the hypothesis2. Subject expectancyHawthorne effectDemand characteristicsDistinguishing correlational from experimental designsDid the researcher cause the difference between groups?Was there random assignment to groups?Did the researcher actually manipulate something, or just measure something?IV EthicsAllowed to quit a study and still creditV Statisticsnot in the quizVI Peer ReviewI. Nerve CellsA. Structure of a neuronSoma- central region of a neuronDendrites- branchlike extensions (receive information)Axon- long tail like extensions protruding from the somaB. Communication within a neuron: The Action PotentialProcessResting potential- when an axon is at rest but still could send a signalMore negative inside than outsideDepolarization- when our senses react and send signals to neuronsPositive neurons rush into the cell through open doors causing an electric currentRepolarization- when the negative ions rush out after positive ions rush inHyperpolarization- when charge dips down below resting causing it to not reactCharges flow down the axon like a crowd doing the wave (electrical)All-or-None principleDoes or does not send signalIt is always the same strength like firing a gunThe way it codes differently is the rate at which it firesSaltatory conductionMyelin sheath- fatty cells that surround an axonLike insulation for the axonNodes of ranvier- only a select few doors open causing a much faster travel for the action potientalDisease of MS is when these fatty cells break downC. Communication between neurons: NeurotransmittersRelease at synapseSynapse- space between each neuronTypes of effectsPresynaptic- before neuron transmitters firePostsynaptic- after receiving neuron transmitterExcitatory- it does triggerNT depolarization= action potentialInhibitory- does not triggerNot able to fireHyperpolarizes postsynaptic neuronWould want to inhibit pain receptorsTypes of NTsAcetylcholineMuscle contractionDopaminePleasureReward centerGABAMost commonInhibitoryAlcoholThen What Happens?Reuptake- transmitters go back into the somaD. Effects of DrugsIn the brainDisrupt ion flow across the membraneBlocks sodium doorsSaxitoxinTetrodotoxinAffect the amount of neurotransmitter availableDisrupt releaseBotulinum toxin- prevents releaseDisrupt bindingBlock action- drugs used to treat schizophrenia (caffeine)Mimic action- heroin, nicotinePreventing reuptakeStays locked in longerCocaineAntidepressantsNerve gasesSarinPreventing neurotransmitter from being synthesized or stored in vesticlesBlack widow spider venomTolerance and WithdrawalWithdrawals are the opposite of the effect of the actual drugHomeostasis- balance in your bodyBody has to compensate for the drug creating a tolerance to itE. Neural plasticityBrain changes with experience**Read in book**II. The Brain Behavior NetworkA. Central Nervous SystemBrainstemMedullaPonsMidbrainCerebellumLimbic systemThalamusHypothalamusAmygdalaHippocampusBasal gangliaCorpus CallosumCerebral cortexFrontal lobes- problem solving, higher thinking, social appropriateMotor Cortex- behind the frontal lobe, controls movementTemporal lobes- by your ear, hearing and speechAuditory cortex- above the temporal lobeOccipital lobe- back of head, eyesightVisual cortex- beneath the occipital lobeParietal lobes- crown of head,