Psych 1100 1st Edition Exam # 1 Study GuidePsychologyMethods in psychologyPsychology = social scienceScientific methodProvides a logical frameworkAllows for replication of studiesAsk – research – hypothesize – test – analyze– report TheoryDiverse observations by proposing a framework that ties them together – cannotbe provenAllows to generate predictionsHypothesisspecific testable predictions based on theory research or observationpsychology answers:what people dowhy they do itrules of parsimonysimplest theory“no amount of experimentation can ever prove me right, but a single experiment can prove me wrong.” – EinsteinMeasurementDefining and detectingProperties of good measurementValidityReliabilityPowerOperational definitionA working definition of what a researcher is measuringDemand characteristicsWhen situations cause people to behave\respond the way they think they are expected to, when they might not have normallyNaturalistic observationAs normal an environment as possible, as little interference as possibleExample: Jane GoodallAdvantagesHigh external validity (generalized findings to the real world)DisadvantagesInternal validity (is extent to which we can draw cause/effect inferences) perhaps phenomenon isn’t naturally occurring, might depend on direct contactavoiding demandsresponding privatelymeasure things not susceptible to demand“blind” to the true purpose of observationSometimes experiments should be blindDescriptive statisticsCentral tendencyMean median modeVariabilityRange, standard deviationGaussian distributionsBell curveCorrelational designCorrelated: associated with, related to, linked withMerely measuring variables, examining the relation between themMeasuring correlationsCorrelation coefficient = rRanges from -1 to +1+1 >r <-1Measures direction (+/-) and magnitude (value)Slope of a linePositiveAs one increases, so does the otherNegativeAs one increases the other decreasesNeuroscience and behaviorNerve cellsSpecialized in communication100 billion neurons160 trillion connections in the brainDendrites receive signals from other neuronsAxons send signalsMyelin sheath insulates axonsGlial cells – helper cellsAstrocytesCommunicates with neuronsIncrease transmission reliabilityControl blood flowOligodendrocytesPromotes new connectionsReleases chemicals to aid in healingProduces myelin sheathSynapseSpace between two neuronsNeurotransmissionAxonsSynapse (space of the chemical transmission)NeurotransmittersInside synaptic vesiclesSynaptic cleft Actual empty space between neuronsMajor types of neuronsSensoryInformation from world to brain via spinal cordMotorSignal from spinal cord to musclesInterneuronsConnect sensory/motor/other interneuronsSpecialized neuronsPurkinjeFrom cerebellum to the brain/spinal cordPyramidalIn cerebral cortexBipolarIn retina of the eyeResting potentialElectrical energy difference (-70 mv) across the membraneWhen neuron is not being stimulated/inhibitedThresholdMembrane potential needed to trigger an action potentialAction potentialElectrical impulse that travels down the axon triggering release of neurotransmittersRefractory periodTime action potential is impossibleLimits max firing rateRemaining neurotransmitters absorbed during reuptakeNeurotransmitters bind to specific receptor sitesExamples of neurotransmittersDopamineNorepinephrineAcetylcholineGlutamateSerotoninBeta endorphinGamma – amnio – buteric Acid(GABA)AntagonistBlock receptor sitesAgonistPropagate action potentials or increase production of neurotransmittersWithin cells – electrical stimulationAmong the cells – chemical communicationBrain behavior networkCentral nervous systemBrain and spinal cordPeripheral nervous systemEverything elseCentral includesCerebral cortexForebrainSite of most conscious functionsCorpus callosumConnection between left and right hemisphereSplit brain studiesHemispheres exert contralateral control over the bodyLanguage is located in the left hemisphereSensation and perceptionSensationDetection of physical energy by sense organs, which then send information to the brainPerceptionBrains interpretation of raw sensory inputTransducerConverting ex energy or sensation to electrical activityPerceptions affect which sensations are