1 Introduction to Research Methods Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes Case studies stories that illustrate a point Strength great for generating hypotheses Weaknesses can t generalize findings to other people can t determine cause and effect observers sometimes lie Correlational Studies Two variables measured in many people the statistic r Strengths we can generalize the findings we know how strong the relationship is Weaknesses can t determine cause and effect problem with direction of relationship problem with third variables True Experiments Characteristics of an Experiment participants are randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions the independent the variable whose effects we are studying variable is manipulated Strengths we can determine cause and effect Weaknesses confounds a variable that systematically changes along with the independent variable may creep into experiments ethical problems may arise Other research strategies Longitudinal and Cross Sectional Studies studies of families and genes survey research Physiology and Behavior I Organization of the Nervous System Central Nervous System corporate headquarters consists of the brain and spinal cord function is to receive information interpret information and initiate responses Peripheral Nervous System consists of all of the cells neurons that are not in the brain or spinal cord carries information to and from the central nervous system phone lines to muscles skin organs and glands divided into two divisions o Somatic Division connects the central nervous system to the muscles and skin o Autonomic Division connects the central nervous system to various organs heart stomach and glands pituitary adrenal responsible for increasing and decreasing arousal effects are not under voluntary control 2 Sympathetic Branch responsible for increasing arousal branch of the autonomic nervous system Parasympathetic Branch responsible for decreasing arousal back to the normal level branch of the autonomic nervous system Sympathetic and Parasympathetic branches are connected with feedback loops II Brain Structures and Behavior different parts of the brain control different behaviors Layers of the Brain and localization of functions Brain Stem at the bottom on the brain sits on top of the spinal cord Medulla located inside the brain stem power plant of the brain responsible for the production of general neurological arousal regulates the basic physiological functions respiration heart rate controls simple responses swallowing salivating vomiting sneezing gastrointestinal activity coughing Reticular formation second part of the brain stem ascending reticular activating system reticular formation a set of nerve tracts that begins in the medulla and carries arousal from medulla to the higher levels of the brain descending reticular activating system detects activity in the upper layers of your brain and carries the info down to brain stem Pons third part of brain stem nighttime medulla connects brain stem to other parts of the brain produces a low level of neurological activity that is sent to higher areas of the brain during sleep causes dreams keeps going as a back up brain Cerebellum wrapped around the back of your brain stem storage of memories for simple learned responses responsible for controlling coordinating muscle movements ex when reaching for a bottle of beer when you re drunk the cerebellum helps figure out where your hand is o if the cerebellum is damaged predictions about where your moving body parts are might be incorrect and will lead to inaccurate movements problems with cerebellum slurring words problems walking The Limbic System A group of three structures above your brain stem Hypothalamus located below the Thalamus maintains homeostasis controls mood appetite body temperature and sleep anorexia and bulimia can be due to problems in the hypothalamus basis for depression Serotonin if its low in hypothalamus you get depressed 3 Hippocampus where you process information for storage in long term memory if it s damaged information can come in and you can use it but you cant store it memory short term memory into long term memory Alzheimer s can t process the short term memory can t remember what happened to them a few minutes ago Amygdala controls rage and aggression high levels of electrical activity in the amygdala can lead to unprovoked also plays a role in processing information for memory of emotional violent outbursts events The amygdala and hippocampus have overlapping functions Thalamus large oval structure located in the middle of your limbic system primary role is to do an initial screening of incoming sensory stimuli Basal Ganglia large structures on both sides of the limbic system responsible for control of movement starting or initiation of movements Cerebrum top of brain where higher mental processes such as thinking take place o divided into two halves known as the cerebral hemispheres surface is covered with a thin layer of cells neurons known as the cortex where most of the higher mental functions thinking takes place cortex has many folds gryi and more neurons than any other part of the brain Lobes of the Hemispheres fissures Hemispheres organized by 4 physical lobes that are separated by grooves called Also organized by functional areas by what activities or functions go on in the different parts of the hemisphere Lobes are used as reference points for locating the areas of the hemispheres which have different functions such as language and thinking Four lobes of the brain Frontal lobe at the front of the brain in front of the central fissure which divides the brain into front and back halves where we integrate all the information do serious thinking Parietal lobe just behind frontal lobes behind central fissure side walls of the hemispheres that come down from the top processes bodily sensations controls motor skills Temporal lobe behind parietal lobes lie just inside the part of the skull called the temple process sounds language interpret language stores visual and auditory memories Occipital lobe back of the brain 4 responsible for vision o when you get hit in the back of the head and see stars your brain shakes and causes vision change Ventricles set of ducts that go through the hemispheres from front to back large holes in the brain dead cells and used cells in the brain drain off into ventricles in the brain and eventually out of the body ventricles
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