Psychology Study Guide Exam 1 Chapter 1 Who is William James A legendary teacher writer who authored an important 1890 text BF Skinner A leading behaviorist he rejected introspection and studied how consequences Mentored Mary Whiton Calkins shape behavior What is Psychology The science of behavior and mental processes What do psychologists look at to study human behavior Levels of analysis Nature Nurture the mix of genetics and experiences which play a part in the development of psychological traits and behaviors BioPsychoSocial an integrated approach that incorporates biological psychological and social cultural levels of analysis Psychology s Current Perspectives Neuroscience how the body and brain enable emotions memories and sensory experiences Behavior Genetics how our genes and our environment influence our individual differences Psychodynamic how behavior springs from unconscious drives and conflicts Cognitive how we encode process store and retrieve information Social Cultural how behavior and thinking vary across situations and cultures Clinical Psychology a branch of psychology that studies assesses and treats people with psychological disorders Psychiatrist medical doctors licensed to prescribe drugs and otherwise treat physical causes of psychological disorders Hindsight Bias the tendency to believe after learning an outcome that one would have foreseen it Overconfidence the tendency to think we know more than we really do Critical Thinking thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions Rather it examines assumptions discerns hidden values evaluates evidence and assesses conclusions Theory an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events Replication repeating the essence of a research study usually with different participants in different situations to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances Naturalistic Observation observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation Survey a technique for ascertaining the self reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group usually by questioning a representative random sample of the group Random Sample a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion Experiment a research method in which an investigator manipulates 1 or factors independent variables to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process dependent variable By random assignment of participants the experimenter aims to control other relevant factors Placebo Effect experimental results caused by expectations alone any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition which the recipient assumes is an active agent toward the cell body the receiving neuron pleasure lessening pain and anxiety and spinal cord Chapter 2 Biological Psychology the scientific study of the links between biological genetic neural hormonal and psychological processes Neuron a nerve cell the basic building block of the nervous system Dendrites a neuron s bushy branching extensions that receive messages and conduct impulses Synapses the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite and cell body of Synaptic Gap the tiny gap at the synaptic junction also synaptic cleft Endorphins morphine within natural opiate like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to Opiates opium and its derivatives morphine heroin they depress neural activity temporarily Sensory Neurons neurons that carry incoming information from the sensory receptors to the brain Parts of Central Nervous System brain and spinal cord Hormones chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues Adrenal Glands a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones epinephrine norepinephrine that help arouse the body in times of stress Pituitary Gland the endocrine system s most influential gland Under the influence of the hypothalamus the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands Brain Medulla the base of the brainstem controls heartbeat and breathing Thalamus the brain s sensory router located on top of the brainstem it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum medulla Reticular Formation a nerve network that travels through the brainstem and plays an important role in controlling arousal Cerebellum the little brain Hippocampus part of the limbic system that processes conscious memories Hypothalamus a neural structure lying below hypo the thalamus it directs several maintenance activities eating drinking and body temperature helps govern the endocrine Cerebral Cortex the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres system via the pituitary gland and is linked to emotion and reward the body s ultimate control and information processing center Occipital Lobes portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head includes areas that receive information from the visual fields Motor Cortex an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements Plasticity the brain s ability to change esp during childhood by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience Neurogenesis formation of new neurons Corpus Callosum the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them Why is the L side of the brain superior to the R side the L hemisphere is responsible for reading writing speaking arithmetic reasoning and understanding is considered the analytical side while the R hemisphere helps modulate speaking and orchestrates our self awareness is considered the creative side Chromosomes threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes Genes the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes segments of DNA capable Gene Replication the mating of two individuals in order to reproduce the reproductive replication of of synthesizing proteins the parents genes Fraternal Twins twins who develop from separate dizygotic fertilized eggs They are genetically no Identical Twins twins who develop from a single monozygotic fertilized egg that splits in two closer than ordinary siblings but they share a fetal environment creating two