Psych 100 Lecture Notes Greg Gilston 09 02 2010 9 2 2010 Scientific Research Intro Experimental Research allows you to draw conclusions about Correlational Research does not allow conclusions natural causes and effects Scientific Method o Experimental Design o Extraneous Variables o Limitations observations o Correlation o Examples o Limitations o Causal Conclusions o Third Variable Prob Hypotheses our idea about what s going on Prediction Experimental Design Variables Groups o Experimental the group you focus on o Control group that isn t being experimented on Test Analysis Test theories against experience of the world Imperical DeCart s View on Experience Perceptual Experience things change in size as they move closer and further Experiences can be flawed Sensory Input touch taste feel hear sight How do you know what is and isn t going on o DeCart says you can t know Clear and Distinct Ideas there are some ideas that are so clear and so distinct that they could not possibly be wrong The Demon could fool you in every sense except to convince you in the fact that you re not thinking if you re thinking at all means that you MUST exist o I think therefore I am 1 Great Man Person recognized source of info compare your info with 2 Religious match your findings with the world of god 3 Rationalism theories vs experience Approaches that person 9 7 2010 Independent Variable the thing the experimenter manipulates o We thinks it s a causal factor the thing that we think causes something else to happen 9 9 2010 Dependent Variable the effect that we expect to see Confounding Variable an extra variable that alters the expected outcome o Ex the more time you spend studying the better you ll memorize the contents of that subject Independent amount of time spent learning Dependent amount of contents learned in that time When you put a theory and an experiment together your going to get a prediction The independent variable will affect the dependent variable Science test our theories against our experience Rationalism derive whatever you can from fundamental truths Any variable that can affect the dependent variable besides the independent variables can be called extraneous variables nuisance variables or confounding variables Control is used in 2 senses o Controlling the independent variable in the sense that they can manipulate it o Controlling the extraneous variables can be done by prior knowledge that your dependent variable is sensitive to outside influence and therefore you make sure that the extraneous variable doesn t exist you can also bring in the extraneous variable so that every part of the experience has it in even amounts Correlational Research is not as good as experimental research because you cannot draw a causal conclusion based on correlational research alone o Evidence of a correlation just doesn t provide justifiable o Variables are correlated as one variable changes and so does conclusions the other along with it o A positive correlation means that as one variable increases the other variable increases ie height and weight o A negative correlation is when one variable increases the other variable decreases ie as amount of alcohol consumed increases coordination decreases o Sometimes correlational research requires a 3rd variable x Experimental Research design experiment to test theory o Theory says that A causes B B human behavior mind o Manipulate Control A see if it effects B Measure the effects on B o Variable anything that can measure or be controlled Psych 100 Lecture Notes Greg Gilston 09 02 2010 9 14 10 Biopsychology Neuropsychology Hardware brain and how it functions Software how we go about using information Domains of interest The Neuron o An individual neuron receives info integrates and transmits info The Synapse neurotransmitters travel from the end of the action potential and to the dendrites at the next neuron Affects of drugs on alcohol on the synapse o Release of neurotransmitters can be altered o Receptor sites on receiving neuron can be altered o Wrong problem can block neurotransmitters o Chemicals in synapse can alter the ability of neurotransmitters to make it across the synapse Neurotransmitters to the cell body o Dendrite conduct stimulation received from other neural cells o Soma Cell Body contains the nucleus o Myelin Sheath increases the speed at which neural impulses are transmitted throughout the cell o Axon conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron s cell body or soma o Nucleus Cell Wall is selectively permeable o Doesn t allow positively charge sodium ions o Makes neuron slightly negative o Polarizes neuron Resting Potential stable negative charge o As the neuron is stimulated positive ions are allowed to enter at the Axon pillar o As a result the cell wall is depolarized Depolarization at one point on the axon stimulates depolarization in the next one Action Potential 2 10 m sec 120 m sec 260 mph o At the end of the axon neurotransmitters are relaxed into synapse to cross the synapse and reach the receiving neuron o Refractory Period presents rapid fire o The neuron just became polarized again 9 16 2010 Endorphins were some of the first neurotransmitters to be studied Dopamine o Cocaine alcohol heroine opium and nicotine cause an increase of dopamine o Loss of mind motor control is associated with too little dopamine in the motor areas of the brain o The brain is protected by certain chemicals that are in the bloodstream blood brain barrier o El Dopa is a compound created in the process of creating dopamine and this will cross the blood brain barrier Used to cure things such as Parkinson s Serotonin is involved a lot in moods o Too little Serotonin has been associated with depression loss of anger control and trouble sleeping o Prozac selective serotonin uptake inhibitor o Hallucinogens dock in the receptor site of the pathway of serotonin blocking its flow Affecting your brain function Neuro imaging techniques include CAT MRI EEG PET MRI o The sport that causes the most head injuries is cycling The fuel that both the brain and all other muscles use is called glucose glucose o The areas of the brain that are not being used are using less Psych 100 Lecture Notes Greg Gilston 09 02 2010 9 21 10 The Split Brain Hemispheric lateralization Right Brain and Left Brain o The right side of the brain controls muscles on the left side of the body and also sensory information from the left side of the body crosses over to the right side of the
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