PSYC 281 1st EditionExam # 1 Study Guide8/26Do the avoiding plagiarism assignment on ecampusFirst day activities: Due Aug 28thExam #1 : Sept 11thChapter 2Actually read this chapter!!! A lot of info- Why is psych research important?o Understand human behavior Both observable and covert (heart rate) Test hypo Publish results Others can use the findings to create new hyp and experimentso Translational Research Scientific discoveries should be translated into practical applications Research done at a cellular level will eventually inform treatment of patients  Comm between… - Why do research on a cellular level?o Newest and most promising area of study Client comes in complaining of memory loss after a traumatic car accident Client has been diagnosed with depression and you think medication may be needed for treatment to be effective When a client gets anxious she reports feeling sweaty, tense, and says her heart races- Two parts of the human nervous system1. Central Nervous Systema. Brain and spinal cord2. Peripheral Nervous systema. Somatici. Sensation and voluntary movementb. Autonomici. Involuntary movement1. Sympathetic nervous systema. Where things speed upb. (remember s’s. sympathetic and speed)2. Parasympathetic nervous systema. Where things calm down. (peaceful)b. (remember p’s, para and peace)- Dendrite: Tree like branches that receive messages from other neurons- Soma: Cell body- Neuron: Nerve cells found throughout the body and brain that send and receive messages- Axon: Tube-like structyres that carry out…--- - The brain and Evolutiono Brain Stem: Controls fundamental biological processo Hindbrain: Breathing, heartbeat, motor control- Medullao- Ponso Regulation of sleep- Cerebellum o Regulates coordinated movemento Midbrain: Sensory information and movement: regulates the body Reticular formation (arousal)o Thalamus (relay station)o Hypothalamus (regulation) Thermometer o Forebrain: Limbic system (emotions & impulses, basic drives) Amygdyla - Fear, pleasure, aggression Hippocampus- Memory, navigation- Related to Alzheimer’s disease o Basal ganglia Movemento Cerebral cortex Higher cognitive functioning - CNS: Brain Structureo Two hemispheres Left- language and cognitive functioning (logical)  Right- holistic and spatial processing (creativity)o Attached by corpus callosumo Each hemisphere has four lobes Temporal- Auditory information Parietal- Integrates sensory info- Visuospatial processing Occipital- Visual processing Frontal- Higher cognitive functioning- Autonomic Nervous Systemo Sympathetic nervous system “fight or flight” What reacts when we feel fear or anxiety- Think: Bodily reactions to stress and anxietyo Parasympathetic nervous system Resting- Ex: deep breathsEndocrine system Refulates body through hormones - Chemical messengers that are realeased into the blood stream and acts on target organs- Mood, energy level, reaction to stress Pituitary glands = “master gland” Adrenal glands = epinephrine Thyroid = metabolism Pancreas regulates blood pressure Cortisol and prolactin are two hormones elevated in people with depression and anxietyNeurotransmitters- Relays signals from one neuron to another- Important hormoneso Serotonin Pleasure/paino Dopamineo Norepinephrine- Most drugs for psych disorders target neurotransmittersNeuroimaging- Technology that looks at the structure and function of the braino CAT scans Specialized x-ray - Gives cross-sectional image of the braino MRI  Radio frequency waves and strong magnetic fields provide highly detailed image of the braino PET Patient given radioactive substance prior to scan- Track released substanceso fMRI changes in brain activity - indicating changes in blood flow to specific brain areasGenetic Studies- “Nature vs Nuture” debate- humans have:o 23 pairs of chromosomeso either dominant or recessive- behavioral geneticso genetic effects on personality, attitudes, abnormal behaviorBehavioral genetics - family studieso researches strive to find familial aggregation do symptoms/disorders “run in families? Collect a family history/conduct interviews- Adoption and twin studieso Does the environment have a role in behavior?o MZ twin studies have shown it does Strong genetic link to behaviorWhy do research at the individual level?- Allows for deeper understanding and a look at rare disordersCase Study - Detailed info on one individual /small group of individuals - Usually taken from a clinical experience- Can lead to more research questions, can point out unique behaviors, andcan offer tentative support for a theory, but…- Is not controlled and thus may not lead to firm conclusionso No IV or DV; no experimental control groupo Little basis for generalizationo You can not generalize findings from a case studySingle-Case Design- Experimental, controlled studies conducted with a single persono Experimental condition/control conditiono Subject acts as their own control group- Most common design is ABABo Reversal designo Baseline, give treatment behavior goes away, take treatment away and behavior comes back, then give treatment back and behavior should go away again- Disadvantageso GeneralizationsWhy do research at a group level?- Most common type of research in psych- Allows you to draw conclusions about average performance across all participantso Researchers want to know if…..oCorrelational Research- Looks for association between variables- Yields correlation coefficient o Direction and strength of relationship (1.0 to -1.0)o The closer the number is to 1 or -1, the stronger the relationship is- Positive/negative correlationso Don’t forget… correlation does not imply causation- Strong positive correlationso More you study, higher your grade- Strong negative correlationso More you drink, lower test grade- Correlation only allows you to determine the degree to which change in one thing….Experimental method- A variable is manipulated and the manipulation’s effect on another variable is observedo IV – manipulated variableo DV – observed variable o Confound- variables other than the IV that could be affecting the DVControlled group designs- Participants exposed to variables that the experimenter controlso Experimental/control groupo Unlike correlation