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What is psychology?
the science of metal processes and behavior
What do we mean by behavior?
all potentially observable and measurable activities of a living organism
What does psychology mean??
"soul"/"mind". Modern academic roots are philosophy and physiology
Mind vs. Brin as Source of Truth
Nativist= truth exists in a metaphysical entity of the universe (plato's forms or the concept/god) Empiricist= knowledge comes through the senses. Truth has physical basis and is discovered by applying reason/ logic to facts
Dualism and Descartes:
the Mind is metaphysical, the place where god communicates higher knowledge.  the Brain is a bodily organ that control the muscles and action
Free Will Argument
although we do have some biological genes that define our personality, the environment also plays an important role in shaping us
Wihelm Wundt
academic psychology founder
Science vs. Philosophy: asserting truth
Philo- based on logic applied to existing agreed upon facts, ideas, or experiences Science- is a mat hod based hop observation, induction, and deduction
Induction vs. Deduction
induc.- creative thinking about how things work deduc- logic applied to facts that do/don't support hypothesis
Levels of analysis
the brain, the person, and the group
Modern influences on Psychology
philosophy, anthropology, neurology, sociology, biology, psychiatry, genetics
Academic Psychology
william james- functionalism sigumed freud- psychoanalysis  carl rogers- humanistic psychology Wilhelm Wundt- founder, introspection
Approaches to Research
1. Descriptive- observational in nature 2. Correlational- examines the degree to which the variables are associated. (doesn't prove linkage) 3. Experimental- independent and dependent variables defined to experimentally test hypothesis
Descriptive Research
1. Naturalistic observation- allows one to seed pattern in the real world 2. Case studies- focus on a single interesting case in detail 3. Surveys- a set of questions put to a number od participants about their beliefs, attitudes, and preferences or activites
Factors related to Surveys and Tests
a. Reliability- do you get the same result each time? b. Validity- are you measuring what you think you are?
Validity
1. Face validity- superical validity to untrained eye 2. Content validity- whether content is measuring construct 3. Criterion validity- correlation w/ other measures of same construct 4. Construct validity- degree to which test measures what it is prompting to measure
Correlation research
studies where the relationship between 2 or more variables are measured but not manipulated -doesnt equal causation -often helpful to understand relationships
Designing Experiment
independent variable- the aspect that in intentionally changed dependent variable- the aspect that is measured  effect- the difference in the dependent variable that is due to changes in the independent variable
Experiments
Expertimental group Control group Random assignment Strength (rigorous control, causal inferences) Weakness(not all variables can be manipulated)
Quasi-Experiments
experiments w/out random assignment -strength: real world phenomena cannot be studied in experiments -weakness: lack of control means limited causal inferences
Bias and Expectation
Response bias Sampling bias Experimenter expectancy effects (double-blind design)
Pseudopsychology
unsupported opinion pretending to be psychological science -is it a topic of study? -is it a method of study?
Ethics in Research
Institutional Review Board (IRB) -Research with people: informed consent, avoid deception unless necessary, debriefing  -Research with animals avoid mistreatment, proper housing
Two basic cell type in brain
neurons- cells conveying info using electrical impulses glia- cells that provide support for neurons. they do not generate electoral impulses, "glue"
Neurons
play principal role in allowing communication to take place throughout the nerves system and bodily structures that the nerves system communicate  -recieve and transmit it to other cells  -are independent entities  -there are over 100 billion of them
Motor neurons
MAIN CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION TO MUSCLES AND ORGANS OF THE BODY - carry commands for action which may/maynot be aware of
Sensory neurons
work to convert physical energy/chemical into info in a form that may be transmitted along chains of neurons in the brain
Interneurons
communicate only with other neurons that are in a more or less adjacent position -majority of neurons are interneurons  -they pass messages on
What are neurotransmitters?
A chemical substance that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure examples: serotonine, dopamine, and gab…
What is the nerve impulse?
Ca+ comes into the cell, which triggers a vesicle full of acetylcholine to move to the membrane. The vessicle releases the acetylcholine into the synaptical cleft, which then binds to the receptors on the surface of the muscle cell. The muscle contracts.
What is action potential?
an all-or-non electrical event in an axon or muscle fiber in which the polarity of the membrane potential is rapidly reversed and reestablished
Ions cause the action potential
ions are electrically charged -they move across the membrane through ion-specific channels that are briefly opened by neurotransmitters
Excitatory neurotransmitters
chemical secreted at terminal button that causes the neuron on the other side of the synapse to fire
Inhibitory neurotransmitters
chemical secreted at terminal button that prevents (or reduces ability of) the neuron on the other side of the synapse from firing  -GABA
Central Nervous System
consists of the brain and spinal cord receives info from sensory neurons in the peripheral nerve. system, organize & interprets info
Spinal Cord
is composed of grey and white matter -grey: collects integrate info (sensory and motor cell bodies) -white: axons traveling together up & down the s.c, responsible for transmitting that info
Peripheral Nervous System
consist of nerves that are outside the spinal cord/brain -cranial nerves: enter/leave underside of the brain -spinal nerves: branch out from the sides of s.c connection the cord to the rest of the body
Somatic Nervous system
A subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. Enables voluntary actions to be undertaken due to its control of skeletal muscles
Automatic Nervous System
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls glands & the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.
Taratogen
A Substance,such as a drug, that is capable of deformation of physical deficit
Infancy
lasts from birth- age 1 rapid transformation of brain development, motor skills, social/cognitive capabilities
Synaptic Pruning
A process whereby the synaptic connections in the brain that are frequently used are preserved, and those that are not are lost
Critical periods
Points in development when an organism is extremely sensitive to environmental input, making it easier for the organism to acquire certain brain functions and behaviors.
Survival Skills
1. The smile: endogenous(from birth), exogenous(6wks.-3mnth), instrumental(3-4mnth) 2. Cuteness response: attracts adults, provides protection
Newborn- Innate Reflexes
human born, helps learn about environment: grapes, rooting reflexes
Newborn- Sensory Abilities
good hearing, limited vision, touch/taste/smell
Newborn- Motor abilities
poor coordination, poor balance
What do babies know?
Objects are solid Objects only move through contact Objects travel thru space in continuous paths
Sensorimotor stage
A stage of Piaget's model of cognitive development, lasting from birth to age 2, in which the baby perceives the environment through the senses and motor skills
Preoperational stage
Age 2-7. Prelogical stage. Ability for kids to engage in symbolic thought - the ability to use words, images, and symbols to represent world. Egocentrism - kids can't comprehend something from another POV.
Concrete Operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
Formal Operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
Critical Variation of Attachment Styles
a. Secure: child quickly is comforted when mom returns b. Aviodant: child avoids mom when she returns c. Ambivalent: child will seek/reject caring contact
Constructivism
A philosophy of learning based on the premise that people construct their own understanding of the world they live in through reflection on experiences.
Assimilation
According to Piaget, the process by which new ideas and experiences are absorbed and incorporated into existing mental structures and behaviors
Accomidation
Adjusting old schemes and creating new ones to better fit the environment.
Schemas
Conceptual frameworks a person uses to make sense of the world.
Endometrium
Inner lining of the uterus, womb
Embryo
6 weeks through 8 weeks, attaches to the mother's uterine wall, organs being to form and function, heart begins to beat
Placenta
A mass of tissue that is attached to the wall f the uterus and connected to the developing fetus by the umbilical cord; it supplies nutrients and eliminates waste products
Umbilical cord
Connects the vasculature of the fetus to the placenta.
Prenatal Development
1) conception 0-2 wks 2) zygote 2-3wks, brain begins to form 3) embryonic period 2-8wks  4) fetal period 9wks-birth
Conception
A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form one fertilized cell.
Four Assumptions of Life Span Development
1. Development is lifelong process 2. Development involves constant loss and gain 3. Development is determined by multiplicity of causes  4. Development is characterized by plasticity throughout lifespan
Cranial Nerves
12 pairs of nerves that carries messages to and from the brain with regard to head and neck (except vagus nerve)
Endocrine System
Glands secrete hormones that regulate processes such as growth, reproduction, and nutrient use (metabolism) by body cells
Pineal Glands
Lies deep in the brain. It Produces Melatonin a hormone that may make your body wake/sleep in a regulating patterns.
Pituitary glands
the endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands
Forebrain
A part of the brain that covers the brain's central core, responsible for sensory and motor control and the processing of thinking and language.
Limbic system
A group of neural structures at the base of the cerebral hemispheres that is associated with mood, emotion, memory, and motivation
Thalamus
A structure in the forebrain through which all sensory information (except smell) must pass to get to the cerebral cortex.
Cerebral cortex
Involved with information processing activities such as perception, language, memory and problem solving. Also plans and controls voluntary body movement, regulates the body and organisms, integrates and interprets information from the PNS
Occipital lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information
Partietal Lobe
perception of sensations of touch, temp.,taste & body position (kinesthetic sensation) via somato-sensary cortex
Temporal lobe
Auditory processing via autory cortex
Frontal Lobe
A region of the cerebral cortex that has specialized areas for movement, abstract thinking, planning, memory, and judgement
Behavioral Neuroscience
study anatomy, physiology, and molecular structure of nerve system
Cognitive Neuroscience
A field that attempts to understand the links between cognitive processes and brain activity.

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