Psychology 1

What is Psychology

The Scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Critical Thinking

the process of objectively evaluating, comparing, analyzing, and synthesizing information.

Psychics, Mediums, Palmistry, Psychometry, Psychokinesis, Astrology

All examples of Pseudopsychologies- pop culture psychologies based off of no fact.

Goals of Psychology

Describe, Explain, Predict, and Change behavior and mental processes.

Biopsychology/neuroscience

Investigates the relationship between biology, behavior, and mental processes. includes how physical and chemical processes affect the brain

Wilhelm Wundt

Credited with the birth of psychology. Established the first laboratory in 1879 in Liepzig, Germany.

Structuralism

Edward Titchner, Wilhelm Wundt.

Established in Cornell university. Dealt with the "structure" of mental life, they believe "elements" of conscious experience combined to form the "compounds" of the mind.

Failures of Structuralism

Introspective disagreement, could not be used to study nonhuman animals and children, or mental disorders. ((Very limited scope))

Functionalism

Instead of reporting on anger ((structuralism)), these people asked "Why do we get angry?"

Key Functionalist- William James.

Impacts on Functionalism

Darwin. Darwin. Darwin.

"Natural Selection"

Functionalism's Impact

Expanded the scope of psychology to include research on emotions, observable behaviors, and initiated psychological testing

Psychoanalytic perspective

Key man: Sigmund Freud

Believed most conflicts were of a sexual or aggressive nature. "Iceberg" principle.

Unconscious

Psychoanalytic term, the part of our mind outside our awareness. Our driving force was considered hidden in here.

Criticisms of Psychoanalysis

A nonscientific approach

Emphasis on sexual and aggressive impulses

Neo-freudians

Examples: Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Erik Erikson

Psychologists who broke off from Psychoanalysis to try a less sexual approach to things.

John B. Watson

Founded the school of Behaviorism.

Behaviorism

Emphasizes objective, observable environmental influences on overt behavior.

usually involving stimuli and responses.

B.F. Skinner

Another Behaviorist. Convinced we could use it to shape human behavior.

Humanist perspective

Convinced that man was born good. Stressed free will and rejected psychoanalysis

Carl Rogers

Humanist.

Abraham Maslow

Humanist

Cognitive Perspective

emphasis on thought, perception & information processing.

Modern Cognitive perspective

study how we gather, encode, and store information.

information processing

says that we gather information from the environment and then process it in a series of stages.

Evolutionary Psychology

Focuses on natural selection, adaptation, and evolution of behavior and mental processes.

Mary Calkins

first woman president of the American Psychological Association.

Kenneth Clark

First african american president of the APA

Neuron

Cell of the nervous system that communicate electrochemical information throughout the brain.

glial cells

surround neurons, perform cleanup tasks, and insulate one neuron from another.

Dendrites

antennas of the neuron that receive electrochemical information

Cell Body/Soma

Accepts incoming neurotransmitters, then passes them on to the Axon

Axon

Carries information away from the cell body.

Myelin Sheath

coating around the axons of some neurons. helps insulate and speed neural impulses

Action Potential/neural impulse

Messages are passed along the axon in this form

all-or-none law

States that the action potential either fires completely or not at all

Refractory period

After firing, neurons enter this state where they cannot fire for a while

Neural Impulse speed

97% of the speed of light.

nodes

Points at which the myelin is very thin or absent

Synapse

The gap between neurons.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals fired off from an axon's end to dendrites on another neuron.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter, affects mood, sleep, appetite, sensory perception, temperature regulation, pain suppression, and impulsivity.

Associated with depression

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Neurotransmitter

Associated with: Muscle action, cognitive functioning, memory, REM, emotion. Suspected in Alzheimers.

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter

Associated With: Movement, attention, memory, learning, and emotion.
Excess DA associated with Schizophrenia
too little with Parkinsons.

Norepinephrine (NE)

Neurotransmitter

Associated with: Learning, memory, dreaming, emotion, waking from sleep, eating, alertness, wakefulness, reactions to stress.

Low levels results in depression, high levels results in agitated, manic states.

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Neurotransmitter

Associated with emotional arousal, memory storage, and of glucose

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)

Neural inhibition in the central nervous system.

decreases anxiety.

Endorphins

Neurotransmitter

Associated with: Mood, pain, memory, learning.

Endocrine System

Uses hormones to carry it's messages. Much like the way neurons do.

Part of the nervous system.

Hypothalmus

releases hormones that signal the pituitary.

Gigantism

Results from too much hormone growth

Dwarfism

Results from too little hormonal growth

Central Nervous System

Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Responsible for processing and organizing information

Peripheral Nervous System

All of the nerves outside of the skull and spine. Carries messages between the central nervous system and the periphery of the body

Reflexes

Automatic behaviors of the spinal cord. responses to the incoming stimuli

somatic nervous system

Consists of all the nerves that connect to sensory receptors and skeletal muscles

sensory neurons

carry messages from the sensory organs to the CNS. Part of the somatic nervous system.

Motor Neurons

Carry messages out from the CNS

Automatic Nervous System

Responsible for involuntary tasks. Operates independently

Sympathetic nervous system

Readies the body for a "fight or flight" situation

Parasympathetic nervous system

calms the body and conserves energy- relaxation

Brain Stem

Carries the hindbrain, forebrain, and midbrain as well as regulating reflexive activities important to survival (breathing)

hindbrain

Contains the medulla, pons, and cerebellum

regulates automatic behaviors and survival responses

medulla

Part of the hindbrain, Forms the brainstem.

pons

involved with respiration, movement, waking, sleep, and dreaming

thalamus

realys sensory messages to cortex

corpus callosum

connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain

cerebral cortex

thin outer layer responsible for most complex behaviors and higher mental processes

amygdala

controls aggression and fear.

Hypothalamus

Responsible for regulating emotions and drives

Midbrain

helps coordinate movement patterns, sleep, and arousal

Reticular Formation

Helps screen incoming sensory information and controls arousal

Phineas Gage

Miner dude who lost a good chunk of his forebrain. Personality with that.

Frontal Lobe

Receives and coordinates messages from other lobes;

motor control, speech production, and higher functions.

Broca's Area

Part of the frontal lobe, controls speech production.

Temporal Lobe

hearing, language, comprehension, memory, and some emotional control

Parietal lobe

receives information about pressure, pain, touch, and temperature.

occipital lobe

vision and visual perception

natural selection

occurs when one particular genetic trait gives a person a reproductive advantage over others.

Stress

nonspecific response of the body to any demand made on it

eustress

beneficial stress

distress

stress related to chronic illness

hassles

little problems of daily living

"the straw that broke the camel's back"

HPA Axis

Stress response team

consists of Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, and Adrenal cortex.

psychoneuroimmunology

the study of physiological factors and their effect on infectious diseases.

general adaptation syndrome

three phases of the reaction.

alarm reaction, resistance phase, then exhaustion phase

type a personality

on edge, time urgent, impatient, preoccupied

type b personality

laid back, calm, relaxed.