scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

psyche ="mind"

logos = "study"

psychiatry

branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis/treatment of psychological disorders, practiced by physicians.

"World's First Psychologist"

• est. first institute for research

structuralism

Wilhelm Wundt- model, identified components of the conscious mind

aka introspection

"First American Psychologist"

• little research
• functionalism-conscious mind

functionalism

approach to psychology that studied how the conscious mind helps humans survive and successfully adapt to their environment.

"Founder of Psychoanalysis"

• psychiatrist, clinical practice

psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud- theory that all human behavior is determined by hidden or unconscious motives and desires that are sexual in nature.

"Founder of Behaviorism"

• studied observable behavior
• scientific approach of observation (logical positivism)

behaviorism

John Watson - observable behavior rather than hidden mental processes

"First Female President of the APA"

• American Psychological Association (APA)
• rejected PhD at Harvard

Margaret Washburn[image]

"First Woman to Receive a PhD in Psychology"

• Cornell University, 1894

Gilbert Jones

First african-american to receive PhD in Psychology

humanistic perspective

emphasizes human beings' innate capacity for personal growth and their ability to consciously make choices

positive psychology

studying optimal human functioning

• what makes people happy?

Cognitive Psychology/Perspective

 studies how the mind organizes perceptions, processes info, and interprets experiences (mind like computer)

- Miller/Neisser = pioneers

Neuroscience Perspective

studying the mind by examining the CNS

• how mind communicates w/ itself and body

evolution

genetic changes occurring in a species over generations due to natural selection

natural selection

process in which environment selects traits in living organisms best suited for that particular environment.

• leads to evolutionary changes

Evolutionary Psychology

studies how behavior is shaped by inherited traits developed through the process of natural selection

Sociocultural perspective

studies how social and cultural factors influence behavior

Individualism

philosopy of life stressing:

• priority of personal over group goals
• preference for loosely knit social relationships
• desire to be relatively free of others' incluence

Collectivism

Philosophy of Life Stressing:

• priority of group over individual needs
• preference for tightly knit social relationships
• willingness to submit to the group's influence

Culture

total lifestyle of people from a particular social grouping

• ideas, symbols, preferences, shared material objects

Scientific Method

set of procedures used to gather, analyze and interpret information

topic, theory/hypothesis, evaluation, collect/analyze data

Random Selection

everyone in population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

sample

group of subjects who are selected to participate in a given study

population

all members of an identifiable group from which a sample is drawn.

theory

organized system of ideas that seeks to

explain why two or more events are related.

hypothesis

educated guess based upon a theory

What Makes a Good Theory?

1. predictive accuracy- reliable?
2. internal coherence- logical inconsistencies?
3. economy- is topic focused?
4. fertility- does it generate research?

variable

part of experiment that changes

Operational Definition

precise description of how a variable in a study is measured.

• hunger: defined as "beginning of stomach contractions"

Observational Research

study based on observation of subject in natural environment

Correlational Research

examines relationship betweent two or more naturally occurring variables

Correlation Coefficient (r)

statistical measure of direction and strength between two variables (+/- 1.00)

Experimental Research

research designed to test cause-effect relationships between variables

independent variable

variable that is manipulated

- ex: faucet opening

dependent variable

 variable whose changes are considered to be the effect of the manipulated changes in the independent variable

-ex: water flowing after faucet is opened

sensory neurons

detect stimuli

motor neurons

sends commands from brain to rest of body.

interneurons

connect neurons together.

Soma

"body" of neuron.

Dendrites

receive information from other neurons.

Axon

tubelike extension, carries information to end of neuron via electrochemical impulse

B.F. Skinner

Contemporary Behaviorism

-consequences control behavior

Myelin Sheath

speeds up transmission of electrochemical signal.

Synapse

consists of terminal button, synaptic cleft, and dendrite of another neuron

Glial Cells

cells that supply neuron with support, nutrients, and insulation

• produce myelin

Random Assignment

terminal button

knoblike tips on end of axon branches

neurotransmitter

chemical messengers

CNS

portion of nervous system

• spinal cord/brain

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

portion of nervous system

• nerves outside brain/spinal cord

Somatic Nervous System (PNS)

transmits commands to voluntary skeletal muscles and receives sensory information from muscles/skin

Autonomic Nervous System (PNS)

controls movement of nonskeletal muscles (ex: heart/lungs), involuntary

Sympathetic Nervous System

branch of Autonomic Nervous System

• fight or flight

Parasympathetic Nervous System

part of Autonomic Nervous System

• rest and digest

Participant Observation

researcher records behavior in natural environment while acting as a participant of the group being studied.

Cerebral Cortex

Largest structure in forebrain

higher-order thinking/processing[image]

Occipital Lobes

visual region-back

[image]

Parietal Lobes

touch and sensation (position in space)

[image]

Temporal Lobes

hearing/language

[image]

Frontal Lobes

coordination/higher-order processes

(ex: planning, social skills, abstract thinking)

[image]

Cerebral lateralization

degree to which the right or left hemisphere controls various cognitive and behavioral functions.

Left Hemisphere (Cerebral Cortex)

 detail-oriented

• language
• logic/explanation
• finding rational explanation for everything

Right Hemisphere (Cerebral Cortex)

"big picture"

• visual/spatial tasks
• recognizing nonlinguistic sounds (ie, music)
• expressing/recognizing emotions
• identifying faces

Corpus Callosum

Thick band of nerve fibers connecting right and left cerebral hemispheres

• transmits neural information between hemispheres

Left vs. Right Frontal Lobes

Left: positive emotions

Right: negative emotions

Gene

basic biochemical unit of inheritance

-found on chromosome

Genotype

underlying genetic composition of an organism

Behavior Genetics

studies how genotype/environment influence organism's behavior

Molecular Genetics

studies molecular structure and gene function to determine how they influence behavior

Chromosome

carry genetic info

-filled w/ strands of DNA

Female

mother gives X chromosome

(XX chromosome pair)

Male

Father gives X or Y chromosome

(XY pairing)

sex

biological status of being male or female

(genetic)

gender

meanings that societies and individuals attach to being female and male

(cultural)

Infancy

(primary social achievement)

emotional bond (attachment)

attachment

strong emotional bond young child forms with primary caregiver

Secure Attachment

1 kind

-high self esteem

-interpersonal trust

insecure attachment

3 kinds

(preoccupied, dismissing-avoidant, fearful-avoidant)

-low self-esteem

-not trusting

Preoccupied Attachment

 low self esteem

low interpersonal avoidance (trusting)

Dismissing-Avoidant Attachment

high self esteem

high social avoidance (not trusting)

Fearful-Avoidant Attachment

low self-esteem

high social avoidance (not trusting)

self-concept

"theory"/"story" a person constructs about self through social interaction

Self-Esteem

person's overall evaluation of his/her self-concept

Self-Awareness

psychological state in which you focus on yourself as an object of attention.

-aware of existence

Gender Identity

knowledge that one is a male/female and the internalization of this fact into the self-concept.

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

-social development stages marked by crisis related to specific developmental task.

1. trust vs. mistrust (0-1yr)
2. autonomy vs. shame/doubt (1-2 yr)
3. initiative vs. guilt (3-5 yr)
4. industry vs. inferiority (6-12 yr)
5. identity vs. role confusion (13-18 yr)
6. intimacy vs. isolation (19-45 yr)
7. genearativity vs. stagnation (45-65 yr)
8. integrity vs. despair (66+ yr)

Ethnic Identity

person's sense of personal identification with a particular ethnic group

-3 stages (unexamined, search, achieved)

Schema

 organized cluster of knowledge that people use to understand and interpret information

-teach child to catch bear

Accommodation

process of changing existing schemas in order to absorb new information

-ex: toss ball to child, child uses pre-existing schema

Assimilation

process of absorbing new infromation into existing schemas

-toss tennis ball, falls through arms-has to readjust

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

believed that children thought of world in a very different way from adults

(4 cognitive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)

Sensorimotor Stage (Piaget)

infants develop ability to coordinate their sensory input with their motor actions

Object Permanence

realization that object exists evin if you can't see/touch it

-ex: cart on track behind wall experiment

Representational Thought

ability to use mental imagery and other symbols

-object permanence beginning of representational thought

Egocentrism

tendency to view world from one's own perspective w/out recognizing that others may have a different POV

Applied Psychologist

use existing psychological knowledge to solve and prevent problems

Case Study

 in-depth analysis of a single subject

-common in clinical work

Control Condition

condition in an experiment where participants are not exposed to the independent variable

Critical Thinking

process of deciding what to believe and how to act based on a careful evaluation of the evidence

Descriptive statistics

summarize and describe behavior

Experimental Condition

condition in an experiment where participants are exposed to different levels of the independent variable

Inferential Statistics

make inferences about the larger population from which the sample was drawn

(applies descriptive stats)

Meta-Analysis

use of statistical techniques to sum up a body of similar studies in order to objectively estimate teh reliability and overall size of the effect.

Naturalistic Observation

 investigates behavior in its natural environment

Replication

repeating a previous study's scientific procedures using different participants in an attempt to duplicate findings.

Surveys

structured sets of questions or statements given to a group of people to measure their attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavioral tendencies.

Theory

organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related.

Developmental Psychology

how people mature and change physically, cognitively, and socially throughout the life span

Psychobiology

examines physiological processes, especially those occuring in the brain

Experimental Psychology

studies basic psychological processes

(sensation, perception, motivation, emotion, consciousness)

Comparative Psychology

studies similarities and differences in the physiology, behavior, and abilities of different species, including humans.

Personality Psychology

studies the consistent/distinct ways in which people think, feel, behave

Social Psychology

Clinical Psychology

diagnoses and treats people with psychological disorders and seeks causes

(depression, schizophrenia, etc)

Counseling Psychology

diagnoses and treats people with personal problems

(marriage, social skills, career planning)

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Finds ways to select, motivate, and evaluate employees

(improves management structure/working conditions)

Educational/School Psychology

Diagnoses/treats students and environment in order to maximize learning