Biological Psychology

the field of psychology that seeks to understand the interactions between anatomy and physiology.

 Behavioral Genetics Psychology

The field of psychology that emphasizes that particular behaviors are attributed to particular, genetically-based psychological characteristics.

Behavioral

 States the psychology is the study of observable behavior.

Psychologists to remember:  Skinner, John Watson, Pavlov

Cognitive Psychology

 an approach rooted in the idea that to understand people's behavior, we must understand how they construe their environment-how they think.

Humanistic Psychology

The holistic study of a personality.  Studies the roles of consciousness, free will, and awareness of human condition.

Psychologists:  Maslow (Heirarchy of needs, Self-Actualization), Carl Rogers (Unconditional Positive regard)

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic

 Stresses the importance of childhood experiences to the development of personality.  The focus is on the resolution of unconcious conflicts though uncovering information that has been repressed.

Psychologist:  Freud (Conscious Mind, Unconcious Mind)

Sociocultural

 The enviornment a person lives in has a great deal to do with how the person behaves and how others perceive that behavior.

Evolutionary

Behavior can best be explained in terms of how adaptive that behavior is to our survival.

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord

 The peripheral nervous system

All nerve cells in the body other than the CNS.  Subdivided into the Somatic Nervous System and the Autonomic Nervous System.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Associated with processes that burn energy.  It is the system responsible for the fligh-or-fight reaction.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The ocmplementary opposite system to the sympathetic.  It is responsible for conserving energy.

The Hindbrain

the oldest part of the brain.  Composed of:  The Cerebellum, Medulla Oblongata, Reticular Activating System, the Pons, and the Thalamus.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls the nonskeletal or smooth muscles, typically not under voluntary control.

Somatic Nervous System

responisble for voluntary movement of large skeletal muscles.

 DSM-IV-TR

 The American Psychiatric Association's handbook for the identification and classification of behavioral abnormalities.

Anxiety Disorders

 characterized by feelings of tension and nervousness.

Examples:  Panic Disorder-recurring panic attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-constant state of autonomic nervous system arousal.  OCD-characterized by involuntary obsessions and repetitive compulsions.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-exposure to trauma.  Phobias.

Somatoform Disorders

Psysical Symptoms without any actual phsyical causes.

Mood Disorders

Extreme disturbances of emotional embalance.

Ex:  Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder

Major Depression

 Depressed mood, general lack of interest in things, low self-worth, low energy, possible suicidal thoughts.  Those suffering have low levels of SERATONIN

Bipolar Disorder

A person cycles between manic and depressive disorders.

Schizophrenia and the Three types of it

Common Symptoms:  Delusions, hallucinations, disturbed emotional responses to environmental stimuli.  Could be due to an excess of dopamine receptors.

Three kinds:  Disorganized-incoherent speech, Catatonic-stupor and rigid body positions, Paranoid-auditory hallucinations and feelings of persecution

Personality Disorders and the 5 types

Characterized by the pervasive expression of extreme, abnormal personality constructs which interfere with normal social functioning.

Paranoid-extreme distrust, Antisocial-disregard for others rights or interests, Narcissistic-self preoccupation, Dependent-Need to be cared for, Histrionic-excessive emotional reactions and excitability.

Anterograde Amnesia and Retrograde Amnesia

Anetrograde-loss of memories occuring after the event

Retrograde-loss of memories occuring before the event

Psychoanalytic Therapy

 focuses on probing past defense mechanism of repression to understand unconscious causes of problems.

Uses Free Association-patient reports all conscious thoughts, and study of dreams.

Humanistic Therapy

Treats the individual as a client.  Uses nondirectional approach, focusing on perception of the world.  The therapist is open.

Client-Centered Therapy

and

Unconditional Positive Regard

Created by Rogers, part of the humanistic approach.

1.  Clients can only be understood in terms of their own reality

2. Loved despite failures

Gestalt Therapy

Created by Fritz Perls.  Blends awareness of unconscious tensions with the belief that one must become aware of and deal with those tensions by taking personal responsibility.

Behavioral Therapy

Treats symptoms, the abnormal behavior itself is both problem and solution.

Examples of Behavioral Therapy

Counterconditioning-A response to a given stimulus is replaced by a different response.

Aversion Therapy-Aversive stimulus is repeatedly paired with the bad behavior.

Systematic Desensitization-replaces one response with another.

Flooding-exposing the client to the stimulus.

Implosion-client imagines the disruptive stimulus.

Modeling-clients watch someone act in a certain way and then receive a reward.

Independent and Dependent Variable

 Independent is the manipulated variable.

Dependent is what is measured.

Experimental group and Control group

Experimental is the group receiving the independent variable.

Control does not reveive it.

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

Descriptive Summarize data while Inferential allow researchers to test hypotheses about data and determine how confident they can be in their inferences about the data.

 Acetylcholine

Serotonin

Dopamine

GABA

Norepinephrine

Endorphins

 Acetylcholine-Affects memory function and muscle contraction

Serotonin-related to arousal, sleep, pain sensitivity, mood, and hunger.

Dopamine-movement, attention, and reward.

GABA-inhibitory neurotransmitters.

Norepinephrine-affects levels of alertness

Endorphins-body's natural painkillers.