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psych midterm

Terms in this set (35)

Define Psychology:
- The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting
behavior in a given context
- Includes many sub-fields of study such areas as human development, sports, health,
clinical, social behavior and cognitive processes pseudoscience
Phrenology: (from Ancient Greek (phrēn), meaning 'mind', and (logos), meaning 'knowledge')
is a pseudo medicine primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules
William Wundt
-noted psychology as a science apart from philosophy and biology
-was the first person ever to call himself a psychologist.
-He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology." In 1879, Wundt founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research at the University of Leipzig
Schools of Psychological Thought:
some practitioners are counseling psychologists , who generally help people deal with problems of everyday life, such as test anxiety, family conflicts or low job job motivation, others are school psychologist, who works with parents, teachers and students to enhance students performance and resolve emotional difficulties. The majority however are clinical psychologist who diagnose, treat, and study mental or emotional problems
Feminist psychology
a form of psychology centered on social structures and g ender . Feminist psychology critiques historical psychological research as done from a male perspective with the view that males are the norm. Feminist psychology is oriented on the values and principles of feminism
Empirical evidence is information that verifies the truth or falsity of a claim .
It is information acquired by observation or experimentation.
- This data is recorded and analyzed by scientists. This is the primary source of empirical evidence.
- Secondary sources describe, discuss, interpret, comment upon, analyze, evaluate, summarize, and process primary sources. Secondary source materials can be articles in newspapers or popular
magazines, book or movie reviews, or articles found in scholarly journals that discuss or evaluate someone else's original research.
Case Studies:
process or record of research in which detailed consideration is given to the development of a particular person, group, or situation over a period of time.
Psychological Tests:
"an objective and standardized measure of a sample of behavior", the term sample of behavior refers to an individual's performance on tasks that have usually been prescribed beforehand.
- The samples of behavior that make up a paper-and-pencil test, the most common type of test, are a series of items. Performance on these items produce a test score. A score on a well-constructed test is believed to reflect a psychological construct such as achievement in a school subject, cognitive ability , aptitude , emotional functioning, personality , etc.
- Examples include : IQ/achievement tests, Public safety employment tests, Attitude tests, Neuropsychological tests, Personality tests, Sexological tests
Placebo
anything that seems to be a "real" medical treatment -- but isn't. It could be a pill, a shot, or some other type of "fake" treatment. What all placebos have in common is that they do not contain an active substance meant to affect health
How genetics impacts behavior:
most human traits are influenced by many genes interacting with many environmental factors so many psychologists accept that certain aspects of human behavior have been naturally selected
Sleep Circadian Rhythm:
basically a 24-hour internal clock that is running in the background of your brain and cycles between sleepiness and alertness at regular intervals. It's also known as your sleep/wake cycle.
Biological Rhythm:
the natural cycle of change in our body's chemicals or functions. It's like an internal master "clock" that coordinates the other clocks in your body
There are four biological rhythms:
- circadian rhythms: the 24-hour cycle that includes physiological and behavioral rhythms like sleeping
- diurnal rhythms: the circadian rhythm synced with day and night
- ultradian rhythms: biological rhythms with a shorter period and higher frequency than circadian rhythms
- infradian rhythms: biological rhythms that last more than 24 hours, such as a menstrual cycle
Melatonin:
a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that inhibits melanin formation and is thought to be concerned with regulating the reproductive cycle
Seasonal Affective Disorder:
a form of depression also known as SAD, seasonal depression or winter depression. People with SAD experience mood changes and symptoms similar to depression . The symptoms usually occur during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight and usually
improve with the arrival of spring.
PMS: Premenstrual Syndrome
a combination of physical and emotional symptoms that many women get after ovulation and before the start of their menstrual period. Some women get their periods without any signs of PMS or only very mild symptoms. For others, PMS symptoms may be so severe that it makes it hard to do everyday activities like go to work or school. Severe PMS symptoms may be a sign of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) .
4 stages of sleep:
- Stage 1: This stage occurs after you have decided to sleep and your eyes are closed. During this stage—which typically lasts between 1 and 10 minutes—you are lightly asleep, and you can quickly return to being fully awake.
- Stage 2: usually lasts about 20 minutes, is characterized by a slowing heart rate and a decrease in body temperature. Your body reduces its activity to prepare you to go into a deep sleep.
- Step 3: This stage typically starts 35-45 minutes after falling asleep.
- Stage 4: the final stage of a standard sleep cycle. The first Rapid Eye Movement sleep stage lasts around 10 minutes and usually happens after having been asleep at least 90 minutes.
Mental Consequences of Sleeplessness:
Sleep and mood are closely connected; poor or inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress , while healthy sleep can enhance well-being. Chronic insomnia may increase the risk of developing a mood disorder , such as anxiety or depression.
Sleep Apnea:
a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep . People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep , sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain -- and the rest of the body -- may not get enough oxygen.
Hypnosis:
the induction of a state of consciousness in which a person apparently loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover suppressed memories or to allow modification of behavior by suggestion, has been revived but is still controversial.
Stimulants:
a substance that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body, can increase the alertness of the user causing increased attention, heightened energy and elevated blood pressure (caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamine, certain prescription drugs)
Depressants:
drugs that inhibit the function of the central nervous system a nd are among the most widely used drugs in the world. These drugs operate by affecting neurons in the CNS, which leads to symptoms such as drowsiness, relaxation, decreased inhibition, anesthesia, sleep, coma, and even death. Many depressants also have the potential to be addictive.
Opioids
are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain. Continued use and abuse can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms. They come in tablets, capsules or liquid.
Psychedelics:
substances whose primary action is to alter the cognition and perception of people who take them. According to Princeton University , psychedelics are part of a wider class of drugs called hallucinogens, which also includes dissociatives and deliriants. These drugs affect the senses and how people see the world.
Classical Conditioning
a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
Operant Conditioning
is a learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reward or punishment. It is also a procedure that is used to bring about such learning.
Ivan Pavlov:
Russian scientist interested in studying how digestion works in mammals. He observed and recorded information about dogs and their digestive process. Pavlov said the dogs were demonstrating classical conditioning . He summed it up like this: there's a neutral stimulus (the bell), which by itself will not produce a response, like salivation. There's also a non-neutral or unconditioned stimulus (the food), which will produce an u nconditioned response (salivation).
Extinction:
the disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced. Extinction can occur in all types of behavioral conditioning, but the term is most often associated with its occurrence in operant conditioning.
2 types of conditioning consequences:
- Reinforcement strengthens the response or makes it more likely to occur. Reinforcers are equivalent to rewards, psychologists use reward and reinforcer as the same meaning.
- Punishment weakens the response or makes it less likely to recur.
Social Norms:
the accepted behavior that an individual is expected to conform to in a particular group, community, or culture. These norms often serve a useful purpose and create the foundation of correct behaviors.
Gender Roles:
also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for people based on their actual or perceived sex or sexuality
Occupational Roles:
A set of behaviors connected to social norms that allows someone to organize and allocate time for self-care activities,work, play, social activities, leisure, and rest; examples include the roles of student, spouse, worker, and caregiver.
Ethnocentrism:
refers to a tendency to use your own culture as the standard by which to judge and evaluate other cultures. ... For example, a study might be criticized for having an ethnocentric bias.
Stereotypes:
a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.
Prejudice:
an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individual's membership of a social group. For example, a person may hold prejudiced views towards a certain race or gender etc.
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