Science of Pyschology
What are the 4 goals of Psychology
Description
Explanation
Control
Application
Theory- explains why/how events are related
Hypothesis- predictions about events (if-then)
Steps to memory formation
1. Encode
2. Consolidate
3. Storage
4. Retrieval
Trichromatic Theory VS Opponent-process Theory
Trichromatic Theory: all colors are mixed of green + red + blue
Opponent-process Theory: all colors are made of 3 pairs of colors; activation of 1 pair inhibits the others
Define consciousness & its 2 characteristics
- wakefulness: alertness (awake vs sleep)
- awareness: monitor information from the environment
Explain the 7 perspectives of Psychology (Psychodynamic, Structuralism, Behaviorism, Functionalism, Humanistic, Cognitive, Biological)
Psychodynamic (Freud)- personality is made of the conscious and unconscious thoughts
Structuralism- break-down of experiences into parts
Behaviorism (BF Skinner)- observe behavior
Functionalism- look at why the brain works the way it does
Humanistic- personal growth is reached once people reach their maximum potential
Biological- genetics, nature V nurture
3 Methods of Descriptive Research
1. Case Study- observe but no hypothesis/test
2. Naturalistic observation- observe real behavior in the real world (problem: hard to establish causation)
3. Interviews/Surveys (problem: open-ended results)
Absolute threshold VS Difference threshold
Absolute threshold- lowest intensity a person can detect 1/2 the time
Difference threshold- smallest change between 2 stimuli a person can detect 1/2 the time
5 steps of the Scientific Method
1. Observe
2. Predict
3. Test
4. Interpret
5. Communicate
4 Characteristics of experimental research
1. Random Assignment
2. Experimented group receives independent variable
3. Control group receives no variable
4. Measure the dependent variable
Types of long-term memory
1. Implicit- based on experience
2. Explicit- based on facts/events
Explain the 4 possibilities of the Signal Detection Theory & difference between lower threshold + higher threshold
Signal Detection Theory: HIT, MISS, false alarm, correct rejection
- lower threshold: more hits/false alarms
- higher threshold: more misses/rejections
Explain the ideal sleep scheduling, best nap times, and environment conditions
Best nap times- early morning, early afternoon, nighttime
Sleep environment- no noise, no light, no caffeine 4-6 hours before, no prescription/alcohol/melatonin, music
1. Plagiarism
2. Falsification
3. Fabrication
Explain the 2 types of statistics & define null hypothesis
1. Descriptive statistics- summarize data
2. Inferential statistics- generalize sample to population
- null hypothesis: no relation between the variables measured
2 types of sensory memory
1. Ionic- brief visual record left on retina
2. Echoic- short-term retention of sounds
ATTENTION: Top-down process vs Bottom-up process
Bottom-up process: individual stimuli - unified perception
Breakdown of the Central Nervous System
1. Brain
- Forebrain (last to evolve, most advanced)
- Midbrain (audio, visual)
- Hindbrain (oldest and lowest; vital functions)
2. Spinal Cord
Things that help/disrupt memory formation
Helps- attention, sleep, emotions
Disrupt- distraction, misinformation, emotions
Different types of attention (3)
1. Inattentional blindness
2. Selective attention
3. Sustained attention
Breakdown of the Peripheral Nervous System
1. Somatic- voluntary
2. Autonomic- involuntary
- Sympathetic (active)
- Parasympathetic (calm, deactivates)