Chapter 1
What is Psychology?
The scientific Study of behavior and mental processes
Some argue that ______ is more influential for behavior, while others argue that _______ is more influential
Genetics; Environment
What is sensation
The information your senses take in from your outside environment
________: A person’s awareness of and responsiveness to their mental processes and the environment.
consciousness
How can we infer that an independent variable causes a change in the dependent variable?
Chapter 1
We can infer causation when all other variables are controlled. Additionally participants will need to be randomly assigned.
A prediction of what you think will happen before conducting an experiment
Hypothesis
______ The difference in electrical charge between
the inside and the outside of a cell.
Membrane Potential
What are the two types of receptor cells in the visual system?
Cones and rods
What is a circadian rhythm?
Our biological clock that is linked to the 24 hour light-dark cycle
What organs is the central nervous system composed of? (Chapter 2)
Composed of the brain and spinal cord
The field of psychology advances only when...
new evidence is added to support or challenge existing theories.
The peripheral nervous system is located outside the skull and spine and is composed of ______ nerves that receive sensory information and ______ nerves that send motor signals
afferent; efferent
Why do humans have eyes positioned on the front of their head instead of on the sides, as many mammals do?
The arrangement is an important basis for our visual system’s ability to create three-dimensional perception from two-dimensional retinal images, which allows us to see depth
__________ :Includes things such as concentrating, making decisions, planning, solving problems, and remembering.
Waking consciousness
_______: refers to the tendency to perceive objects as relatively stable and unchanging despite changing sensory information. (Chapter 3)
perceptual constancy
In the Nature-nurture debate, some argue that _____ (nature) is more influential for behavior, while others argue that ______ (nurture) is more influential. In reality, the interaction between both nature and nurture leads to displayed behaviors.
1. genetics
2. environment
What is the main difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
The sympathetic nervous system is involved in your flight or fight response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is involved in rest and digest.
What does the trichromatic color theory state?
States that humans have 3 types of color receptor cones, and the color we perceive depends on a combination of all 3
Losing 1-2 hours of sleep per night adds up and can lead to:
1.
2.
1. lower ability to pay attention
2. slower reaction time
Other acceptable answers:
- unpredictable behavior
- Increased accidents and errors in judgement
- Lower productivity and ability to make decisions
What is one reason why humans sleep?
Boosts our immune response, making us less susceptible to disease.
What is the most important takeaway from the “Little Albert” experiment?
It was unethical
If the sum of depolarizations (EPSP’s) and hyperpolarizatons (IPSPs) that occur in the axon initial segment is enough to ....
depolarize the membrane to a level known as the threshold of excitation, which is usually around -55mV.
_______ which is cone-mediated vision, predominates in good lighting and provides high-acuity (finely detailed) color perceptions about the world.
In dim illumination, there is not enough light to reliably stimulate the cones, and the more sensitive ________ (rod-mediated vision) predominates.
1. photopic vision
2. scotopic vision
What does the “information processing” theory of dreaming state?
We reprocess information gathered during the day as a way of strengthening memory and processing emotional information
Chapter 2
1. The long strand of a neuron that connects with the axon terminal buttons and dendrites.
2. Bonus point (100): What wraps around/protects the axon?
1. Axon
2. Myelin sheath