Intro and Research Methods
What is psychology?
The scientific study of the mind and behavior.
What are the two divisions of the nervous system?
CNS and PNS.
What hormone regulates sleep-wake cycles?
Melatonin.
What is sensation and perception?
Sensation - detecting stimuli
Perception - interpreting sensory information
What were participants asked to count in the Gorilla experiment?
Basketball passes.
Who is known as the “Father of Psychology”?
Wilhelm Wundt
What part of the neuron receives signals?
Dendrites.
Which stage includes vivid dreams?
REM sleep.
What is absolute threshold?
Minimum stimulus needed to detect.
What object was Albert conditioned to fear?
A white rat.
Which research method studies one person in depth (example: Phineas Gage)?
Case study
What brain structure controls fear?
Amygdala.
What is sleep apnea?
A disorder where breathing stops during sleep.
What is prosopagnosia?
Face blindness.
How did Gage’s personality change after the accident?
He became impulsive and irresponsible.
What is the difference between correlation and causation?
Correlation shows a relationship; causation means one variable causes another.
What lobe controls decision-making and personality?
Frontal lobe.
What are depressants?
Drugs that slow down the nervous system.
What is bottom-up processing?
Interpreting sensory input from raw data.
What psychological concept did the Gorilla experiment demonstrate?
Inattentional blindness.
What is the difference between reliability and validity?
Reliability = consistency; Validity = accuracy.
Explain why zebras don't get ulcers
Zebras do not suffer from chronic stress
What is lucid dreaming?
Being aware you are dreaming while asleep.
Explain the Cocktail Party Effect
Coined in 1953 by Colin Cherry, this selective attention phenomenon allows individuals to process important stimuli, such as hearing their own name, despite ignoring the surrounding chatter.
What major psychological concept did the Stanford Prison Experiment reveal?
The power of social roles and situational influence.