What is Psychology?
Define Psychology in your own words
The scientific study of mind and behavior.
What are the steps for the Scientific Method?
Hypothesis, Method, Results, Interpretation, Replicability
What part of the neuron receives information and what part of the neuron sends out information?
Receives: Dendrite
Sends out: Terminal Buttons
When does the pupil dilate and when does it contract?
Pupil dilates when there is less light, Pupil contracts when there is more light
Define Parsimony and Falsifiability
Parsimony: selecting the simplest explanation that accounts for facts or data.
Falsifiability: whether or not a claim or hypothesis can be proven right or wrong with evidence.
Describe the concept of Determinism vs. Free Will
Determinsim: Everything that happens has an observable cause.
Free Will: Behavior is caused by a person's actions
Qualitative.
Name the four lobes of the Cerebral Cortex (brain) and their functions.
Frontal: Personality, mood regulation, Higher-functions
Parietal: Motor movements and senses
Temporal: Auditory Processing and Language
Occipital: Visual Processing
What is the difference between cones and rods?
Cones: mainly colors and are in the Fovea
Rods: low-light functions
Name 3 neurotransmitters and their functions
Dopamine: learning, motivation, and pleasure
Serotonin: mood and energy
Noradrenaline/Norepinephrine: Alertness and arousal
Describe Dualism vs. Monism
Monism: Conscious experience is inseparable from the brain
A researcher gives a subject a drug and sees how it affects their mood levels. What is the Independent Variable and the Dependent Variable?
IV: The drug
DV: Mood levels
Imagine you run into a bear while camping. You suddenly feel your heart pound and you begin to sweat. What part of the Nervous System kicked in?
Sympathetic nerves
If you stared at the color red for 2 minutes and then looked at a white screen, what after-image color would you see? (hint: Think about Opponent Process Theory!)
You would see green.
What is the difference between the Autonomic and the Somatic System of the Peripheral Nervous System?
Autonomic is involuntary functions such as breathing or heart rate. Somatic is voluntary movements such as moving your arm or legs.
What are the four goals of Psychology?
Description, Prediction, Control, Explanation
A researcher studies the population of the United States by sending out a survey nationwide about dietary habits. They analyze the data by separating it into different age groups. What kind of research design is this?
Cross-Sectional
What are the 3 parts of the Limbic System and their functions?
Amygdala: emotions
Hypothalamus: body temperature, appetite, endocrine system
Hippocampus: processes NEW memories
Explain the difference between Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing
Bottom Up: usually associated with sensation, signal first, then processing
Top-Down: associated with perception, past experiences and context to understand the world
How do the left and right hemispheres communicate with one another?
The Corpus Callosum connects them and acts as a railroad for signals to communicate with each other.
What does SIFT stand for? (Hint: it's in the textbook!)
Stop, Investigate, Find, and Trace
USE THESE WHEN ANALYZING CLAIMS
What happens during the process of Action Potentials?
Ion channels open and make the Neuron positively charged in order to communicate with another neuron.
How does hearing work?
Soundwaves strike the tympanic membrane which causes it to vibrate the ossicles which moves the cochlea and stimulates hair cells which sends sound signals to the brain
What are the key features of Chromosomes and Genes?
Chromosomes are strands of hereditary materials and there are 23 pairs. Genes control chemical reactions that affect development and there are Dominant and Recessive genes.