The Scientific Method
What is a population?
All those in a group being studied
Fill in the blank: Psychology is a ________?
What is plasticity?
The brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
What is the oldest and innermost region of the brain?
The brain stem
Define neurogensis
the formation of new neurons.
What is a random sample
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Curiosity (When put to the test, can its predictions be confirmed, does it work?)
Skepticism (What do you mean, How do you know?)
Humility (That was unexpected, Let’s explore further)
What is the basic building block of the nervous system?
A neuron
Name the 4 main parts of the brain stem
medulla, thalamus, reticular formation, cerebellum
This essential part of the neuron covers the axon of some neurons and helps speed neural impulses.
Myelin Sheath
Name and describe the first 3 parts of the scientific method.
Theory: Explains behaviors or events by offering ideas that organize what we have observe
Hypothesis: Testable predictions that specify what results would support the theory and what results would not.
Operational definition (experiment): a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures (operations) used in a research study. For example sleep deprived “2 or more hours less” than the persons natural sleep
Psychology today is defined as ______________?
Psychology today is defined as the science of behavior and mental processes
What is the cell body of a neuron?
The cell’s life support center
Name the 3 main parts of the limbic system
What is split-brain?
a condition resulting from surgery that separates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them.
For studying and protecting humans. The APA (American Psychological Association) urges researchers to have these two components and why?
Informed consent: giving people enough information about a study to enable them to decide whether they wish to participate.
Debriefing: After an experiment ends, explaining to participants the study’s purpose and any deceptions researchers used.
Describe Structuralism, Functionalism, and Behaviorism?
Structuralism (promoted by Wilhelm Wundt) focused on the structure of the human mind.
Functionalism (promoted by William James) focused on how the mind functions
Behaviorism (promoted by John B Watson and B.F. Skinner) insisted that psychology must be “the scientific study of observable behavior”. A sensation, feeling, or thought cannot be observed but a person’s behaviors can.
These fibers receives messages from other cells?
Dendrites
A large band of nerve fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
Corpus Callosum
_______is our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment?
Name and define the 3 main research methods discussed in class?
Descriptive (To observe and record behavior), Correlational (To detect naturally occurring relationships; to assess how well one variable predicts another), and Experimental (To explore cause and effect ).
What is the main difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?
The main difference is a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and can prescribe medication. A psychologist is unable to prescribe medication.
What is the function of the axon?
Fiber passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands
Frontal lobes: executive functioning task
parietal lobes: receives sensory input for touch and body position
temporal lobes: receives information from the ears
occipital lobes includes areas that receive information from the visual fields
Name of function specific to the right hemisphere and one function specific to the left hemisphere
Left hemisphere: Language, logic, and analytical thinking
Right hemisphere: Expressive and creative task