Chapter 1
Define psychology and its components.
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes?
Scientific - utilize the scientific method
Behavior - external actions
Mental processes - internal activity
What's the difference between an agonist and an antagonist?
agonist - acts as the neurotransmitter and produces a similar reaction - increases activity
Antagonist - can block, destroy, or decrease production - reduces activity
What are the four stages of sleep and what characterizes each stage?
N1 - Theta waves
N2 - Spindles
N3 - Deltas
REM - Rapid eye movement
What is the difference between hindsight bias and overconfidence? Give an example of each.
Hindsight bias - think something was more foreseeable than it actually was
Overconfidence bias - tendency of people to be overconfident in abilities
What are the four lobes of the brain and what is the function and location of each?
Frontal - higher-order processing (decision making and planning)
Parietal - movement and language
Temporal - auditory info
Occipital - visual info
Adaptive - protection from predators
Restorative - restore and repair damaged neurons and aid development
REM - strengthen neural connections to build memories
What are the four goals of social science?
Describe - what is it
Predict - can we predict different types or when larger issues may present
Explain - disseminate info in an intelligible and accessible way
Control - controlling symptoms by avoiding stimuli or situations
Compare and contrast hormone and neurotransmitter interactions.
Main similarities - can produce similar effects
Difference - hormones are slower, more long-lasting, controlled by hypothalamus, pituitary, and other glands
neurons are more immediate, short-lived, and controlled by nervous system
List and describe the five theories for dreaming.
Psychoanalytic - satisfy wishes (manifest and latent content)
Info Processing - memory consolidation
Psychological Function - preserve neural pathways
Activation synthesis - explain neural activity
Cognitive development - reflect development
Describe some of the most important points in the history of psychology.
Structuralism - structure of mind
- wundt - introspection
Functionalism - function of mind
Psychoanalysis - explain why we are the way we are
Behaviorism - Watson and Pavlov
Cognitive Revolution
Draw and label the parts of a neuron and explain the process that occurs when a neuron fires. (Nucleus, axon, soma, myelin sheaths, dendrites, axon terminals)
Needs interpretation
What are the three classes of drugs? Explain each and give an example.
Stimulant - amp you up (caffeine)
Depressants - calm you down (alcohol)
Hallucinogens - stimulate sense (LSD)
What are the three types of research methods used by psychologists? Explain each and give an example of one.
Descriptive - used to describe behavior
Correlation - used to identify relationships between two variables
Experimental - control of all variables and manipulation of one (or more) to determine the effect on another
What are the 7 methods we have for looking at the brain? Identify how each one works and what it's used for.
EEG - uses electrodes to determine activity level
CT - uses x-ray to examine the structure
PET - use of radioactive agents to determine activity
MRI - use of magnetic resonance imaging to examine the structure
fMRI - use of MRI tech to track oxygen consumption (activity level)
MEG - use of magnetic technology to determine the location of the activity
TMS - use of powerful magnet to determine function
What are the three factors that cause drug use and addiction? Give an example of each
Biological - crack babies
Social - peer group
Psychological - beliefs about drug use