Psych 101 Final Exam Flashcards

Key Concepts in Psychology

• Consciousness: Awareness of oneself and the environment; a fundamental aspect of human experience.
• Parallel Processing: The brain's ability to process multiple aspects of a problem simultaneously, essential for many cognitive functions.
• Selective Attention: The process of focusing conscious awareness on a specific stimulus while ignoring others.
• Inattentional Blindness: The phenomenon where individuals fail to notice visible objects when focused on another task.
• Change Blindness: Difficulty in noticing changes within one’s visual field, demonstrating limitations of visual attention.

Substance Use and Disorders

• Substance Use Disorder: Compulsive substance craving and use despite adverse effects on life and health.
• Psychoactive Drugs: Chemicals that alter perception and mood, impacting psychological functioning.
• Tolerance: A condition where increasing doses of a drug are needed to achieve the original effect due to reduced sensitivity.
• Withdrawal: Symptoms and distress experienced after ceasing an addictive substance or behavior.

Drug Categories

• Depressants: Substances like alcohol, and opiates that lower neural activity and slow bodily functions.
• Barbiturates: Central nervous system depressants that reduce anxiety but affect memory and judgment.
• Opiates: Derived from opium, these substances alleviate pain and anxiety but can be addictive.
• Stimulants: Such as amphetamines and cocaine, these increase neural activity, resulting in heightened alertness and energy.
• Hallucinogens: Drugs like LSD that cause sensory distortions and altered perception.

Genetics and Behavior

• Behavioral Genetics: Studying how genetics and environment impact behavioral traits.
• Chromosomes and Genes: Structures made of DNA that carry hereditary information.
• Temperament: Inborn emotional characteristics that influence behavior and response to stimuli.
• Heritability: The extent to which genetic factors contribute to variations in traits within a population.

Development and Learning

• Piaget’s Stages:

  • Sensorimotor Stage: Infants learn through sensory experiences and motor actions.
  • Preoperational Stage: Characterized by language use and egocentrism, lacking concrete logical thought.
  • Concrete Operational Stage: Children develop logical thinking about concrete objects.
  • Formal Operational Stage: Development of abstract reasoning typically begins around age 12.

• Classical Conditioning: Learning by linking stimuli; involves unconditioned and conditioned responses.

• Operant Conditioning: Learning based on consequences; positive or negative reinforcement shapes behavior.

Cognition and Memory

• Cognitive Map: Mental representation of spatial information, developed through exploration.
• Modeling: Learning by observing and imitating others.
• Interference Effects:
  • Proactive Interference: Older memories disrupt the recall of newer information.
  • Retroactive Interference: New information hinders the recall of previously learned material.

Language and Communication

• Phonemes and Morphemes: Basic units of sound and meaning in language, respectively.
• Broca’s Area: Brain region responsible for language expression and speech production.
• Wernicke’s Area: Involved in language comprehension; critical for understanding spoken and written language.

Social Psychology

• Affiliation Need: The intrinsic desire to form connections and be part of a group.
• Ostracism: Social exclusion experienced by individuals or groups, impacting mental well-being.
• Subjective Well-being: How individuals perceive their happiness and satisfaction in life.

Relationships and Love

• Passionate Love: Intense emotional connection typically seen in the early stages of romantic relationships.
• Compassionate Love: Deep emotional attachment that develops over time, enhancing relationship stability.
• Equity: Perceived fairness in the contributions and benefits within relationships, fostering satisfaction.

Final Aspects

• Social Clock: Cultural expectations regarding the timing of major life events like marriage and retirement.
• Teratogens: Harmful agents during prenatal development that can impact the embryo or fetus.
• Critical Period: An optimal timeframe for certain developmental experiences to occur.

These notes capture critical concepts from psychology relevant to various domains such as cognition, behavior, genetics, development, and social influences.