Psychology Fundamentals Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is Psychology?

  • An early school of psychology
  • A set of techniques for exploring underlying motives
  • A medical specialization
  • The scientific study of behavior and mental processes (correct)

    • What year is considered the founding date of Psychology?

    1879

    Who is known as the founder of Psychology?

    Wilhelm Wundt

    From which two fields did Psychology originate?

    <p>Physiology and Philosophy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Structuralism?

    <p>An early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the elemental structure of the human mind</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Functionalism focus on?

    <p>How mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable the organism to adapt, survive, and flourish</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Psychoanalysis?

    <p>A set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Biological Psychology?

    <p>A branch of psychology concerned with the links between biology and behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Humanism emphasize?

    <p>The interests and values of human beings are of primary importance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Behaviorism?

    <p>The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Cognitive Psychology?

    <p>Perspective that focuses on the mental processes involved in perception, learning, memory, and thinking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Evolutionary Psychology?

    <p>The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the Empirical method?

    <p>A method of study/research based on direct observation rather than on speculation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the four major goals of Psychology?

    <p>Description, Explanation, Prediction, Control</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the steps in the Scientific Method?

    <p>Observe, Background Research, Define Terms, Form Hypothesis, Design the Study, Collect Data, Analyze Data, Report Findings, Form New Hypothesis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Theory in Psychology?

    <p>An explanation using an integrated set of principles and the scientific method that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Hypothesis?

    <p>A specific prediction to be tested; a theory that has not yet been confirmed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Correlational Study?

    <p>Investigates the relationship between two or more variables</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What signifies a Positive Correlation?

    <p>Two variables vary systematically in the same direction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What signifies a Negative Correlation?

    <p>Two variables vary systematically in opposite directions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an Independent Variable?

    <p>Controlled by the experimenter to see its impact on another variable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a Dependent Variable?

    <p>Variable affected by the manipulation of the Independent Variable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the four brain lobes?

    <p>Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, Occipital</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Psychology Fundamentals

    • Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
    • Founded as a discipline in 1879, marking its formal establishment.
    • Wilhelm Wundt is recognized as the founder of psychology.

    Historical Foundations

    • Psychology emerged from two main fields: physiology and philosophy.
    • Key early schools included structuralism, which utilized introspection, and functionalism, focusing on how mental processes help organisms adapt.

    Major Psychological Perspectives

    • Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, explores underlying motives and treat mental disorders.
    • Biological Psychology examines connections between biology (genes) and behavior.
    • Humanism emphasizes human interests and values, influenced by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
    • Behaviorism, championed by John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, focuses solely on observable behaviors without referencing mental processes.
    • Cognitive Psychology studies mental processes like perception and memory.
    • Evolutionary Psychology investigates behavior and mind evolution through natural selection.

    Professional Specializations

    • Clinical Psychologists address serious mental illness through testing, psychotherapy, and research.
    • Counseling Psychologists help with general life problems.
    • Psychiatrists are medical doctors with the ability to diagnose and treat mental disorders, including prescribing medication.

    Research Themes and Methodology

    • Seven key themes in psychology include empirical evidence, theoretical diversity, sociohistorical evolution, and the influence of culture and environment on behavior.
    • Major goals of psychology comprise description, explanation, prediction, and control of behavior.
    • Steps in the scientific method involve observation, background research, hypothesis formation, study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting of findings.

    Understanding Behavior and Research

    • A theory integrates principles to explain observations and predict behaviors.
    • A hypothesis is a testable prediction based on a theory.
    • Correlational studies explore relationships between variables, with positive correlation indicating moving in the same direction and negative correlation indicating opposite directions.

    Neuroanatomy and Brain Function

    • The human brain has four main lobes: frontal (thought processes), parietal (touch), temporal (auditory processing), and occipital (visual processing).
    • Neurons, the basic units of the nervous system, include sensory, motor, and interneurons for communication.
    • The central nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid, while the peripheral nervous system encompasses all other nerves.

    Neural Processes

    • Myelin sheath insulates axons to increase signal transmission speed, with nodes of Ranvier providing gaps for conduction.
    • Neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine facilitate communication between neurons, influencing various functions such as mood, movement, and arousal.
    • Synaptic gaps are where neurotransmission occurs, with reuptake being the process of neurotransmitter reabsorption.

    Nervous System Divisions

    • The somatic nervous system controls voluntary muscle movements; the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary actions.
    • The endocrine system comprises glands like the adrenal and pituitary that secrete hormones influencing bodily functions.

    Brain Structures and Functions

    • The hindbrain includes the cerebellum (balance and coordination) and the medulla (breathing and heart rate).
    • The midbrain integrates sensory processes, with significant structures such as the superior and inferior colliculus.
    • The forebrain, the largest brain region, houses important structures like the thalamus (sensory relay), hypothalamus (homeostasis), limbic system (emotion and memory), and cerebrum (higher functions).

    Sensation and Perception

    • Sensation involves the stimulation of sense organs, while perception is the interpretation and organization of sensory input.
    • Signal detection theory explains how and when we detect faint stimuli amidst background noise, influenced by expectations and experience.

    Vision and Eye Anatomy

    • The eye's pupil adjusts to control light entry, while the iris regulates pupil size.
    • The cornea is the eye's outer transparent layer, with rods and cones located in the retina's periphery and center, respectively, for low-light sensitivity and color vision.

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    Description

    Explore the foundations of psychology, its historical roots, and major perspectives. Learn about key figures like Wilhelm Wundt and Sigmund Freud, and understand different approaches such as behaviorism and cognitive psychology. This quiz will enhance your understanding of the discipline's evolution and methodologies.

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