Psychology of Socioeconomic Factors and Well-being

Higher socioeconomic status is linked to improved childhood success, particularly in areas like education and overall well-being.

Children from high socioeconomic backgrounds hear around 2100 words per hour, while those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may hear significantly less.

Low psychological age indicates underdeveloped emotional regulation abilities, suggesting difficulty managing emotions and responding appropriately to situations.

Cognitive distortions are negative thought patterns associated with depression, anxiety, and anger. They can be unhelpful ways of thinking that distort reality.

Getting enough sleep can alleviate anxiety and improve mood, making for a more positive start to the day.

Neurogenesis, the process of creating new neurons, primarily occurs in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory.

Sleep deprivation has serious consequences, contributing to cognitive decline, increased stress levels, and impaired decision-making.

During REM sleep, the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala are particularly active, suggesting a role in processing emotions, memories, and learning.

Essential childhood experiences, such as language development, secure attachment, and self-regulation, pave the way for healthy development and well-being.

The MAOA gene is linked to aggression, with variants affecting behavior and susceptibility to violent tendencies depending on environmental factors.

A compliance strategy like 'counting to three' often escalates negotiation situations, potentially leading to power struggles or a sense of being pressured.

The Big Five Personality Traits are broad dimensions of personality, encompassing extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Individuals with an internal locus of control believe they have control over their outcomes and are responsible for their successes and failures.

Individuals with an external locus of control believe external factors, such as luck or fate, determine their outcomes and are beyond their control.

Neuroticism, a personality trait characterized by anxiety, mood swings, and emotional instability, tends to increase in females during puberty, possibly due to heightened body image concerns.

Access to drugs and alcohol increases the risk of addiction, as easy availability and exposure enhance the likelihood of developing dependence.

BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a protein that promotes the survival and maintenance of nerve cells, crucial for brain health and cognitive functions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic approach that aims to modify patients' thinking and behavior patterns, addressing negative thought patterns and maladaptive behaviors.

Lower and middle-income adults and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to behavioral risks, such as substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors, due to various factors including socioeconomic stressors and limited access to resources.

A significant percentage of the population exhibits optimism bias, a tendency to overestimate positive events while underestimating negative ones.

Cortisol, a stress hormone, is released in response to stressors such as trauma, anxiety, or prolonged stress, impacting both physical and mental health.

Endorphins are natural pain relievers produced by the body, acting as neurotransmitters to reduce pain perception and promote feelings of well-being.

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in regulating mood, sleep, and appetite, is often targeted by anti-anxiety medications as it plays a role in calming and mood stabilization.

Oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone', is a crucial hormone in humans that facilitates social bonding, attachment, and feelings of trust.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a range of conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, affecting brain development and leading to various learning and behavioral challenges.

Myelin is a fatty substance that acts as insulation for neurons, significantly increasing the speed at which electrical impulses travel along nerve fibers.

Conduct disorder is a behavioral disorder primarily diagnosed during childhood, characterized by disregard for rules, aggression, and a lack of remorse, potentially leading to criminal behavior.

A sensitive period is a broad window of time during development when learning is optimal for a wide range of skills and concepts.

A critical period is a narrow window of time during development where specific learning is highly effective and often crucial for normal development.

The motivational triad describes three key drivers of behavior: seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, and conserving energy.

Neurons are specialized cells that transmit electrical impulses throughout the brain and nervous system, enabling communication within the body.

Teratology is the branch of science that studies the causes of birth defects, focusing on the factors that can negatively impact prenatal development.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter known to be affected in Alzheimer's disease, playing a significant role in memory and cognitive functions.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, reward, and motivation, playing a key role in addiction and other behavioral processes.

Physical development encompasses the growth and changes in the body, encompassing physical characteristics and overall bodily processes.

Cognitive development refers to the development of mental processes, learning abilities, and cognitive skills that shape how we think, reason, and process information.

Psychosocial development focuses on the interplay between psychological and social factors that influence human behavior and development.

The evolutionary approach to development examines how developmental phenomena, such as parenting styles or social behaviors, have evolved over time to enhance survival and reproduction.

The psychodynamic approach emphasizes the role of unconscious processes in shaping behavior, personality, and development, often focusing on early childhood experiences and unresolved conflicts.

The behavioral approach focuses on observable behavior and the stimuli that influence it, emphasizing learning through conditioning and environmental factors.

The humanistic approach emphasizes the importance of personal worth, human potential, and self-actualization, focusing on individual growth, meaning, and personal experience.

The cognitive approach focuses on mental processes, such as thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving, and their role in understanding behavior and development.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals across nerve cells (neurons) in the nervous system, enabling communication between different parts of the body.

Thalidomide, a sedative drug, was discovered to be a teratogen, meaning it causes birth defects, leading to devastating outcomes for pregnant women and their babies.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a range of conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, impacting brain development and leading to various learning and behavioral challenges.

Oxytocin, often referred to as the 'love hormone', is a crucial hormone in humans that facilitates social bonding, attachment, and feelings of trust.

The cingulate cortex is a brain region located in the medial part of the brain, involved in processing pain perception, emotional response, and decision-making.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, is significantly impacted by marijuana use, contributing to its addictive potential.

GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning it reduces neuronal excitability, playing a crucial role in regulating anxiety, mood, and sleep.

Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, meaning it increases neuronal activity, playing a vital role in cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and thought.

Norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved in the 'fight-or-flight' response, affects arousal, alertness, and attention, playing a role in mood and stress.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and appetite, playing a crucial role in emotional well-being and mental stability.

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter involved in muscle activation, memory, and learning, playing a crucial role in controlling muscle contractions and cognitive processes.

Carl Rogers, a prominent psychologist, developed self-actualization theory, emphasizing the importance of personal growth, authenticity, and self-acceptance.

Charles Darwin, renowned for his theory of evolution, proposed the ethological theory, emphasizing the evolutionary basis of behavior and the importance of studying animals in their natural environments.

Abraham Maslow developed the hierarchy of needs, a model that outlines human motivations, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization and fulfillment.

Jean Piaget, a prominent developmental psychologist, formulated the theory of cognitive development, emphasizing the stages children progress through as their cognitive abilities evolve.

Erik Erikson developed the psychosocial stages of development, which describe the challenges and tasks individuals face at different points in their lives, shaping their identity and social relationships.

Sigmund Freud, a pioneer in psychoanalysis, introduced the psychosexual stages of development, emphasizing the influence of early childhood experiences on personality formation and sexuality.

Wilder Penfield, a neurosurgeon, is known for his groundbreaking brain mapping research, using electrical stimulation to identify and map brain functions.

Albert Bandura, a prominent psychologist, pioneered social learning theory, emphasizing observational learning and the role of modeling in acquiring new behaviors.

Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, developed classical conditioning theory, demonstrating how a neutral stimulus can become associated with a reflex response through repeated pairings.

B.F. Skinner, a prominent behaviorist, formulated operant conditioning theory, emphasizing how consequences shape behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

Glial cells, also known as neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells that provide structural support, nutrition, and insulation for neurons, maintaining the overall health and function of the nervous system.

Neuron transmission involves a complex series of steps, including synthesis of neurotransmitters, storage in vesicles, release into the synapse, binding to receptors on the post-synaptic neuron, and deactivation of neurotransmitters.

Dendrites, branching extensions of neurons, receive signals from other neurons, acting as the input zone for receiving information from other nerve cells.

The soma, also known as the cell body, is the central part of a neuron, containing the nucleus and other essential organelles, responsible for maintaining the neuron's life and function.

The axon is a long extension of the neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the soma, transmitting signals to other neurons or target cells.

Myelin sheath is a fatty coating that insulates the axon, increasing the speed at which electrical impulses travel, facilitating faster communication within the nervous system.

REM sleep, characterized by rapid eye movement and vivid dreaming, is a crucial sleep stage involved in memory consolidation, emotional processing, and brain development.

Non-REM sleep encompasses the stages of sleep that are characterized by decreased brain activity, slowed heart rate, and muscle relaxation, playing a vital role in physical restoration and recovery.