Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is Psychology?
What is Psychology?
- The science of behavior and mental processes (correct)
- An approach to studying mental illness
- The study of the medical treatment of psychological disorders
- Scientific study of the relationship between behavior and reinforcement
What is Psychiatry?
What is Psychiatry?
- Scientific study of the relationship between behavior and reinforcement
- The study of the medical treatment of psychological disorders (correct)
- An approach to studying mental illness
- The science of behavior and mental processes
What did Rene Descartes think about the soul?
What did Rene Descartes think about the soul?
Separate from the body, and was not subject to physical laws
What was the main research technique of Structuralism?
What was the main research technique of Structuralism?
Who opened the first psychology lab and in what country?
Who opened the first psychology lab and in what country?
Who was the founder of Structuralism and opened the first psychology lab in America?
Who was the founder of Structuralism and opened the first psychology lab in America?
What are two reasons why introspection was considered a poor method for studying mental events?
What are two reasons why introspection was considered a poor method for studying mental events?
How did Functionalists try to understand the mind?
How did Functionalists try to understand the mind?
Who was the founder of Functionalism and wrote the book 'The Principles of Psychology'?
Who was the founder of Functionalism and wrote the book 'The Principles of Psychology'?
What scientific theory influenced the Functionalists?
What scientific theory influenced the Functionalists?
What is Psychoanalysis?
What is Psychoanalysis?
What did Sigmund Freud think caused mental illnesses?
What did Sigmund Freud think caused mental illnesses?
What is Behaviorism?
What is Behaviorism?
Who was the founder of behaviorism who conditioned Little Albert?
Who was the founder of behaviorism who conditioned Little Albert?
What was the name of the behaviorist who studied operant conditioning?
What was the name of the behaviorist who studied operant conditioning?
Why did behaviorism decline in popularity?
Why did behaviorism decline in popularity?
What is the Cognitive Approach?
What is the Cognitive Approach?
What is the metaphor upon which the Cognitive approach relies?
What is the metaphor upon which the Cognitive approach relies?
What is the Evolutionary Approach?
What is the Evolutionary Approach?
What is Physiological Psychology?
What is Physiological Psychology?
What is Sensation and Perception?
What is Sensation and Perception?
What is Cognitive Psychology?
What is Cognitive Psychology?
What is Social Psychology?
What is Social Psychology?
What is Counseling and Clinical Psychology?
What is Counseling and Clinical Psychology?
What is a Scientific Theory?
What is a Scientific Theory?
What does it mean for a scientific theory to be falsifiable?
What does it mean for a scientific theory to be falsifiable?
What is a Case Study?
What is a Case Study?
Which school of Psychology used case studies as their primary research technique?
Which school of Psychology used case studies as their primary research technique?
What research technique in Psychology is most subject to the problem of confirmation bias?
What research technique in Psychology is most subject to the problem of confirmation bias?
What is Naturalistic Observation?
What is Naturalistic Observation?
What research technique did Jane Goodall use to study the chimpanzees?
What research technique did Jane Goodall use to study the chimpanzees?
What are naturalistic observations good for?
What are naturalistic observations good for?
What is the Correlational Approach?
What is the Correlational Approach?
What are the two circumstances when a Psychologist would use the correlational approach?
What are the two circumstances when a Psychologist would use the correlational approach?
What is Causation?
What is Causation?
Can the correlational approach be used to determine if two variables have a causal relationship?
Can the correlational approach be used to determine if two variables have a causal relationship?
If two variables have a perfect positive relationship, what would be the value of the correlation coefficient for those variables?
If two variables have a perfect positive relationship, what would be the value of the correlation coefficient for those variables?
What does it mean if the correlation coefficient between two variables is near 0?
What does it mean if the correlation coefficient between two variables is near 0?
What two characteristics must an experiment possess?
What two characteristics must an experiment possess?
What is an Independent Variable?
What is an Independent Variable?
What is a Dependent Variable?
What is a Dependent Variable?
What is Random Assignment?
What is Random Assignment?
In contrast to all other research techniques, what does an experiment allow a researcher to do?
In contrast to all other research techniques, what does an experiment allow a researcher to do?
What is an Operational Definition?
What is an Operational Definition?
What is a Neuron?
What is a Neuron?
What are the four parts of a neuron and what are their functions?
What are the four parts of a neuron and what are their functions?
What is Action Potential?
What is Action Potential?
What is a Synapse?
What is a Synapse?
What is a Neurotransmitter?
What is a Neurotransmitter?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the medulla oblongata and the pons?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the medulla oblongata and the pons?
What is the function of the Medulla Oblongata?
What is the function of the Medulla Oblongata?
What is the function of the Pons?
What is the function of the Pons?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the superior colliculus, the inferior colliculus, and the substantia nigra?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the superior colliculus, the inferior colliculus, and the substantia nigra?
What is the function of the Superior Colliculus?
What is the function of the Superior Colliculus?
What is the function of the Inferior Colliculus?
What is the function of the Inferior Colliculus?
What disease involves the death of neurons in the substantia nigra?
What disease involves the death of neurons in the substantia nigra?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the cortex, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia?
Which part of the brain (hindbrain, midbrain, or forebrain) contains the cortex, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia?
What is the function of the Hypothalamus?
What is the function of the Hypothalamus?
What is the function of the Amygdala?
What is the function of the Amygdala?
What is the function of the Hippocampus?
What is the function of the Hippocampus?
What part of the brain was missing in HM that led to his problems transferring information from short term to long term memory?
What part of the brain was missing in HM that led to his problems transferring information from short term to long term memory?
What is the function of the Basal Ganglia?
What is the function of the Basal Ganglia?
According to Burnham and Phelan's theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people have a gain in their material success?
According to Burnham and Phelan's theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people have a gain in their material success?
According to Burnham and Phelan's theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people experience negative events?
According to Burnham and Phelan's theory of how the basal ganglia work, what happens when people experience negative events?
Why is the surface of the cortex wrinkly?
Why is the surface of the cortex wrinkly?
What are the four lobes of the cortex?
What are the four lobes of the cortex?
What is the function of the Frontal Lobe?
What is the function of the Frontal Lobe?
What lobe of the brain was damaged in Phineas Gage?
What lobe of the brain was damaged in Phineas Gage?
What happened to Phineas Gage as the result of his brain damage?
What happened to Phineas Gage as the result of his brain damage?
What is the function of the Temporal Lobe?
What is the function of the Temporal Lobe?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with visual agnosia?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with visual agnosia?
What is someone with visual agnosia unable to do?
What is someone with visual agnosia unable to do?
What is the function of the Parietal Lobe?
What is the function of the Parietal Lobe?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with hemispatial neglect?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with hemispatial neglect?
How do people with hemispatial neglect behave?
How do people with hemispatial neglect behave?
What is the function of the Occipital Lobe?
What is the function of the Occipital Lobe?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with achromatopsia?
What lobe of the brain is damaged in someone with achromatopsia?
What would someone with achromatopsia be unable to do?
What would someone with achromatopsia be unable to do?
What is the name of the neural structure that allows the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another?
What is the name of the neural structure that allows the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with one another?
Which hemisphere of the brain controls and receives input from the right side of the body?
Which hemisphere of the brain controls and receives input from the right side of the body?
Which hemisphere of the brain controls and receives input from the left side of the body?
Which hemisphere of the brain controls and receives input from the left side of the body?
What functions of the brain are considered left hemisphere functions?
What functions of the brain are considered left hemisphere functions?
In what hemisphere and lobe of the brain is Broca's area?
In what hemisphere and lobe of the brain is Broca's area?
What is Broca's area responsible for?
What is Broca's area responsible for?
In what hemisphere and lobe of the brain is Wernicke's area?
In what hemisphere and lobe of the brain is Wernicke's area?
What is Wernicke's area responsible for?
What is Wernicke's area responsible for?
What functions of the brain are considered right hemisphere functions?
What functions of the brain are considered right hemisphere functions?
What is Prosopagnosia?
What is Prosopagnosia?
Which hemisphere is damaged by prosopagnosia?
Which hemisphere is damaged by prosopagnosia?
What is the last name of the man who did the split-brain studies?
What is the last name of the man who did the split-brain studies?
What part of the brain was severed in the split-brain patients?
What part of the brain was severed in the split-brain patients?
If a split-brain patient held an orange in her left hand and a pencil in her right, what would she say if asked what she was holding?
If a split-brain patient held an orange in her left hand and a pencil in her right, what would she say if asked what she was holding?
What sort of machine is used to measure brain waves?
What sort of machine is used to measure brain waves?
What sorts of brain waves are observed in NREM1 sleep?
What sorts of brain waves are observed in NREM1 sleep?
What sorts of brain waves are observed in NREM2 sleep?
What sorts of brain waves are observed in NREM2 sleep?
In what stage of sleep do sleep spindles first appear?
In what stage of sleep do sleep spindles first appear?
What is the function of sleep spindles?
What is the function of sleep spindles?
What sorts of brain waves are associated with NREM3 sleep?
What sorts of brain waves are associated with NREM3 sleep?
In what stage of sleep do night terrors occur?
In what stage of sleep do night terrors occur?
How will people in NREM3 sleep feel when awakened?
How will people in NREM3 sleep feel when awakened?
What sorts of brain waves are observed during REM sleep?
What sorts of brain waves are observed during REM sleep?
Study Notes
Psychology Overview
- Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
- Psychiatry focuses on the medical treatment of psychological disorders.
Historical Foundations
- René Descartes proposed that the soul is separate from the body and not bound by physical laws.
- Structuralism, founded by Wilhelm Wundt in Germany, primarily employed introspection as its research method.
- Edward Titchener established the first psychology lab in America and is recognized as the founder of Structuralism.
- Functionalists aimed to understand the purpose of the mind, influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution and led by William James.
Approaches to Psychology
- Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud, suggests mental illnesses arise from subconscious conflicts.
- Behaviorism, founded by John Watson, studies the relationship between behavior and reinforcement, exemplified by the conditioning of Little Albert.
- B.F. Skinner further explored operant conditioning, defining behaviorism's focus on observable behaviors.
- The cognitive approach uses a computer metaphor to explain how the brain processes information.
Research Techniques
- The correlational approach examines relationships between variables without manipulation, useful when manipulative experiments are unethical or impractical.
- Case studies, commonly used by psychoanalysts, describe individual behaviors but can be susceptible to confirmation bias.
- Naturalistic observation entails unobtrusively studying subjects in their environment, effective for answering straightforward questions.
Causation vs. Correlation
- Causation implies a direct impact where a change in one variable induces a change in another.
- Experiments enable researchers to infer causal relationships through the manipulation of independent and dependent variables.
- Random assignment ensures equal chances of participants being placed in different experimental groups.
Neurons and Brain Structure
- Neurons consist of dendrites (receive signals), cell bodies (maintain cell life), axons (transmit signals), and terminal buttons (release neurotransmitters).
- The action potential is an electrical impulse traveling down an axon, while the synapse is the gap between neurons.
- Neurotransmitters bind to receptors in adjacent neurons, influencing their activity.
Brain Regions and Functions
- The hindbrain includes the medulla oblongata (controls vital functions) and pons (regulates sleep and arousal).
- The midbrain houses the superior colliculus (visual reflexes) and inferior colliculus (auditory reflexes).
- The forebrain encompasses key structures: the hypothalamus (regulates basic drives), amygdala (emotional responses, especially fear), and hippocampus (long-term memory encoding).
Cortex and Its Lobes
- The cortex features four lobes: frontal (planning and motor functions), temporal (auditory processing), parietal (sensation and navigation), and occipital (visual processing).
- Damage to specific lobes can lead to distinct deficits: Phineas Gage suffered emotional control loss due to frontal lobe damage; visual agnosia results from temporal lobe impairment.
Hemispheres and Language
- Each hemisphere controls opposite body sides; the left is associated with language production and comprehension (Broca's area in the frontal lobe, Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe).
- Right hemisphere functions include face recognition and spatial abilities; prosopagnosia is an inability to recognize faces due to right hemisphere damage.
Brain Imaging and Sleep Studies
- An electroencephalogram (EEG) measures brain wave activity.
- Sleep stages vary in brain wave patterns: NREM1 has slightly larger, NREM2 displays slower waves with sleep spindles, NREM3 reveals the slowest waves, and REM sleep resembles stage 1 waves.
- Night terrors occur in NREM3, while awakening from this stage often results in grogginess.
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Description
Explore the fundamental concepts and historical milestones in psychology, from the theories of René Descartes to the development of different psychological approaches. Learn about key figures like Wilhelm Wundt and Sigmund Freud, and discover how various schools of thought such as structuralism and functionalism shaped modern psychology.
