Psychology Unit 1: Basics and Scientific Method

Focus of Positive Psychology

• Positive psychology emphasizes the study of human strengths, well-being, and optimal functioning.

Theory of Emotion: James-Lange Theory

• The James-Lange theory suggests that emotions result from our awareness of our bodily responses to stimuli. For example, we feel fear because we perceive a racing heart, rapid breathing, and trembling in response to a perceived threat.

Cultural Display Rules

• Cultural display rules are social norms that dictate how emotions should be expressed in different situations. They influence how we choose to express our emotions and how we interpret the emotional expressions of others.

Gender Differences in Emotional Sensitivity

• Research suggests that women are generally more emotionally expressive than men. They tend to be more aware of and attuned to the emotions of others, potentially due to biological and cultural factors.

Type A Personality

• Type A personalities are characterized by a competitive, ambitious, and time-conscious nature often combined with a heightened tendency towards impatience and hostility.

Structure Responsible for Light Focusing

• The lens is the component of the eye responsible for bending incoming light and focusing it on the retina for proper image formation.

Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision

• The Young-Helmholtz Trichromatic Theory proposes that the retina contains three types of color receptors: cones sensitive to red, green, and blue light. These receptors work together to allow us to perceive the full range of colors.

Explanation of Opponent-Process Theory

• The Opponent-Process Theory primarily explains how we perceive colors, especially afterimages. It suggests that our visual system processes colors in pairs: red/green, blue/yellow, and black/white. When one color in the pair is activated, its opposite color is inhibited.

Gestalt Principle of Proximity

• The Gestalt principle of proximity states that we tend to group objects together that are located close to one another. This principle simplifies visual perception by creating a sense of wholeness and structure.

Feature Detection Process for Edges and Angles

• The feature detection process known as edge detection focuses on identifying outlines, edges, and angles in visual information. It allows us to perceive shapes and objects more accurately.

Binocular Cue: Convergence

• Convergence, a binocular cue related to depth perception, involves the strain of eye muscles as they turn inward to focus on an object. The degree of strain is correlated with the perceived distance of the object.

Feature Detection and Parallel Processing

• Feature detection and parallel processing within the brain allow for the rapid and simultaneous analysis of visual information. This parallel processing enables us to perceive a complex scene in detail, recognizing different features, objects, and patterns.

Hallmark Feature of Stage 3 Non-REM Sleep

• Stage 3 Non-REM sleep, often considered "deep sleep," is characterized by the presence of delta waves, which are slow and large brain waves associated with deep relaxation and muscle inactivity.

Sleep Disorder: Narcolepsy

• Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks, often occurring at inappropriate times. People with narcolepsy may experience sudden, overwhelming sleepiness and can fall asleep unexpectedly, even during activities like driving or conversations.

Memory Consolidation Phase

• Memory consolidation, the process of strengthening and stabilizing memories, primarily occurs during REM sleep. This stage of sleep is important for transferring recently acquired information from short-term to long-term memory.

Consequence of Sleep Deprivation

• While sleep deprivation can lead to a wide range of consequences, it is NOT associated with increased self-esteem. Other consequences include impaired cognitive function, reduced attention span, mood swings, and increased risk of health problems.

Defining Feature of REM Sleep

• REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements, vivid dreaming, muscle paralysis (except for respiratory muscles), and increased brain activity similar to wakefulness.

Theory of Dreams: Activation-Synthesis Theory

• The activation-synthesis theory suggests that dreams are a result of random neural activity in the brain during REM sleep. The brain then attempts to make sense of this activity, creating a narrative from these random neural firings.

Truth about the Sleep Cycle

• The sleep cycle typically follows a pattern of repeated stages. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes, and as the night progresses, the REM sleep stage becomes longer.

Action of 'Tolerance'

• 'Tolerance' in substance use disorder refers to the need for progressively larger doses of a substance to achieve the desired effect. As the body adapts to the substance, it becomes less sensitive, requiring more to experience the same level of intoxication or effect.

Drug Characterization as Depressant

• Alcohol is a depressant drug that slows down brain activity. It can impair judgment, coordination, and reaction times, leading to a variety of negative consequences.

Implicit Memory System

• Implicit, or procedural, memory involves unconscious recall of skills and procedures, such as riding a bike, typing, or playing a musical instrument.

Example Strategy for Effortful Processing

• Rehearsal, a strategy used in effortful processing, involves consciously repeating information to enhance encoding and retention. It can be practiced through techniques like flashcards, mnemonics, or repeated practice.

Component of Sensory Memory

• Iconic memory is a component of sensory memory, responsible for briefly holding visual information. It allows us to perceive movement and continuity in visual experiences, even though the images themselves are only available for a very short period.

Phenomenon: Retroactive Interference

• Retroactive interference occurs when newly learned information interferes with the recall of previously learned information. For example, learning new vocabulary in a foreign language may make it more difficult to remember vocabulary from a previously learned language.

'Spacing Effect' in Memory

• The spacing effect, a memory enhancement technique, emphasizes distributing study sessions or practice over time. Instead of cramming information, spaced learning helps to improve memory retention.

Term for Suggestibility in Memory

• Suggestibility refers to the susceptibility of memories to distortion or manipulation based on suggestions or leading questions. It highlights the fallibility of human memory and the potential for inaccuracies in recall.

Hippocampus Role in Memory Processing

• The hippocampus plays a vital role in memory processing, especially in forming new memories and transferring information from short-term to long-term memory. Damage to the hippocampus can severely impair memory function.

Neural Basis of Learning and Memory

• Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the neural basis for learning and memory. It involves strengthening synaptic connections between neurons, leading to a more efficient and reliable transmission of information.

Level of Processing: Shallow Processing

• Shallow processing focuses on superficial characteristics of information, such as the appearance of words or the sounds of words. It results in weaker encoding and less efficient retrieval.

Distinguisher of Long-Term Memory

• Long-term memory has a virtually unlimited capacity, unlike short-term memory, which has a limited capacity of about 7 items. Long-term memory can store information for extended periods, ranging from minutes to years.

Memory Enhancement Technique: Spacing Effect

• The spacing effect is a memory enhancement technique emphasizing the importance of spreading study sessions over time. It helps to improve memory retention by creating more opportunities for retrieval practice and consolidating learned information.

Brain Structure for Conditioned Responses

• The cerebellum is the brain structure involved in forming conditioned responses. It plays a crucial role in associating stimuli with responses, enabling the development of learned behaviors.

Interference in Language Learning

• Retroactive interference helps explain why learning new languages may alter the ability to recall vocabulary from previously learned languages. The new vocabulary interferes with the retrieval of the already learned words.

Memory Alteration Process: Reconsolidation

• Reconsolidation is the process of reactivating and then restabilizing memories, leading to a slight alteration of the memory each time it is recalled. This process can be influenced by new information, emotions, or other factors.

Sleep-Related Memory Consolidation

• System consolidation, a type of memory consolidation, primarily occurs during sleep. It involves reorganizing and strengthening memories to make them more stable and accessible for later recall.

Memory Type Affected by Emotions

• Flashbulb memories refer to vivid memories of highly emotional experiences. It is a type of episodic memory, characterized by its emotional intensity and the sense of clarity and detail associated with it.

Sleep Impact on Memory

• Sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, improving memory performance and increasing the ability to retain and recall previously learned information. It helps to stabilize and strengthen newly acquired memories.

Consequence of Repression

• Repression is a defense mechanism in which individuals unconsciously block out traumatic or distressing memories from conscious awareness. It can lead to difficulties in forming healthy relationships and navigating emotional challenges.

Reflection on Thought Processes

• Metacognition is the act of reflecting on one's own thought processes, including the planning, monitoring, and evaluating of thinking.

Memory Type for Skills and Tasks

• Procedural memory involves unconscious recall of skills and tasks acquired through practice and experience, such as riding a bike or playing the piano. It is a type of implicit memory that allows for the execution of learned procedures with minimal conscious effort.

This quiz covers the fundamental concepts of psychology as a science, including the empirical approach, the scientific attitude, and the principles of critical thinking. Dive into how psychology explores the mind and behavior, and the importance of systematic observation and analysis. Test your knowledge on the key aspects that define a scientific mindset in psychology.