Introduction to Psychological Science PDF

Certainly! Below is a summarized version of the document, broken down into flashcard-friendly sections for quick review. **Introduction to Psychological Science** **Psychology Definition**: Scientific study of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling) and behavior. **Goals**: Develop...

Certainly! Below is a summarized version of the document, broken down into flashcard-friendly sections for quick review. **Introduction to Psychological Science** **Psychology Definition**: Scientific study of mental processes (thinking, remembering, feeling) and behavior. **Goals**: Develop critical reading and writing skills, understand theoretical frameworks, and APA referencing. **Key Perspectives in Psychology**: 1\. **Psychodynamic**: Conscious and unconscious forces; iceberg metaphor (Freud). 2\. **Behaviorist**: Behavior controlled by stimuli and learning (Pavlov, Skinner). 3\. **Humanistic**: Focus on personal growth and self-actualization (Maslow). 4\. **Cognitive**: Mental processes like memory and problem-solving; mind as a computer. 5\. **Evolutionary**: Behaviors evolved for survival and reproduction. **Motivation and Emotion** **Motivation**: Drives behavior toward goals; includes biological and psychosocial needs. **Perspectives**: **Psychodynamic**: Internal drives like sex and aggression. **Behaviorist**: Driven by rewards and punishments (drive reduction theory). **Cognitive**: Expectancy-value theory and intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. **Humanistic**: Maslow's hierarchy of needs. **Evolutionary**: Motivations linked to survival and reproduction. **Emotion**: Components: Physiological arousal, subjective experience, expression. Theories: **James-Lange**: Emotion arises from bodily arousal. **Cannon-Bard**: Simultaneous arousal and emotion. **Contemporary**: Emotion influenced by culture, biology, and context. **Biological Bases of Behavior** **Nervous System**: **Neurons**: Sensory, motor, interneurons; transmit signals via neurotransmitters. Divisions: **CNS**: Brain and spinal cord. **PNS**: Somatic (voluntary) and autonomic (involuntary). **Brain Structures**: Hindbrain (medulla, cerebellum). Midbrain (tectum, tegmentum). Forebrain (thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, cerebral cortex). **Neuroplasticity**: Brain changes through learning and injury repair. **Sensation and Perception** **Sensation**: Detecting environmental stimuli via sensory receptors. **Perception**: Organizing and interpreting sensory input. **Processes**: Thresholds: Absolute (minimum stimulus) and difference (smallest detectable change). Context, schemas, and motives influence perception. **Psychological Disorders** **Mental Health**: **Mental Health**: Well-being and coping ability. **Mental Disorders**: Clinically significant patterns causing distress or dysfunction. **DSM-5**: Diagnostic manual categorizing mental disorders. Common Disorders: **Schizophrenia**: Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought. **Depression**: Persistent low mood, cognitive distortions. **Bipolar Disorder**: Alternating mania and depression. **Anxiety Disorders**: Irrational fears, panic, OCD. **Eating Disorders**: Anorexia, bulimia. **Treatment of Psychological Disorders** **Therapies**: **Psychodynamic**: Uncover unconscious conflicts (free association, transference). **Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)**: Change thoughts and behaviors. **Humanistic**: Emphasis on self-awareness and growth. **Group and Family Therapy**: Focus on social dynamics and support. **Biological Treatments**: Medications (antidepressants, antipsychotics). ECT: Effective for severe depression. **Developmental Psychology** **Focus**: How people change over time (cognition, socialization, attachment). **Key Theories**: **Piaget**: Cognitive development stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, etc.). **Vygotsky**: Social interaction and Zone of Proximal Development. **Attachment**: Types (secure, avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized). **Learning** **Definition**: Enduring change in behavior from experience. **Classical Conditioning**: Associating stimuli (Pavlov). **Operant Conditioning**: Behavior shaped by consequences (Skinner). **Social Learning**: Observing and imitating others (Bandura). **Attitudes and Social Cognition** **Attitudes**: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral components. Predict behavior when attitudes are specific, strong, and implicit. **Social Cognition**: How we process information about ourselves and others. Schemas, stereotypes, and attributions (internal vs. external). **Interpersonal Processes** **Attraction**: Influenced by proximity, similarity, and physical attractiveness. **Prejudice**: Stereotypes, discrimination, and in-group bias. **Reducing Prejudice**: Intergroup contact and shared goals. These summaries are structured for flashcards. Let me know if you'd like specific formats (e.g., Q&A) or adjustments!