Introduction to Psychology PDF

Unit 1: What is Psychology? The scientific study of the mind and behavior - Human And animal behavior - Conscious and unconscious processes - Thoughts feelings - Personality - Bio structure Industrial Psychology: (Business) - Study of people at work Masters in 3-4 years or docto...

Unit 1: What is Psychology? The scientific study of the mind and behavior - Human And animal behavior - Conscious and unconscious processes - Thoughts feelings - Personality - Bio structure Industrial Psychology: (Business) - Study of people at work Masters in 3-4 years or doctorate in 5-6 Hiring the right person for the job Providing feedback to employees to improve performance Structuring the work to aid productivity and satisfaction Forensic Psychology: (Law) Masters in 3-4 years or Doctorate in 5-6 World with attorneys, police, and judges within the legal system Serve as expert witnesses Interview defendants and determine mental state Clinical Psychology: Doctorate in 5-6 years either PhD or PsyD Diagnose and treat mental illness Perform psychological testing Social Workers: Masters in 2-3 years Needs to get thousand of hours to get the C in LCSW ( Licensed clinical social worker ) and be a practicing therapist Diagnose and treat mental illnesses Psychiatrists: Medical school plus 4 years of residency Diagnose and treat mental health issues with medicine Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression Psych then and now: William wumdt 1879 - opened first lab for research  Sensations and feelings were elements of experience Experience is partly under voluntary control, you can shift yor attention to one thing to another and get a different experience To test his ideas about experience, he asked subjects to introspect and asked to report about their mental state Edward Titchener Structuralism = Attempt to describe the structures that compose the mind.Breaking down elements or experiences into basic categories and building blocks His main question of psychology was the nature of natural experiences He believed that everyone saw the same things and experienced the same thing but the outcome of what they saw was different based on personal subjective experiences William James Functionalism = Focuses on what the mind does rather then what it is He defined many in psychology that we still used today - How to strengthen good habits? - Can a person multitask? - ect….. Darwin Evolutionary psychology Natural selection is basically the survival of the fittest where humans and animals have to adapt to their natural surroundings. The ones that succeed and survive will pass on to the next generation Evolutionary psychologists study different methods and ways people use these survival methods. Some traits of this are.. - attachment , anxiety, phobia, emotions etc.. Although it makes us uncomfortable we do it anyway to keep us alive physically, emotionally, and socially Frued The Unconscious Mind He was a neurologist in the 1800’s and 1900’s Most of his studies and tests were based on personal there's and patients cases/studies His ideas were about the unconscious and subconscious mind and how they operate and influence a human's behavior whether they notice or not His ideas became very popular in modern therapy Some of this unconscious behavior includes - Defense mechanisms and repression Scientific method in psychology: 1. Background research 2. Hypothesis 3. Method 4. Results 5. Interpretation Hypothesis - Exactly what it is. Based on previous research and facts to predict Must be possible to disprove it, whatever measure/length  Must be operationalized. Have to have cold facts/terms, put into measurable observation, controlled environment ( my pshat) - How do you operationalize intangible things/objects such as emotions and thoughts ect.. - FMRI have the ability to look into the cetin parts of the brain that light up when fear and anxiety is triggered. Same goes for this topic that if the child is put in a situation that he is hungry he will cry or get angry because thats the part of the brain that triggered Method Different types of study methods (Different methods can improve or hurt the observation/study) A. Experimental B. Correlation Observational research design: Naturalistic observation = observation of what happens in natural conditions Case History = A full description of someone's history. Like everything. One specific case,very focused Surveys: Randomness is very important in surveys, variety Word play and seriousness of answers will very much effect the outcome How the question is worded Surveyor biases = when you influence the answers when you ask about something bad and tell the that most people think it’s bad Correlation study: A measurement of the relationship between two variables - if one goes up will the other go up or will it remain the same Variable = Anything that differs from each person such as age and gender and education Correlation coefficient = A mathematical estimate of the correlation Illusory correlation: An apparent relationship based on casual observation and weakly correlated events. Such as if you got stung by a bee in the park so you think all parks are evil. Cognitive bias - anything that shows bad information An example of this is that vaccine cause autism - so could be a negative thing Correlation does not necessary = causation and vise versa - Depressed mood can be caused by lack of sleep but it also could be totally irrelevant. Could be more likely, but can say that for certain because its not totally true thats the correlation  - The more cracks in the sidewalk the ice cream sales goes up. The summer heat makes the sidewalk crack so ice cream sales go up because it’s summer. No real correlation Quote of the day - I'm just trying to change peoples lives with life coaching. “Its called NCSY kollel” Experiments: Independent variable = The item that is changed and controlled Dependent variable = The item that is used to see the outcome The example of 30 people who have clinical depression. Half get anti depressants and half get placebos. They get tested beforehand. After a few months they come back and the group of the real pills are better than the placebo group. So we can see here that the cause was better mental health. Controlled group = The group that think they are getting treated just like the regular group but don't get the real meds Experimental group = The group that gets the real meds - Although the experimental group does get significantly better, the controlled group does get better as well because they think they are getting better Experiment is the only type of research that can establish causation How to control causation? In the antidepressants case over time we can see that the mood and feeling of the patients are getting better. So we can see that factually over time the people with the meds are getting better than the causation. Confounding Variables = An external or irrelevant event that is influencing the outcome of the study - If you have one group coffee with a bunch of sugary stuff involved and another group with just black coffee, the one with sugar will be happier - Does that mean that's what causes happiness? Not necessarily. It could be various different things. We don't know exactly what variables causes the happiness How would you strengthen your study? - You split the group at random so each group has different ages and genders etc…… - If you split a bunch of 20 year olds and 80 and the 20 year olds are happier that's not a good study Single blind study = A procedure that either the patient ot observer doesn't know if the patient got the meds/treatment Double blind study = BOth participant and observer are not aware of treatment Unit 2: Placebo effect: Pretty much what it is, the hope and though they are going to get better, psychologically they get better - Controversial weather it’s ethical or not Has to be no other existing treatment When withholding treatment wont cause harm If the study will greatly benefit the study Only if it can potentially benefit - if it only applies to men it might be a problem to test it on women (very controversial) Tuskegee Experiment = Ethical Consideration in research In humans: Pre Approved by institutional review board (IRB) Must provide informed consent to all possible risk of any kind Minimize deception Minimize physical and psychological harm In non humans: Able to do research that will harm subject/animal Control of the subject Controversial The MIlgrum experiment = New Unit: Nervous system: - brain - Spinal chords - Nerves 2 kinds of class in the nervous system: 1. Neurons - cells that revive info and transmit it to other parts of the body 2. Glia cells - cells that support Neuron components cell body (soma) Dedrite Axon Axon terminal (end of axon)  Synapse (gab between neurons) Membrane: The outer layer of cell Ion: charged particle A neuron at rest (default state) has more negative ions inside the membrane than outside. This is called the membrane potential (the difference in charge across the membrane) Neurons have a membrane potential of -70 There are channels in the membrane that allows ions to pass in and out. When the neuron rests there is a certain amount of channels open to maintain that -70 Depolarized Neuron: Curtin stimuli can trigger the neuron changing it from a resting state to a depolarized state (heat,light,sound, ect….) When it’s triggered the membrane opens up more to allow more ions to pass through making the -70 go up ( the waybit woks with negatives is that if -70 goes up that mean its going to -60,-50 ans so on) If it reaches a certain positive charge (-55) it will trigger an action potential , of it doest get taht high everything pretty much stays the same Action potential: When the neuron is depolarized as mentioned before, the positive charge travels down the axon of the neuron It's like a signal sent between neurons, always same strength and speed Travels down the axon and reaches the synapse Once it hits the synapse, it triggers it triggers the release of the neurotransmitters Neuron communication is an electrochemical reaction - because the action potential ois electric reaction and the neurotransmitter is a chemical reaction = electrochemical Example: A hand touches a stove. The heat (stimulus) triggers the sensory neurons the fire action potential which sends a signal to the spinal cord that is interpreted as a dangerous level of heat. The spinal cord send a signal to the neurons in the muscle and makes the hand move away Synapse: The meeting space between presynaptic neuron(sending) and a postsynaptic neuron(receiving). The terminal bouton at the tip of the presynaptic axon hold the neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters: The chemical that activates the receptors on the other neurons. They are the chemical messengers They provide the instructions for limbs to move, moods to swing, and for the body to feel different sensations They travel between the synapse Brain Plasticity: With reported activity the synapse gets stronger each time. So the next message that tries to go through it will be more likely to get through New Unit: Serotonin: ( and antidepressants) A Buerostarnmitter rhat increases ahpiness, wellbeing, heathy sleep, etc…  Could be increased bt light and exercise A type of anti depressant is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) - They block the neuron from absorbing the serotonin so there extra serotonin floating around outside the cell - It suck up all the bad stuff that tries to take the serotonin away and the SSRI’s lets it flow through to help Only certain seretonojn with fit into it’s proper receptors to do whats needed Opioids, endorphins, and dopamine: Endorphins are bhormosnes tahta ct as nuerotranmiters to relieve paina nd sucjh. ( released during exercise, sexual activity, laugjhter etc…) Endorphins bind to opioed recpeters casuing dopomine to be realesed Dopamine creates i tense feeling of pleasure and it’s a self reinforcer Blocking pain receptors so you dont feel the pain Opioids mimic endorphins and binds to opiate receptors, creating calm relief state When the opioids bind to the opioid receptors they produce excessive amount of dopamine resulting in an euphoric high, geshmak Big downside When your body get used to opioids it stops making natural dopamine and so if you stop taking them the your body will go into shock and i tense pain Withdrawals contain hot or cold flashes, nassau, bone shaking ,etc… GABA and Alcohol: GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter, blocks certain signals in the brain and spinal cord which produced calm feeling - Alcohol mimics GABA Same as dopamine and opioids when your body gets so used to GABA that if your stop “drinking” your body stops making its own natural GABA - They feel stressed and in pain because of loss of their own GABA  Symptoms could be hot and cold, seizures, nervous breakdown, sweating. etc…. Addiction: Physical dependence = the body adapts to the drug in your system and keeps needing more to have that effect - Tolerance = the initial amount doesn't actually produce same effect - Withdraw = The absence of the drug can cause physical pain Emotional dependence = Drugs provide the emotional stability when people can't handle their own emotions and when they get used to dealing with that with drugs the second they don’t have that they can’t handle their emotions, it’s almost like they don't know their own real feelings and emotions Three major components of the brain: 1. Brainstem 2. Cerebellum 3. Cerebrum Brainstem: - Located at the base and leads to the spine - Oldest and most primitive - In charge of involuntary actions such as breathing Cerebellum: - Means little brain since it looks like a mini brain itself - Voluntary motion such as walking - Maintains balance and muscle tone Cerebral cortex: - Responsible for most advanced human function such eyesight and hearing - Left and right side (each identical) - Has 4 cortex = Frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital Occipital lobe = located in the back, responsible for eye sight Parietal lobe = located in top and center, responsible for processing sensory info that includes pain and temperature - Spatial awareness - Proprioception (awareness of body) Temporal lobe = located by the ears and responsible for sound, smell, and language processing and memory  Frontal lobe = Located on the top front of brain, is responsible for planning and organizing, creativity and problem solving, impulse control and emotion regulation Phineas Gage: Phineas Gage is probably the most famous person to have survived severe damage to the brain. He is also the first patient from whom we learned something about the relation between personality and the function of the front parts of the brain. Awake Craniotomy: Awake craniotomy, also known as awake brain surgery, is a minimally invasive neurosurgical procedure that involves operating on the brain while the patient is awake and alert. It's used to treat certain brain conditions, such as tumors and epileptic seizures, when the tumor or seizure focus is near areas of the brain that control movement, speech, or vision. During the procedure, the patient is asked to perform tasks while the surgeon stimulates specific areas of the brain to assess neurological function. The patient may be asked to count, read, or name pictures on an iPad. The surgeon can then use this information to identify critical areas of the brain and remove as much of the tumor as possible while preserving neurological function. Electroencephalogram (EEG): Measures and amplifies tiny electrical charges on the scalp that reflect activity Able to see different kinds of brain waves which indicate different levels of brain activity like sleep, waking, and seizures Measuring brain activity: Positron-emission tomography (PET) = Inject radioactive sugar into blood. They use PET scan to detect which areas use extra glucose, means extra activity which can be a sign of cancer Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): (most psychologist use this one) Is a brain imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed pictures of the brain while it's in use Dectes batin activity, blood flow, if more blood to a section that part is activated Nervous system: Central = Brain and spinal cord Peripheral = Spinal cord to the rest for the body 1. Somatic - Controls conscious and voluntary movements 2. Autonomic - Controls unconscious and involuntary movements - Sympathetic = Response to threat (fight or flight) (PTSD) - Parasympathetic = Calm state New Unit: Vision and light: Different wavelengths that result in different colors. Light passes through the cornea which is the clear front layer of the eye. Passes through the pupil all the way in the back of the eye where the retina is located. Retina = Has special neurons called photoreceptors which transform different types of light into different electrical signals. Two kinds - Cones = Responsible for daytime vision. Different cone detect diffeetn colors, most;y divided into red and green and blur - Rods = Responsible for night vision and very sensitive to light The cones and rods send the electric signals along the optic nerve to the occipital lobe of the brain (a nerve is a bundle of neurons) The brain interprets the electric signals to create mental image composed of different colors Seeing in the dark: Cones = Respond to light quickly so when you open your eyes you can see immediately Rods = Slowly adapt to light, so when you open your eyes it takes a little time to process the light. When you open your eyes your cones start working, once the rods start working you can see better in the dark. It's called dark adaptation Central and peripheral vision: Fovea = Area on the retina withy very concentrated amount of photoreceptors(which transform different types of light into different electrical signals) , provides sharp and clear sight Peripheral = Anything test on the side view outside the fovea and a little blurrier Perceiving Depth: Monocular Cues Object size - closer, object bigger Linear perspective - converging lines, vanishing point Interposition - closer object look farther away Aerial perspective - further object look blurrier and lighter Binocular cues = are a way to perceive depth and distance using both eyes. They work by comparing the images received by each eye to determine the relative position of objects.