Psychology Is Defined As the Study of Human Behavior and Mental Process

Psychology-Unit 1

Prologue-History of Psychology

  Psychology is defined as the study of human behavior and mental process

  The first and most important historians of psychology are: Freud, Jung, Darwin, Rogers, Maslow, Piaget, Wundt, Skinner, Pavlov, Locke and Watson.

  Freud & Jung were considered the Psychoanalytic theorists: Belief was in the unconscious (subconscious mind). Emphasis was on dreams and unconscious processes.

  Darwin: Survival of the fittest and belief in individual differences.

  Jung: Known as an Analytic Psychologist. Agreed much with Freud but branched out on his own after he studied under Freud. Was also a spiritual psychologist.

  Branch of psychology that focuses on how we think about the world. We are viewed as rational or irrational people.

  Piaget, Beck and Bandura focused on cognitive psychology.

  Branch of psychology that focuses on observable behavior. What can we see, observe, count, etc… Does not focus on the subconscious mind at all.

  Pavlov, Skinner, Watson, & Locke were from this theory.

  Locke asserted “tabula rasa” which means blank slate, signifying that all behavior is learned.

  Believes that the brain and genetics play a large role in psychology.

  Would also look at many chemical reactions in the brain as reasons for depression, anxiety and other psychological issues.

  This theory is the nature-nurture controversy theory. This is the theory which attributes that most of psychology is a combination of nature and nurture.

  Nature is also known as biology and genetics, and nurture is also known as environmental.

Experimental Psychology

  Three types of studies: survey, correlation, experiment.

  Survey: asking individuals preferences and charting responses. Simplest experimental method.

  No generalization can take place beyond the sample group.

  Correlation signifies relationship between two variables.

  -positive: move in the same direction

  -negative: move in opposite directions (inverse)

  Correlation is measured on a scale from -1 to +1

  Value measures strength while sign measures direction. (-.95 is stronger than +.75)

  Scatterplots visually show correlation.

  Positive correlations are shown with a graph sloping upward right whereas negative correlations are shown with a graph sloping downward right.

  No correlation is shown with a random set of points.

  Random Selection-The assurance that every individual in the population will have an equal chance of being selected

  Random Assignment-Reduces the likelihood of pre-existing differences between the control and experimental groups

  Experiments are done to show causation, that one variable causes another.

  Independent Variables are introduced by the researcher to change the results.

  Dependent Variables are measured by the researcher

  Single Blind studies are when the subject does not know what group they are in.

  Double Blind studies are when the subject and researcher do not know what group the subject is in.

  Control Group-placebo is given, no IV

  Experimental Group-IV is given

  Baseline measurement: Objective measure before IV

Biology

  Neural Communication

  -Dendrites: receives information and pass to the cell body

  -axons: largest part of cell body, passes message to cell body

  -myelin sheath: protects axons and speeds neural impulses

  Action potential: electrical charge that travels down the axon, working on all or none response

  Threshold: minimum amount of intensity

  Synapse: junction between the cells

  Neurotransmitters: Chemical messages in the brain

  Acetylcholine (ACH)-Enables muscles, learning & memory: not enough leads to Alzheimer’s Disease

  Dopamine: movement, attention, learning, emotion. Too much leads to Schizophrenia, not enough to Parkinson’s Disease

  Serotonin: Mood, hunger, sleep, arousal. Not enough leads to depression.

  Norepinephrine: Alertness & Arousal. Not enough can also lead to depression

  Endorphins: Control pleasure & pain.

  Divided into Central & Peripheral: The central contains the brain & spinal cord.

  The peripheral contains the somatic & autonomic

  The autonomic contains the sympathetic & parasympathetic

  Somatic controls voluntary movement, autonomic controls involuntary movement

  Sympathetic (arousing) prepares you for stress. Parasympathetic (calming) recovers you from stress

  Sympathetic: Dilates pupils, increases heart rate, inhibits digestion, stimulates glucose, stimulates adrenaline, relaxes bladder, stimulates ejaculation

  Parasympathetic: Contracts pupils, decreases heart rate, stimulates digestion, stimulates gallbladder, contracts bladder, blood flows to sex organs

  Hormones: Chemical messages in the blood

  Adrenal Gland: Secretes adrenaline

  Pituitary Gland: pea-size structure controlled by the hypothalamus responsible for growth

  Hypothalamus: Responsible for hunger, thirst, and homeostatic balance

  EEG-Electroencephalogram-amplified reading of brain waves

  Pet Scan-Positron Emission Tomography-Shows brain’s chemical fuel

  MRI-Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Shows the spinning atoms of the brain

  fMRI-functional MRI-can reveal brain’s function and structure. Most sophisticated method.

  Thalamus: Telephone switchboard of the brain

  Medulla: Controls heartbeat & respiration

  Reticular Formation: Controls arousal & alertness

  Cerebrum: Higher level thinking

  Cerebellum: Coordinates movement & balance

  Corpus Callosum: Connects the two hemispheres

  Limbic System (amygdala): Controls emotion

  Glial Cells: Support, nourish & protect neurons

  Frontal: Emotion & Judgment

  Parietal: Sensory information & touch

  Occipital: Vision

  Temporal: Hearing and Memory

  Broca’s Area: Controls Language Expression (Speaking)

  Wernicke’s Area: Controls language reception (comprehension)

  Aphasia: Impairment of language due to damage to Broca or Wernicke’s area

  Angular Gyrus: Transforms visual representations into auditory codes

  Plasticity: Brain’s ability to regenerate itself after damage

  Right Brain vs. Left Brain:

  -Left Brain: Right handed, logic, mathematics

  -Right Brain: Artistic Ability, Creativity, Spatial Relations

Consciousness

  Selective Attention- Conscious Awareness focuses

  Inattentional Blindness-When attending to one task, not noticing other obvious stimuli in the background

  Change Blindness-Not noticing an obvious change in stimuli

  Biological Rhythms:

  Circadian Rhythms-The 24 hour sleep-wake cycle

  Sleep Stages: Stages 1,2,3,4,Rem

  Stage 1: (alpha waves)-relaxed phase of sleepiness

  Stage 2: (sleep spindles)

  Stage 3: (theta waves)

  Stage 4: (delta waves)-deep sleep, sleeptalking and sleepwalking. Enuresis (bed-wetting) & Encopresis (bed-soiling). Night Terrors occur.

  REM (Rapid Eye Movement): Dreams occur

  A sleep cycle is approximately 90 minutes long. It is divided into 2 phases: Rem sleep & n-Rem sleep.

  As the evening progresses, Rem increases and n-Rem decreases.

  Babies average 50% Rem sleep while adults average 20% Rem sleep.

  REM Rebound-Lacking sleep one night will result in an increase in REM sleep the following night. Sleep medications reduce REM sleep. Withdrawing them increases REM and nightmares.

  Teens typically need 8-9 hours per night and average under 7 hours. Severe sleep loss leads to anxiety & depression and no sleep can lead to hallucinations.

  Hallucinations: Sensory experiences that occur without a sensory stimulus.

  Insomnia-the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep

  Narcolepsy-the inability to stay awake; suddenly falling asleep.

  Apnea-the temporary loss of breathing during sleep

  Theories of why we dream:

  -to satisfy our wishes (Freud wish fulfillment)

  -to file away memories (Information Processing)

  -to preserve neural pathways (Physiological)

  -to reflect cognitive development (Cognitive)

  Sleeping pills depress REM sleep and increase the speed to stage 4 sleep

  Hypnosis: A suggestible state of mind

  Posthypnotic suggestions: Suggestions made during hypnosis carried out after the subject is no longer hypnotized.

  Dissociation: Divided consciousness or mind split such as doodling while listening to a lecture.

  Psychoactive drugs: chemicals that change perception and mood through altering neural pathways and connections.

  Tolerance: Brain adapts chemistry to offset drug effect and requires more for same effect

  Withdrawal: Absence of drug causes physical and psychological effects

  Addiction-Compulsive craving for a substance despite adverse consequences

  Dependence is physical and psychological

  Addictive drugs quickly corrupt: Morphine for pain control leads to heroin use is a myth.

  Addiction cannot be overcome voluntarily: People do recover on their own.

  All behaviors over-indulged are classified as addictions. Many over-indulged behaviors are not addictions and can be excused as such if not careful.

  Depressants: Calm neural activity & slow brain functioning. Examples are alcohol, barbiturates and opiates. Alcohol causes disinhibition meaning that people lose their judgment, memories, and boundaries.

  Stimulants: Excite neural activity and arouse body functions. Examples are amphetamines and methamphetamines, caffeine, nicotine, and cocaine.

  Cocaine creates euphoria and then a crash as there is no selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) to assist the process.

  Hallucinogens distort perceptions and evoke sensory images in the absence of sensory input. Examples are LSD, Ecstasy, and Marijuana.

  Marijuana: Causes a mix of effects including mild hallucogenic reactions from the active ingredient, THC.

  Alcohol effects the transfer of material from short-term memory to long-term memory

Near-Death Experience: An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death similar to drug-induced hallucinations