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Review Sheet #1
Chapters 1 and 2
The Scientific Method and Neurobiology
Chapter 1: (and the Introduction)
Background terms from the book intro:
- Famous people: Wilhelm Wundt, Sigmund Freud, John Watson, BF Skinner
- Psychology v. Psychiatry
- Types of research: Basic, Applied, Clinical
- Types of descriptive research: case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys,
correlation
- The major psychological perspectives (to explain human behavior):
o Biological
o Cognitive
o Behavioral
o Socio-cultural
o Psychoanalytic/Psychody
namic
The Scientific Method
- Understand the difference between correlation research methods (shows only
predictability) such as the survey method and the scientific method (shows cause
and effect).
- Thesis and Hypothesis
o Independent variable (what is tested) v. Dependent variable (what is
measured)
o Experimental v. Control groups (experimental is tested – receives the ID
v. the control group; basis of comparison; no treatment or a placebo)
o Controls (to reduce bias): Possibilities include random selection of all
subjects, random assignment to groups, double-blind, replication, and a
placebo (if a drug experiment).
This methodology helps to overcome “hindsight bias” and “overconfidence”
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Ethical considerations in psychological research: Guidelines to the APA
requirements
o Must have: informed consent, no harm to the subjects, debriefing
afterwards and confidentiality of the results
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The use of inferential statistics: used to measure the dependent variable and as an
objective comparison of the experimental and control groups.
o Central tendencies: the mean, median and mode
o The bell curve and standard deviations and range
o Correlation coefficients: -1.0 to 1.0 to show statistical relationships
between variables
o Percentile ranks: to show the percentages below a given ranking
Chapter 2: Neurobiology
-
Neurotransmissions and the nervous systems: (neurotransmission is often
nicknamed the “all-or-nothing response” to explain the electrical firing of neurons
and the chemical release of neurotransmitters)
o Axons, dendrites, synaptic gap and myelin sheath
o Specific neurotransmitters: Acetylcholine, endorphins, serotonin,
dopamine), inhibitory vs. excitatory
o Types of neurons: Sensory (afferent), Motor (efferent) [remember SAME],
and Interneurons
o Agonists and antagonists
o Structure of the nervous systems: central, peripheral, autonomic, somatic,
sympathetic (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic (calming) [remember
SYMpathy for one in crisis; PARAchute to calm down slowly]
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The endocrine system: Involves our major glands such as the adrenal and pituitary
glands and hormones such as adrenaline, testosterone, estrogen and
norepinephrine.
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The Brain: The three general region are the Brainstem, the Limbic System and
the Cerebral Cortex.
o The brainstem includes the medulla (heartbeat and breathing), the reticular
formation (arousal center), the cerebellum (balance) and the thalamus (the
“sensory switchboard”)
o The limbic system includes the hippocampus (memory), the hypothalamus
(directs the endocrine system/”pleasure center”), and the amygdala
(emotions such as anger and aggression)
o The cerebral cortex is the brain’s neural covering and the brain’s
information processing center where neurons communicate
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The four lobes include the: occipital (vision), parietal (sensory cortex), temporal
(hearing) and frontal (personality and judgments – ex. Phinneas Gage)
The two hemispheres include the:
o Right: spatial and creative
o Left: language and logical math reasoning
o Broca’s area – making speech (left frontal)
o Wernicke’s areas – comprehending speech (left temporal)
-
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Brain imaging techniques: CAT scans (computer pictures), EEGs (measures
electrical impulses), MRIs (measures magnetic activity) and PET scans (measures
glucose activity)