c Psychology: the science of behavior and processes.

Direct observable: Talking, smiling, winking« Internal Mental Processes:

Feeling, thinking«
c 3 Branches of psychology: Experimental-(smallest branch)basic research, Teaches-universities, colleges, high schools, may
also do research. Applied- utilize experimental psychologists findings, work in many areas, training.. equipment design..
psychological treatment, 64% of doctorals in US
c Applied Psychologists Specialties:1. Industrial and Organization,2.Sports,3.Engineering,4.School,5.Rehabilitation,6.Clinical
c 1. Specialize in modifying the work environment to maximize productivity or morale. Training employees or market research
c 2.Work w/ athletes to maximize performance, enhance motivation, control emotions under pressure
c 3. Work on interactions b/w people & equipment, design devices, Psych detection(what went wrong due to human error)«
combine psych and equipment.
c 4. Have expertise in the problems associated w/ teaching and learning, work for school districts. Consult w/ teachers and
parents and counceling.
c 5. Help in the treatment of patients w/ both physical &mental disorders. Stroke, spinal injury, Alcoholism. Work in hospitals or
social service agencies.
c 6. Work w/ people who have problems w/ social or emotional judgment, who face difficult choices in relationships, careers and
education. About ½ of all doctoral level psychologists. Help people deal w/ mental and psychological problems and disorders.
c Psychiatry: medical specialty(doctor of medicine), licensed to prescribe medicines, training emphasizes mental illness
c Psychology: much broader field(includes perception,learning, psychological testing, development issues; not trained in
medicine; gradutate training focuses in research methods and advance study in a particular psychological specialty
c Charles Darwin: origin of species; suggested relationship b/w humans and animals; discoveries of animals biology & behavior
could be applied to humans; natural selection is survival of the fittest; cognitive root is chemistry
st
c Wilhem Hundt(german): 1 person to call himself a psychologist; ³elements of conscious experience:; elements of periodic
table; Structuralism: focused on revealing the most basic ³structures´ or components of the mind; established 1st psychological
research lab; conducted studies in sensation and perception, memory, attention, emotion, cognition, learning &language;
introspection: self assess or report on 1¶s own conscious mental experience
c Psychologial Perspective: 1. Cognition, 2. Behavioral, 3. Whole-person, 4. Developmental, 5. Sociocultural
c 1. Thoughts, expectations, perceptions, memories. Our thoughts & actions arise from the way we interpret our experiences.
c 2. Interested in how people act, not what they think; deals w/ observable events
c 3. Psychodynamic psychology; unconsciousness helps in understanding mental disorders; dreams, slip of tongue, Frued
c 4. Psych. Change result from interaction b/w the heredity programmed in our genes & our experiences prevented by our
environment²nature v. nurture
c 5. People exert powerful influences on each other
c Scientific Method: process for putting ideas to an objective pass/fail test by empirical investigation(the collecting of objective
st
info, 1 hand, by making careful measurements based on direct exposure); Empirical: experience based. Goal of psych
science is to develop explanations for behavior & mental processes, based on theories. Theory: testable eplantation for set of
facts or observations. 5 steps:::
c 1.Hypothesis(little theory): testable idea or theory or prediction; operational definitions specify direct procedures
c 2.Perfrorming Controlled Test: A hypothesis must undergo an ordeal of proof, a test that it will pass or fail; Independent
Variable(IV): a stimulus condition that changes independently of all the other carefully controlled experiment conditions
c 3. Gathering Data: gathered by direct observation; depends only on the manipulations of the experiment conditions(IV);
Dependent Variable(DV): the measured outcome of a study and the responses of the subject in a study. The responses of
participants in a experiment depend on the conditions to which they have been exposed. (Stimulus²Response)(Dog Food²
Salivation)
c 4. Analyzing Results: the research examines the data/results to see whether or not the hypothesis survived the test. The
hypothesis is either accepted or rejected; Statistical Analysis: The observed results rise to the level of significance, or whether
they are due to chance
c 5. Publishing, Criticizing, & Replicating Results: Researchers must find out if their work can withstand the scrutiny & criticism
of the scientific community; publish in a professional journal, present a paper @ a professional meeting, write a book, wait for
critics to respond, look for flaws, replicate study (scientific studies are always tentative)
c 5 Types of Psychological Research:
c 1.Eperimenatal: tool used to identify cause and effect under tightly controlled conditions; researcher controls all conditions
and directly manipulates IV. Experimental group: exposed to the special treatrment, experimental treatment. Compare group:
used as a standard against which to compare the subjects in the experimental condition, control condition, might receive
placebo. In order to avoid systematic bias int the way individuals are assigned random assignment should be utilized(
assigned to each group by chance alone)
c 2.Correlation Studies: the relationship b/w variables. Doesn¶t show cause and effect. Indicates association and how they
relate. Correlation Coefficient: summarizes the relationship b/w the 2 variables. Zero correlation: no relationship at all, Positive
Correlation: as one variable increases so does the other, Negative Correlation: as one variable increases the other decreases.
c 3.Survey: asking for info. Ask people for their responses to a prepared set of questions. Generate large # of respondents w/
relative ease, but only as good as the clarity of its ?¶s & the accuracy & honesty of the respondents reports.
c 4.Naturalistic Observation: researchers want to know how individuals act in their own surroundings.
c 5. Case studies: Focus on why only a few individuals(often just one). In depth study of unusual people w/ rare problems or
unusual talents
c 2 Communication Systems:
c -Nervous: carries messages in pulses of electrical and chemical energy throughout the body
c -Endocrine: sends foolowup messages that support and sustain the response initiated by the nervous system.
c Neurons: nerve cells that receive and transmit info to other cells int the body. 3 types: Sensory(afferent) carries messages to
organs towards brain like seeing and hearing. Motor(efferent)carries messages away from the brain towards muscles and
organs and glands. Interneuron: relays messages b/w nerve cells especially in the brain & spinal cord, makes up most of the
cells in the brain and spinal cord
c How Neurons work:: Receiver parts accept most of the incoming messages.
c Dendrites: branched fibers that extend outward from the cell body; receive info by direct stimulation 7 carry it to the central part
of the neuron. This undergoes subtle modifications when we learn.
c Soma: the part of a cell consisting of the nucleus which includes chromosomes. Assesses all the messages it receives from
dendrites. Excitatory: Fire!! Inhibitory: Don¶t Fire!! Action Potential: axon fires or doesn¶t, but it becomes excited and reverses
the charge. Resting Potential- in its normal resting state, the ions w/in the cell give thw axon a small negative charge.
c Synaptic Transmission: relaying info across the synapse by means of chemical neurotransmitters.
c Synapse: gap b/w nerve cells: acts as an electrical insulator preventing the charge speeding down the axon from jumping to th
next cell
c Terminal buttons: tiny bulblike structure at end of axon which contain the neurotransmitters that carry the neurons message to
the synapse.
c Neurotransmitters: chemical messengers relay neural messages across synapse. A few are:::: Dopamine: produces
sensations of pleasure & reward, used by CNS in voluntary movement, Schizophrenia, Parkingsons disease; Serotonin:
regulates sleep & dreaming, mood, pain, aggression, appetite, & sexual behavior, depression, OCD, anxiety disorders;
Norepinephrine: used by neurons in ANS & neurons in almost every region of brain. Controls heart rate, sleep, stress, sexual
responsiveness, vigilance, & appetite.. high blood pressure, depression; Acetylcholine: primary transmitter used by efferent
neurons, involved in learning and memory.. Alzheimers, muscle disorders; GABA: most prevelant inhibitory neurotransmitter in
the neurons of the CNS, associated anxiety, epilepsy; Glutamate: primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the CNS, learning and
memory, brain damage after stroke; Endorphines: pleasureable sensations and control pain.. opiate addictions lowers levels.
c Glial Cells: support group for neurons, bind them together, form new synapses, mylien sheath
c Electrical Messgae ---- Dendrites(Receptors)---- Soma(Fire, Don¶t fire)----- Axon----- Terminal Buttons (neurotransmitters and
becomes chemical)---- Synapse----- Target Cell(Neuron)
c Nervous System 2 Parts :CNS & PNS
c CNS: the brain and spinal cord, serves as the bodies ³control center´, Brain: 1/3 of skull, coordinated body functions initiates
behaviors and makes complex decisions. Spinal Cord: connects brain w/ parts of the PNS extending into the trunk and limbs(
simple swift reflexes like a knee jerk) that don¶t involve the brain.
c PNS: Controls the CNS w/ the rest of the body through bundles of sensory & motor axons(nerves) carry messages b/w the
brain and the sense organs and the internal organs and muscles. Tells your brain about sights, sounds, tastes, smells, etc.
c Parts of PNS: Somatic: carries sensory info to the CNs, sends voluntary messages to the bodys skeletal(afferent and efferent)
And Autonomic: self regulating/ independent. Sens communication b/w the CNS and the internal glands
c Sympathetic: Fight or Flight
c Parasympathetic: brings back to homeostasis
c Endocrine System: bloodstram carries info serving as the communication pathway for the indocrine system. The hormone
system!
c Hormones: chemical messangers used that influence body functions behaviors and emotions. Epinephrine/ Adrenalen is
released into the blood stream for ³Fight or flight´
c The pituitary gland is sometimes called the "master" gland of the endocrine system, because it controls the functions of the
other endocrine glands. Anterior: ovaries, testes, breast milk production, metabolism reaction to stress. Posterior: water
conservation, breat milk secretion, uterus contractions.
c Electroencephalograph(EEG): records brain waves (weak voltage pattern) by placing electrobes on scalp, tells which part of
the brain is most active
c CT Scanning: Creates Static image of the brain structure via Xrays passed through the brain at various angles and detects soft
tissue structures.
c Position Emission Topography (PET): produces an image showing brain activity by sensing the concentration of lowlevel
radioactive glucose consumed by active brain cells.
c Magnetic Resonanse Imaging (MRI): makes highly detailed pictures from tissue responses to powerful pulses of magnetic
energy.
c Brain Stem: links the spinal cord w/ the rest of the brain. 4 Parts
c 1.Medulla: regulates basic body functions, including breathing, blood pressure, heart rate
c 2.Pons: regulates the sleep and dreaming cycle, above medulla, connects brain to cerebellum
c 3. Reticular Formation: keeps the brain alert and awake; monitors incoming sensory info and direct attention to novel/important
messges
c 4. Thalamus: directs nearly all the brains incoming and outgoing sensory & motor traffic, keeps attention
c Cerebellum: Walking, Dancing, drinking from a glass, Little brain! Habitual responses.
c Limbic System: middle layer of brain, memories and regulate complex motives and emotions, pleasure and pain, fear, rage,
ecstasy. 3 Parts!!!
c Hippocampus: memory, on each side of the brain, connects past w/ present, helps remembering space
c Amygdala: memory and emotion, aggression and fear, emotionally charged events(9/11)
c Hypothalamus: constantly monitors the blood to determine the temp and condition of the body.
c Cerebral Dominance: Cross Lateralization: each hemisphere communicates w/ the opposite side of the body
c Brocas Area: left front portion of the brain/ localization of speech
c Brocas Aphasia: loss of speech due to brain damage
c Cerebral Dominance: tendency of each brain hemisphere to exert control over diff. functions but they do work together
c The Split Brain: Severing the corpus callosum- brain surgically split. Used in treating patients with epilepsy, to prevent
hemispheres from echoing back and forth b/w them
c Classical conditioning: A form of behavioral learning in which a previously neutral stimulus aquires the power to elicit the same
innate reflex by another stimulus
c Ivan Pavlov: Russian: Pavlov¶s dogs, salivating before food came
c Neural Stimulus: any stimulus that produces no conditioned reponse prior to learning. When brought into a experiment it is
callrd Conditioned Stimulus(CS)
c Uncondtioned Stimulus(UNS): in classical training it is the stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response
c Acquisition: The initial learning stage which the conditioned response comes to be elicited by the conditioned stimulus
c Conditioned Response: Pavlovs dogs
c Operant Conditioning: Skinner¶s Box little kid sees whit emouse. Something is being done after or right b4 the person does
something