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Exam 1 Material
Intro to Biological Psychology
29
Psychology
Undergraduate 2
02/05/2014

Additional Psychology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Biological Psychology
Definition
the study of biological bases of psychological processes and behavior
Term
Neuroscience
Definition
the study of the nervous system (without behavior)
Term
Five major perspectives used to study biology of behavior
Definition

1. Describing behavior

2. Studying evolution of behavior

3. Observing the development of behavior over the life span

4. Studying biological mechanisms of behavior

5. Studying applications of biological psychology, as in behavioral dysfunction

Term
Two ways behavior can be described
Definition

1. acts/processes (structural)

2. results/functions (functional)

Term
Continuity of behavior
Definition

conserved characteristics

 

traits shared between distant relatives

Term
Conserved trait
Definition
A trait that is passed on from a common ancestor
Term
Ontogeny
Definition
the process of growing up and growing old
Term
Somatic Intervention
Definition

alteration of a structure or function to see how behavior is altered

 

change in body results in change in behavior

Term
Independent Variable
Definition
the factor that is being manipulated by the experimenter
Term
Dependent Variable
Definition
what is measured in response to changes in the independent variable
Term
Behavioral Intervention
Definition

intervention in a behavior to see how structure of the brain or brain function is altered

 

change in behavior results in change in body

Term
Correlation
Definition

how much a body measure varies with a behavioral measure

 

CORRELATION DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION

Term
Neuroplasticity
Definition

the ability of the brain to be changed by environment and by experience

 

Term
Dendritic spine
Definition
the bumps on dendrites that each connect to a synapse of another neuron
Term
Levels of Analysis
Definition
Different ways to analyze data; can range from social interaction to the molecular level
Term
Reductionism
Definition

breaking down a system into its smaller parts in order to understand it

 

analyzing on a simple or more basic level

 

used because of complexity or ethical reasons

Term
Clinical Approach
Definition
using humans in the lab to research a treatment
Term
Laboratory Approach
Definition
using animals or cells in the lab to study a treatment
Term
Early Egyptians and Greeks, and Aristotle believed...
Definition
the heart controlled mental capacities and emotions
Term
Hippocrates
Definition
discovered the brain was the seat of thoughts and emotions
Term
Herophilus
Definition
conducted early dissections tracing the nervous system
Term
Galen
Definition

reported behavioral changes in brain-injured gladiators

 

considered "Father of Medicine"

Term
Leonardo da Vinci
Definition
created anatomical drawings of the brain, including cross-sections
Term
Descartes
Definition
  • Explained animal behavior as a machine
  • Proposed spinal reflexes and their neural pathways (i.e. moving a body part before you realize it's burning)
  • Proposed the pineal gland as the junction between mind and body (wrong)
Term
Dualism
Definition

the idea that humans have a non-material soul as well as a material body

 

proposed by Descartes

Term
Phrenology
Definition

the theory that assigned separate functions to cortical areas

 

thought bumps on the skull were caused by the brain region being enlarged from being good at a task that region controlled

 

19th century

Term
Paul Broca
Definition
showed that language ability is restricted to a small area based on a patient with damage to that area
Term
First studies of Biological Psychology
Definition
  • 20th century
  • Learning and Memory (Thorndike-cats in cage)
  • Conditioning (Pavlov)
  • Perception (Hebb- talked about cell assemblies and Hebbian synapses)
  • Motivation
Term
Consciousness
Definition
the state of awareness of one's own existence and experience
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