Going over Broad questions psychology is trying to answer
The Elephant of Human Experience
Everyone experiences things different, therefore we each have a different piece of the whole objective truth-
Goal of psychology is to know whwat people are thinking and why they are thinking it-
6 basic human emotions-
Not only human, but unique -
Barnum Effect: Idea that if something is general enough/ambiguous enough it applies to most people -
Balanced out statements -
What people rely on as shortcuts for relying others and other people, basically a horoscope -
People tend to be more likely to believe someone who we view as experts Psychology Definition: scientific study of the behavior of Organisms Behavior a.
Observable1.
How do we measure and study intent(facial expressions, body language)-
Mood is a good way to observe -
Way they move-
How they respond to typical stimuli -
MAIN WAY WE MEASURE HUMAN BEHAVIOR IS ASKING PEOPLE -
Human and Animal2.
Humans and Animals can be conditioned very quickly "Dog experiment with shock" ○
Avoidance learning: learning to avoid something unpleasant, typically very quickly ○-
There are events that are beyond our control, when that happens, it leads to a state of "learned helplessness" Depression may be "learned helpless" that no matter what they do, nothing will save them or help them ○-
Depression medicine typically targets serotonin inhibitors to get more serotonin, as many psychologists found that depressed people had less serotonin -
Range 3.
Human behavior varies wildly
What makes attraction? Likeability? Creativity? Musical prowess? Altruism
Are there certain genetic conditions in which someone might have more aspects than others ▪○
Aggression? Criminality? Sociopaths? Is it possible to determine psychological likelihood ○-
General Factors Affecting Behavior a.
Biology and development 1.
How we go from a infant to language is truly remarkable -
How do we know to distinguish between emotions -
Sensation(5 senses to get information) how we get information/is it distorted
After sensation, need to perceive and that differs from each and every individual ○
What causes alzheimers/dimentia? ○
Where are the attentional centers in the brain,-Introduction
Saturday, August 13, 2022 3:16 PM Unit 1 Page 1 Where are the attentional centers in the brain,○
Is there a genetic component to addiction○
Cognition -AKA THINKING 2.
Cognition is your thoughts
MEMORIES: how are they formed, how to improve them, how accurate are they, over the course of time ○-
Self-talk has a huge impact on someone individually, can be soothing, can be self -destructive -
Social/environmental3.
Does birth order make a difference -
The roll of the environment in "helping behaviors" "Old woman at grocery store experiment" Who stops to help old woman People who found a dime were more likely to help than those who didn't find a dime □
60% helped who found the dime, 20% if didn't find the dime □▪○-
Social and environmental factors have a huge effect on altruistic behaviors through the mood of a person Mood has a big impact on short -term human ideas ○-
Environment and social context make a difference-
Definition: The Scientific Study Science vs. Personal Knowledge A.
Difference between science and personal knowledge Personal knowledge is typically pretty biased Confirmation bias▪○
Science provides systematic and formal way of gathering/examining knowledge○-
Goals of Science Description1.
Explanation2.
-Sigmund Freud juxtaposed that we have a "Death instinct" Have to find socially approved ways to gratify this "death instinct" so we don't tear down society i.
Some think violence is a instinct, some think we are socialized into violence and introduce to it(Albert Bandura)-
Prediction3.
Predicting the effects of trauma, events in life, predict outcomes based on experiences of people -
Control
Or prevention i.4.
Improving Quality of Life 5.B.
Methods of Science Correlational method Variable Is there a relationship between experiences/events and how someone is 1)i.
Positive, negative, zero correlations
Positive correlation: high scores on X are associated with high scores on Y, low scores on X are associated with low scores on Y Eg: High school GPA to College GPA □
Negative correlation: High scores on X are associated with low scores on Y, and scores on X are associated with high scores on Y
Eg: Absences in class to test scores □
Zero Correlation: no correlation between two variables□ii.
Can have (+) to ( -), can range from +1 to -1 in strength of relationship Magnitude of correlation □-1.C. Unit 1 Page 2 Magnitude of correlation Most human behavior ranges from +/ -0-0.5 strength in correlation □
Help us describe relationships □
Don’t help us explain, correlations are just observations □
Experimental Method 2.
Manipulation of set variables -
Correlation vs. Causation a.
Independent and dependent variables
Dependent variable is what you're measuring -
Independent variable is what you control -b.
Control and experimental groups
Want them to be exactly the same besides what is being measured i.c.
Randomization d.
Ways to measure data:
Measures of Central Tendence :
Mean(average)a.
Median -the score where 50% fall below, 50% are above b.
Mode -the most frequently occurring result c.
Measures of Variability
Range -highest to lowest a.
Standard deviation=average deviation from the meanb.
Perspectives/Models Psychophysiological a.
Minds and bodies are connected, behavior is determined by physical structures/genetic code-
Most behavior can be explained by biochemical processes-
Need to analyze smaller and smaller units, very reductionistic, all the way to cellular level -
Psychodynamic/psychoanalyticb.
We have basic instincts that drive everything-
Behavioral c.
Idea that there are basic principles of learning and laws that occur that govern human behavior in terms of how/what we learn Classical conditioning ○
Behavior is determined by reinforces/punishers ○-
Cognitive d.
Neuroscience, combination of psychophysiological, about human thinking, how do we process info, how do we form and develop schemas, bundles of cognitive nerves that have thinking and emotion that guide us, thinking is what guides us -
Humanistic -existential e.
Reaction to Freud's instinct idea -
Where is our free will? -
Reaction to behaviorism -
Basically states that we are driven as all living organisms are driven, by a need for growth, want to grow to fullest potential -
Fields of Psychology Very broad field, most common is clinical psychology, then education, the counseling -
Types of settings a.
Psychologist vs. psychiatrist vs. psychoanalyst vs psychotherapist b. Unit 1 Page 3 Biological Aspects of Behavior
Neurons(nerve cells)
Functions -send and receive messages a.
Parts*
Soma(cell body)i.
Axonii.
Terminal buttons-
Dendrites -branches
Receptor sights
Receive neurotransmitters that come from other neurons a)1)iii.b.
Kinda of neurons*
Sensory(afferent)
Bring in senses -1.
Motor(efferent)
Control motor skills-
Take information from brain and bring them to the muscles -2.
Interneurons(associative)
Most common neurons -
These connect one neuron to another -3.c.1.
How neurons communicate Electrical*
Ions ▪
Resting potential( -)
When doing nothing, negatively charged -▪
Action potential (+)
When stimulated, changed to positive charge and creates action potential that travels down dendrites and pushes neurotransmitters -▪a.
Chemical
Synapse* -
Receptor sites-
Neurotransmitter
Excitatory effects: fires another neuron-
Inhibitory effects: it keeps neuron from firing anymore --
Reuptake and enzymes Some don’t get taken up, they are instead deactivated by enzymes OR brought back up outside of synapse and iton terminal button for reuse --b.2.
Types of neurotransmitters Glutamate(excitatory): excited every neuron in an organism in the brain/throughout the body Certain foods high in msg/glutamate makes you sweat, excites all nerve cells-○
Gaba(inhibitory)
Opposite of Glutamate, makes things feel more relaxed -○
Dopamine: associated with good feelings/emotions○
Seratonin: mood and sleep○
Acetlcholine: associated with memory○
Endorphins: related to pain 3.Biological Psychology Tuesday, August 30, 2022 11:05 AM Unit 1 Page 4
