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UNIT I
LECTURECOVERS
CHAPTER’S 1, 2 & 3
CHAPTER 1
Introduction and Research Methods
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
The science of behavior and mental processesBehavior—observable actions of a person or animalMind—thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions,
memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences
Science—an objective way to answer questions based on observable facts/data and well-described methods
PHILOSOPHICAL DEVELOPMENTS
A Question: How are mind and body related?
• René Descartes (1596–1650)—Interactive dualism
• The mind and body interact to produce conscious experience
PHILOSOPHICAL DEVELOPMENTS Another Question: Nature vs. Nurture
• Are abilities determined by our genes or our experiences?
• What are the interactions between genetics and environment?
• What effect does it have on behavior?• Nature v. Nurture video
PERSPECTIVES Perspective is a way of viewing phenomena Psychology has multiple perspectives
Biological-study of brain and nervous system that organize and control behavior.
Psychodynamic-psychoanalytic approach, Sigmund Freud. Drives and urges in the unconscious influence behavior. Early childhood influences shape unconscious.
Behavioral-classical and operant conditioning. Behavior is based on learning and experience. Pavlov and Skinner.
Humanistic- behavior reflects innate ‘actualization’, developed by Maslow and Rogers. Focus on conscious forces and self perception.
PERSPECTIVES (CONTINUED) Cognitive- How is knowledge acquired, organized,
remembered, and used to guide behavior. Piaget-studied intellectual development Chomsky-studied language Cybernetics-science of information processing
Cross-Cultural- study of psychological differences among people living in different cultural groups. How are people’s thoughts, feelings & behavior influenced by culture. Are these innate?
Evolutionary-application of the process of evolution to explain behavior. Influenced by Darwin, emphasis on innate and adaptive behavior.
GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
DescribeExplainPredictControlbehavior and mental processesThe scientific method
SCIENTIFIC METHOD Formulate testable questions
Develop hypotheses Design study to collect data
Experimental Descriptive
Analyze data to arrive at conclusionsUse of statistical proceduresUse of meta-analysis
Report resultsPublicationReplication
RESEARCH STRATEGIES Descriptive—strategies for observing and
describing behavior Naturalistic observation Case studies Surveys Correlational methods
Experimental—strategies for inferring cause and effect relationships among variables
DEFINITIONS
Hypothesis—tentative statement about the relationship between variables
Variables—factors that can vary in ways that can be observed, measured, and verified (independent versus dependent)
Operational definition —precise description of how the variables will be measured
SAMPLES AND SAMPLING Population—large (potentially infinite) group
represented by the sample. Findings are generalized to this group.
Sample—selected segment of the population Representative sample —closely parallels the
population on relevant characteristics Random selection —every member of larger
group has equal change of being selected for the study sample
COEFFICIENT OF CORRELATION
Numerical indication of magnitude and direction of the relationship between two variables
Positive correlation—two variables vary systematically in the SAME direction
Negative correlation—two variables vary systematically in OPPOSITE directions
EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES
Independent variable (IV) the controlled factor in an experiment (i.e. the one
you manipulate) hypothesized to cause an effect on another variable
Dependent variable (DV) the measured facts hypothesized to be influenced by IV
EVALUATING MEDIA REPORTSBe skeptical of sensationalist claims
Goal of “shock” media is ratings
Look for original sourcesSeparate opinion from dataCorrelation is not causalitySkepticism is the rule in science.
CHAPTER 2NEUROSCIENCE AND BEHAVIOR
Neuron Structure and Transmission
NEURONS AND SYNAPSES
Types of Neurons
Sensory Motor Interneurons
SpinalCord
BrainSensoryNeuron
SENSORY NEURONS INPUT From sensory organs to the brain and
spinal cord
Drawing shows a somatic neuron
SpinalCord
BrainSensoryNeuron
MotorNeuron
MOTOR NEURONSOUTPUT From the brain and spinal
cord, to the muscles and glands
SpinalCord
BrainSensoryNeuron
MotorNeuron
INTERNEURONS
Interneurons carry information between other neurons only found in the brain and spinal cord
HOW NEURONS COMMUNICATE Neurons communicate by means of an
electrical signal called the Action Potential Action Potentials are based on movements of
ions between the outside and inside of the cell
When an Action Potential occurs, a molecular message is sent to neighboring neurons
NEURON TO NEURON Axons branch out and end near dendrites of
neighboring cells Axon terminals are
the tips of the axon’s branches A gap separates the axon terminals from dendrites Gap is the Synapse
TYPES OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS
AcetylcholineDopamine SerotoninNorepinephrineGABAEndorphins
DISRUPTION OF ACETYLCHOLINE FUNCTIONING
Curare—blocks ACh receptors paralysis results
Nerve gases and Black Widow spider venom; too much ACh leads to severe muscle spasms and possible death
Cigarettes—nicotine works on ACh receptors Loss of Ach linked to Alzheimer’s
DOPAMINEInvolved in movement, attention and learning
Dopamine imbalance also involved in schizophrenia
Loss of dopamine-producing neurons is cause of Parkinson’s disease
Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
SEROTONIN
Involved in sleepInvolved in depression
Prozac works by keeping serotonin in the synapse longer, giving it more time to exert an effect
NOREPINEPHRINE
Arousal“Fight or flight” response
ENDORPHINS
Control pain and pleasure Released in response to pain Morphine and codeine work on endorphin
receptors; involved in healing effects of acupuncture
Runner’s high— feeling of pleasure after a long run is due to heavy endorphin release
GABAInhibition of brain activityHuntington’s disease involves loss of neurons in striatum that utilize GABASymptoms:
jerky involuntary movements mental deterioration
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
CHAPTER 3
SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
NEUROSCIENCE FOR KIDSHTTP://FACULTY.WASHINGTON.EDU/CHUDLER/NEUROK.HTML
ColorsThe famous "Stroop Effect" is named after J. Ridley Stroop.
Here is your job:
Name the colors of the following words. Do NOT read the words...rather, say the color of the words.
For example, if the word "BLUE" is printed in a red color, you should say "RED". Say the colors as fast as you can.
TEST
THE MAJOR SENSES There are 6 major senses
vision hearing touch taste pain smell
Vision has been studied most extensively
VISIONPurpose of the visual systemtransform light energy into an
electro-chemical neural response
represent characteristics of objects in our environment such as size, color, shape, and location
The Stroop Test
LIGHT: THE VISUAL STIMULUS
DISTRIBUTION OF RODS AND CONES
Cones—concentrated in center of eye (fovea)approx. 6 million
Rods—concentrated in periphery approx. 120 million
Blind spot—region with no rods or cones
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RODS AND CONES
Cones allow us to see in bright light allow us to see fine spatial detail allow us to see different colors
Rods allow us to see in dim light can not see fine spatial detail can not see different colors
Rods
Cones
COLOR VISIONOur visual system interprets differences in
the wavelength of light as colorRods are color blind, but with the cones we
can see different colorsThis difference occurs because we have only
one type of rod but three types of cones Question: Why do you think you can’t fly a plane if
you are color blind? VASI lights! Red over white-all right White over white-your out of sight Red over red-your ________?
PROPERTIES OF COLOR Hue—property of wavelengths of light
known as color; different wavelengths correspond to our subjective experience of color (hue)
Saturation—property of color that corresponds to the purity of the light wave
Brightness—perceived intensity of a color, corresponds to amplitude of the light wave.
HEARING: SOUND WAVES
Auditory perception occurs when sound waves interact with the structures of the ear
Sound Wave—changes over time in the pressure of an elastic medium (for example, air or water)
Without air (or another elastic medium) there can be no sound waves, and thus no sound
Question: Can you hear someone yell in outer-space?
INTENSITY OF VARIOUS SOUNDS
ExampleP (in sound-
pressure units) Log P Decibels
Softest detectable sound
Soft whisper
Quiet neighborhood
Average conversation
Loud music from a radio
Heavy automobile traffic
Very loud thunder
Jet airplane taking off
Loudest rock band on record
Spacecraft launch 9 from 150 ft.
1
10
100
1000
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
10,000,000
100,000,000
1,000,000,000
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
MAJOR STRUCTURES OF THE EAR
Outer Ear—acts as a funnel to direct sound waves towards inner structures
Middle Ear—consists of three small bones (or ossicles) that amplify the sound
Inner Ear—contains the structures that actually transduce sound into neural response
CHEMICAL AND BODY SENSES
Olfaction (smell) Gustation (taste) Touch and temperature Pain Kinesthetic (location of body) Vestibular (balance)
Question: Have you ever had someone start to give you a pleasurable back or neck rub but then it became to rough and it started to be painful?
Question: Have you ever encountered motion sickness? What is vertigo?
Taste • Sweet
• Sour
• Salty
• Bitter
• Umami
SKIN AND BODY SENSES
Pressure—Pacinian corpuscles Itch—response to histamine Temperature—receptors reactive to cold or
warm, simultaneous stimulation produces sensation of hot
Pain—free nerve endings are receptors
What is the most extreme pain you have endured?
PERCEPTION
The process of integrating, organizing, and interpreting sensory information
FIGURE AND GROUNDGestalt Psychologists also
thought that an important part of our perception was the organization of a scene in to its:
Figure—the object of interest
Ground —the background
LET’S EXPLORE SOME OF OUR SENSES-**TEAM EXERCISE**
Vision*
Touch*
Taste*Smell*
1. Break into your groups2. Each person write a description of the
item in the envelope based on one sense-one person writes of what the
item looks like (vision) the next team member writes on how it feels (touch), the next on how it taste how it smells.
3. All items are edible, write scientifically as if you were from
another galaxy and you have never seen this item before.
***Use caution smelling red powder!!! Do not snort!
LET’S HAVE SOME FUNYour team will receive an envelope, take out one item at a time and use your senses to scientifically describe the item on paper.
Be careful, some items might produce pain!!!
Taste And Smell
EXTRA-SENSORY PERCEPTION (ESP) Telepathy—mind to mind Clairvoyance—perception of remote events Psychokinesis—influencing objects Precognition—seeing event before they
occur
DO YOU BELIEVE???? Why?