PSY 120 EXAM #1 STUDY GUIDE
What is psychology? - Answers - scientific study of behavior and mind
Clinical psychologist - Answers - diagnose and treat psychological problems
ex: depression, anxiety, etc,
work in clinics or practices,
applied psychologist - Answers - extend principles of scientific psychology to practical
problems
research psychologist - Answers - conduct basic research to discover the principles of
behavior and mind
mean - Answers - average of a set of scores
median - Answers - middle point in set of scores
mode - Answers - most frequently occurring score
range - Answers - top score - bottom score
confounding variable - Answers - uncontrolled variable that changes along with the
independent variable,
ex: giving an ad to people, must give them same exact ad, time to read it, time of day,
etc, in order to have NO confounding variables
dependent variable - Answers - behavior that is measured in an experiment
ex: how much aggression someone has after they watch something
independent variable - Answers - aspect of the environment that is manipulated in an
experiment, must consist of two conditions
ex: the level of violence in the thing the person watches
placebo - Answers - inactive substance that resembles an experimental substance
ex: they give people a fake drug in an experiment
correlational research - Answers - stats that indicate whether two variables vary
together in a systematic way, from +1.00 to -1.00
experimental research - Answers - technique in which the investigator manipulated the
environment to observe its effect on the behavior
ex: change of external (temperature), internal (mood), or social (presence of someone)
, quasi-experimental research - Answers - used when people cannot be randomly
assigned to experimental groups
(bad because you don't know what had manipulation on DV)
operational definition - Answers - procedures used in a study to get at (measure)
variables
ex: intelligence as how well you do on a test
resting potential - Answers - created by the presence of electrically charged atoms and
molecules called ions
its a specific time electric charge inside/outside the cell
action potential - Answers - all or none electrical signal that travels down a neuron's
axon
synaptic gap - Answers - small gap between cells, typically between the terminal
buttons of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another
neurotransmitters - Answers - chemical molecules that spill out into the synapse and
interact chemically with the cell membrane of the next neuron
autonomic system - Answers - collection of nerves that controls the more automatic
needs of the body (heart rate, digestion, blood pressure); part of the peripheral system
sympathetic division - Answers - triggers the release of chemicals, creating a state of
readiness
parasympathetic division - Answers - calms the body down by slowing heart rate and
lowering blood pressure (helps increase the body's supply of stored energy)
hindbrain - Answers - sits right where the spinal cord and brain merge, acts as the basic
life-support system for the body, and is the oldest part of the brain
medulla and pons - Answers - in the hindbrain, associated with heart rate, breathing,
sneezing, vomiting, reflexes
specifically sensitive to drugs and alcohol
reticular formation - Answers - in the hindbrain
network of neurons and nerves linked to the control of general arousal, sleep, and
consciousness
cerebellum - Answers - base of the brain, motor skills
midbrain - Answers - middle portion of the brain, containing the tectum, superior
colliculus, and interior colliculus, serve as neural relate stations and help coordinate
reactions to sensory events
What is psychology? - Answers - scientific study of behavior and mind
Clinical psychologist - Answers - diagnose and treat psychological problems
ex: depression, anxiety, etc,
work in clinics or practices,
applied psychologist - Answers - extend principles of scientific psychology to practical
problems
research psychologist - Answers - conduct basic research to discover the principles of
behavior and mind
mean - Answers - average of a set of scores
median - Answers - middle point in set of scores
mode - Answers - most frequently occurring score
range - Answers - top score - bottom score
confounding variable - Answers - uncontrolled variable that changes along with the
independent variable,
ex: giving an ad to people, must give them same exact ad, time to read it, time of day,
etc, in order to have NO confounding variables
dependent variable - Answers - behavior that is measured in an experiment
ex: how much aggression someone has after they watch something
independent variable - Answers - aspect of the environment that is manipulated in an
experiment, must consist of two conditions
ex: the level of violence in the thing the person watches
placebo - Answers - inactive substance that resembles an experimental substance
ex: they give people a fake drug in an experiment
correlational research - Answers - stats that indicate whether two variables vary
together in a systematic way, from +1.00 to -1.00
experimental research - Answers - technique in which the investigator manipulated the
environment to observe its effect on the behavior
ex: change of external (temperature), internal (mood), or social (presence of someone)
, quasi-experimental research - Answers - used when people cannot be randomly
assigned to experimental groups
(bad because you don't know what had manipulation on DV)
operational definition - Answers - procedures used in a study to get at (measure)
variables
ex: intelligence as how well you do on a test
resting potential - Answers - created by the presence of electrically charged atoms and
molecules called ions
its a specific time electric charge inside/outside the cell
action potential - Answers - all or none electrical signal that travels down a neuron's
axon
synaptic gap - Answers - small gap between cells, typically between the terminal
buttons of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of another
neurotransmitters - Answers - chemical molecules that spill out into the synapse and
interact chemically with the cell membrane of the next neuron
autonomic system - Answers - collection of nerves that controls the more automatic
needs of the body (heart rate, digestion, blood pressure); part of the peripheral system
sympathetic division - Answers - triggers the release of chemicals, creating a state of
readiness
parasympathetic division - Answers - calms the body down by slowing heart rate and
lowering blood pressure (helps increase the body's supply of stored energy)
hindbrain - Answers - sits right where the spinal cord and brain merge, acts as the basic
life-support system for the body, and is the oldest part of the brain
medulla and pons - Answers - in the hindbrain, associated with heart rate, breathing,
sneezing, vomiting, reflexes
specifically sensitive to drugs and alcohol
reticular formation - Answers - in the hindbrain
network of neurons and nerves linked to the control of general arousal, sleep, and
consciousness
cerebellum - Answers - base of the brain, motor skills
midbrain - Answers - middle portion of the brain, containing the tectum, superior
colliculus, and interior colliculus, serve as neural relate stations and help coordinate
reactions to sensory events
