PSYC 300 Class Notes Chapter 1. Introduction to psychology 1.

Exam 1 Question : Definition of Psychology : Science of the nervous system, behavior, and cognition (mental processes) 2. Behavior is action of living things involves movement, vision, hearing and such. Cognition due to their nature, not observable. Compare to other sciences, psychology has credibility problem (Misleading information is easily accessible in the public) Psychologist use the scientific methods: knowledge based on observation using senses and experience (empirical knowledge) and authority, and consensus. develop knowledge in early age through our parents, knowledge through thorax. 3. Nature Nurture Discussion: Plato believed that human bring preexisting knowledge when they were born and to understand things use careful deliverable thought (introspection) Aristotle disagreed with his mentor, Plato instead he believed that human gain knowledge through observation. Aristotle was an empiricist. Plato who was naturalist (believe in inheritance) and Aristotle was in nurture side of the debate. (experience) Question #1 When scientist discuss the relative contribution of gene and the environment = they are engaged in nature nurture discussion. 4. Historic background: Ancient Egypt Greece Roman: used Technology and trial and error (science is way of knowing) Egypt: Belief of after life and preserving the body, and Egyptians believed that soul and heart was the center of the life. In 1375, Roman King Constantine converted its religion to catholic(catholic means universal). Causing people to not question the nature's origin and science except monks and priests. Skepticism (Galileo): more information and knowledge being accessible to people started people to question the authority and truth. Q: Temper our curiosity with skepticism. Skeptic demands higher standard of evidence. Galileo and Copernicus questioned and challenged church for more evidences. Authority and Faith vs Science: 1600's Renaissance Empirical knowledge: obtained by senses and experience. Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle discussed origin of human knowledge, nature of truth and mind. Place(nativist) believed that human born with existing knowledge and obtain it through introspection, and Aristotle(empiricist) believe that human build up the knowledge He introduced terms for 5 major senses in human. 5. Rene Descarte: Philosopher, Mathematician, trained by catholic, studied existence of body and soul. Only human have soul believed animals don't have souls, and connected belief of Aristotle with humans having souls. animals are machine (have movement with no reasoning and all animals only produces reflexes which cause their body movements) Psychology as a science, Rene Decarlte formalized the scientific method by writing down all the scientific experience procedures. Exam Question: Decarlte introduces the mind-body problem: he believed human's mind is

established with soul comes into our body through heaven combines with physical material body to create mind. He believed Pineal part (Pineal gland) of the brain Reductionism: Scientific approach to study the complex system like brain by taking it apart. Exam Question: If you believe mind and body are separate = Dualist Monist are people who believe that mind is what brain does. : evidences include person who had damage to their brain with changed behavior.

01/30/13 Chapter 1 1. What does scientist do? 1. start with experience (observation) 2. take the knowledge and observe, formulate ideas, statement, formulate test question (Hypothesis which is claim that can be tested/ evaluated) 3. use hypothesis and conjunction with concept and ideas to make an explanation. Theory Each neurons do not have ability to 'think' when big quantity of them are together it works as 'thinking' in brain Aristotle (empiricist) we learn through experience and observation. Observation formulate and test Hypothesis build and refine theory Exam question: Formal question was brought, claim that is the statement whether its true or false. Hypothesis is claim that can be evaluated. Exam question : Theory is a collection of related principles concepts, ideas, explanation, if its scientific theory, it went through the scientific process. Collection of related principles and concepts and ideas, and facts.

2. History: 1700's rational government. Steam engine was invented. If one found to be severely depressed of schizophrenic, one gets to put in prison on show. If one have mental illness, they believed that one's possessed. End of 1700-early 1800 anatomy and electricity stimulation test started to evolve Hypnosis: 1800's introduced as entertainments artificial selection, selective breeding: new life can be created through mating/ breeding (breeding to get a particular color of animal's coat) Charles Darwin: Naturalist worked for ship(beagle) going around the world to collect bird wings, rocks, leaves, bones, shells etc. when biology started to become recognizable, natural selection when found shells in different geological place, he knew that they were related but didn't now how. Later he realized that time sequel. Rounder shells are very ancient, odd shape is more recent. He came up with sequence in gradual change of shells. When people in lower economic level tend to have more children than people in higher economic level due to some could die from starvation. And Darwin suggested that nature does the same. Competition started to arose No two living things are exactly same, dark beetle could survive and later on all colors of beetles became darker to match the ground. 4. Continuity theory (Darwin), similar brain structure between human and animals. Natural selection: nature can create new forms of life for survival.

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Sexual selection: females choose the quality of male. kin selection: more genes to become similar, more common. Exam Question: Evolution: Define as a change in gene frequencies over time. Neurology: brain science. Q: Neurologist would use three kinds of evidences: 1. postmortem analysis of the people with behavioral problem. (left side of the brain speech/understanding problem) 2. selective surgical destruction of animal brain causes in behavior change. 3. electrical stimulus on animal brain.

6. 1879 laboratory in German Wilhelm Wundt: Psychology laboratory based on scientific evidences and perspectives 7. Three broad perspectives in psychology: Biological, Sociocultural, and psychological. 8. Levels of analysis: some will use microscopic, atoms and molecules, macroscopic, cells, brains, or social groups 02/04/2013 1. Three schools of thoughts: cognitional, psychological, and physiological Scientific method: Research Forms of the brain: groups of neurons More glucose used by neurons in more active part of the brain than others 2. Exam Questions: 1. Hypothesis : claim that can be evaluated (Falsifiable claim) 2. Theory: ideas, principles, and explanation 3. Two Forms of Hypothesis : adequate hypothesis null hypothesis(drug will have no effect) 4. Probability = point of one (95% sure of the effect of the drug) Research cycle: Hypothesis testing and theory building/ refining 5. 5 major types of research : 1) Descriptive research (Observation) observational method : research begins purely descriptive may formulate hypothesis do not test hypothesis yet. start developing system, ultimately observation systematic, careful and objective Define the words/ operational definition Exam Q: if you are collecting data about behavior define terms: Operational definitions develop system by observation and define their behaviors, naturalistic observation research and descriptive research done on a subject in its natural environment. Naturalistic observation: conducting the descriptive research done on the subject in a natural environment lacks control of the environment In order to study more and control the situation: perform experiment 2) the Surveys and questionnaire Q: Surveys and questionnaire: method/ technique to generate the most data in shortest time Pros: generate the most data

Cons: reliability and validity Poorly written questions leading or misleading questions to design unscientifically to prove a point when mailed out, there is lack of responses uneven or biased response Perennial (unending) 3) Case Studies can't take one case to determine general cause of the problem one individual sample They can be good at describing small sample sizes 4) Archival data retrievable write a big book report In history: Library research through others studies gather up information and come up with a new scientific article 5) Correlation research

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Exam Question: two or more things can be related, their relationship called Correlation

Experiment: characterized by control and systematic variation of things *systematic variation: relationship between different kind of variables constancy Representative sample: random sample that collected randomly, every individuals in the group has equal probability to be selected 1) control group: without touch/ treatment 2) experimental group: provide the treatment to see their changes change their value or remove them completely Exam questions: two types of variables 1) Independent Variable: Input variable or manipulated variable = they are what scientists can 2) Dependent Variable: Output Variable = its value frequently depend on independent variable (frequently in psychology it's behavior) 3) relationship between them: correlation coefficient = r = + 0.37 - if x goes so does y - perfect correlation: positive correlation that when x goes up y also goes up - negative correlation: when x goes up y goes down - strong correlation: when number goes negative/positive 0.8 4) Exam question: correlation does not necessarily imply causality Intervening Variable: when two things that are not related 7. Exam question: Placebo Effect: It pleases, it affects change in behavior or improvement without real medicine/ treatment (belief of the treatment within people) 8. Double blinding research: neither the researcher or participant knows the procedure/ outcome 9. Exam question: Reliability (can the research that can be replicable) vs Validity (whether or not

scientific Repeatability or consistency Ecological validity 02/11/2013 Chapter 2. Nervous system 1. Nervous system: Central nervous system: process information Even single cell organism take information from environment and process it. To be able to compete with other cells, it becomes larger. Things tend to move from high concentration to low concentration. Diffusion limits the size of the cells in order for animals to become larger, become multi-cellular organism In order for the organism to produce coordinate uniform behavior, cells have to be able to communicate with each other. = nervous system

3. Four reasons of nervous systems: 1. Nervous systems receive information from the outside world, take in information from the environment. (stimulate input) 2. It can process it in the way that makes the information more useful to that creature. (integration/ processing) 3. Nervous systems can transmit the information to other muscle and enable to produce responses to the environment (output) 4. In complex organism, some degree of experience (awareness, consciousness) occurs All animals with back bones and their relatives have the different kind of nervous system than any other creatures.(fish, amphibian, reptiles, birds, mammals all have same kind of nervous system) All vertebrae have hollow dorsal nerve cord (spinal cord in human) around in where their nervous system is gathered and is located in their back. Largest brain = blue whale, On land elephants have the largest, weigh of human brain = 3 lbs Exam Question: Nervous systems in rats cats monkey human(all mammals) are divided into two main sections: 1. Central nervous system that consist of brain and spinal cord. 2. Peripheral nervous system which are the rest of the nervous system and it interacts with all the muscles and organs.

4. Cells: fundamental units of organization of the animal life. Animal cells are characterized by possessing outer barrier called cell membrane Phosphor-lipid are two layers thick. Cell membrane is the barrier to let outside out and inside in. Inside of cell, there is a Nucleus that contains all the genes (DNA) Cell is filled with fluid called cytoplasm. Cytoplasm keeps the cell its shape, and contains all the important chemicals for cells to function. Mitochondria harness energy. Ribosomes where cells make proteins.

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Not all cells have mitochondria and ribosomes ones that are active cells more likely to have. Exam Question: Brain and spinal cords are made with two types of cells: Neuron and Glia Exam Question: Brain of a healthy adult modern human have estimate 100 billion neurons. Exam Question: Most of neurons are in the structure outer most layer of mammalian brain: Cortex Cerebellum : parts in the back of the brain where it controls Glia It's function for neuron: 1. clean up after neuron and provide nourishment for neurons 2. protect neurons from fungi, viruses, and bacteria (they have immune system connection) 3. helps neurons to communicate to each other 4. In the young growing brain, it grows from center to outside of the brain and glia cell help baby neurons has to migrate from inside to outside and glia cells help them move. 5. Glia cells synthesis lipid base sheath called myelin sheath

6. Myelin sheath helps speed up nerve impulse. 7. Neurons: Information producing, sending and receiving cells of the brain. Neural tissues does two things 1. generate electrical potential(voltages) 2. it can synthesis chemical called neurotransmitter. Exam Question: Three types of neurons : 1. Sensory neurons which take information from outside world and bring them into the brain. (input neuron) 2. In the brain and spinal cords themselves are: inter neurons (intergration) 3. Types of neuron that connects to muscles to enable behavior possible : motor neuron (output neurons) Exam Question: Typical Motor neurons have three basic parts: - Cell body where the Nucleus is (soma) - Multiply branched dendrites which are primary receptive surface where the information goes into the cell through neurotransmitter. - Many but not all neurons have one long filament called the axon which is primary region for outputs. Typical neurons can have many dendrites but never one or zero axon.

8. Normal state in any cell that inside and outside is different: inside of the cell is less positively charge than outside. 4 Exam Questions: 1. Polarized = when neurons isn't doing anything (at rest), Its membrane is polarized (negative poll in the inside and positive poll on the outside) 2. Membrane has difference in electrical charge = resting membrane potential (potential energy,

voltage, brain is a electrical chemical factor and neurons generate voltage possible energy) 9. Three types of the structure embedded in the cell membrane: 1. Receptors which is going to accept chemical called neurotransmitter. 2. Sodium-potassium pump: neurons constantly pump ions. pumping three sodium out and bring two potassium in. 3. Ion channel : gate that can open or close, when open, it leads ions into the cell. - neurotransmitter can open ion channel Depolarize it the membrane (making the inside of the cell more positive by opening up sodium channel) 10. Exam Question: Action potential: one of the most important about Neurons. it create action potential as the cell depolarize sodium channel opens and sodium explosively enters the cell Action potential starts up by the cell body and moving it in a wave like fashion down to the end of axon = terminal button, Nerve impulse = series of action potential. Nerve impulse always travels in one direction. Discovery of gap that exist between neurons. Synapse is the space exists between the axons of one neuron and dendrite of the another neuron. 02/13/13 Chapter 2 Review: Endocrine system: system of glands and hormones that they produce and target tissue. Membrane is blocking sodium to get into the cell electricity can cause protein to change its shape during action potential, sodium starts to diffuse to next ion channel, sequence of depolarization is called nerve impulse. And nerve impulse travels from cell body to the tip of the axon. Neurons produce Membrane potential 1. Synapse: Gaps between neurons. Chemical called neurotransmitter have been accumulated while nerve impulse. When the chemical diffuses and receptor on the next neuron. axon synapse and dendrites. 2. Events of synapse: Release of transmitter 3. Neurotransmitter saratonan maintaining social relationship. When dopamine level goes up, addiction occurs. 4. Neuron: single neuron can't function complex system of neuron for consciousness 5. Exam Question: Two parts of peripheral nervous system one that controls voluntary muscle called somatic division of peripheral nervous system. Second, Autonomic division of the peripheral nervous system which largely promotes metabolism Two parts of autonomic division of peripheral nervous system are: sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. Exam Question: Sympathetic nervous system promotes energy, parasympathetic nervous system promotes energy conservation cell bio-synthesis Front of the brain anterior and back of the brain posterior Top of the brain : Dorso bottom of the brain: dentrol side: lateral sagittal(cut the brain in half) cutting from the front to back: frontal brain in half side to side: horizontal 6. brain stem: posterior of the brain, medulla controls heart rate and breathing, primitive reflex (coughing,

sneezing..) enterior plns controls sleep, Exam Question: thalamus is the part primary sensory receiving sensory distribution part of the brain. It receives information through vision and audition, touch, and taste. Brain stem is in the center of the brain: Exam Question: cerebellum (means little brain) is the part of the brain important in refining movement. Allowing us to shift our motor ability. One type of memory procedural memory (memory of how to do things) Mammals have Limbic system consist of four 1. important in memory and emotion 2. hippo-canvas is the site in the brain process short term and working memory. Bridge from new memory to long term memory. Male has bigger hippo-canvas than female. 3. hypothalamus regulatory of equilibrium of chemical levels. creates motivates thirst, hunger homeostasis Exam question: 4. Amygdala governs primitive negative emotions. (fear and anger) 5. nucleus accumbens part of the brain controls pleasure. Releases dopamine. Exam question: Cerebrum brain has expended with things like limbic system and right hemisphere governs emotion complex creativity interigive left hemisphere governs logic, language, corpus calusum connects two hemisphere ocifitive- vision pritove- visual pro taste touch sensory temprolobes- frontallobes- association cortex Posterior end of the cortex- motor cortex and cerebellum controls mobility. Exam question: young brain and very responsive to the environment, animals shows neuronal more dendrites richly branched. : only in the young brain mostly mammals are very plastic, responsive to the environment and adapt to the environment, as age, plasticity grows down. Exam question: Young brain has more neurons but fewer connection, older brain, fewer neurons but more connection. Dendrites grow more branches. Humans need to be exposed to human speech to be able to have language ability. Two systems to one endocrine system of glands which produces hormone to travel in the body to target tissues. two peripheral nervous system(nerve)