preview

Psychology 100 Test Review

Better Essays

What is psychology? The scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Development of psychology as a science Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychology laboratory. Student of Wudnt 's, E.B. Titchner named Wundt 's approach structuralism. William James gave field an "American Stamp," invented functionalism
Contemporary approaches to psychology Biological Approach (focus on the body) Neuroscience Behavioral Approach (behavioral responses and their environmental determinants) Psychodynamic Approach (unconcious thought, early family experiences, etc) Sigmund Freud Humanistic Approach (positive qualities, capacity for growth, freedom to choose destiny) Cognitive Approach (mental processes involved in knowing how we …show more content…

When a nerve impulse reaches the terminal button, it triggers the release of neurotransmitter molecules from the synaptic vesicles. The neurotransmitter molecules flood the synaptic gap. Their movements are random, but some of them bump into receptor sites in the next neuron. Yada Yada Yada, after delivering its message, the neurotransmitter is reabsorbed by the axon that released it to await the next neural impulse.
How drugs operate on neurotransmitters to influence behavior Drugs interfere with the work of neurotransmitters. They mimic or increase the effects of a neurotransmitter, or they can block those effects. Agonist: Drug that makes or increases a neurotransmitter 's effects Antagonist: Drug that blocks a neurotransmitter 's effects
Brain imaging techniques CAT: Computerized Axial Tomography... produces a three-dimensional image obtained from X-rays of the head that are assembled into a composite image by a computer. PET: Position-emission tomography... Based on metabolic changes in the brain related to activity. Measures amount of glucose in various areas. MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging... involves creating a magnetic field around a person 's body and using radio waves to construct imagines of the person 's tissues and biochemical activities. FMRI: Allows us to see what is happening in the brain WHILE it is working
Structures of the Brain, and what they are responsible for and what happens is they malfunction Hindbrain: Located at

Get Access