Intro Psychology
What are the four lobes of the brain?
The forgetting curve, discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus , shows that memory retention declines rapidly at first and then levels off. Most forgetting happens within the first hour of learning.
The Big Five are: Openness (curiosity), Conscientiousness (organization), Extraversion (sociability), Agreeableness (cooperativeness), and Neuroticism (emotional instability).
Random assignment means each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any condition of the experiment. It helps control for pre-existing differences between groups.
The four lobes are: frontal (planning, decision-making), parietal (sensory processing), temporal (hearing, language), and occipital (vision).
Intro Psychology
What was Watson's "Little Albert" experiment?
PTSD develops after exposure to a traumatic event and features symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders, and emotional numbing lasting more than one month.
Sleep has stages: NREM Stage 1 (light sleep), Stage 2 (sleep spindles), Stage 3 (deep/slow-wave sleep), and REM sleep (rapid eye movement, vivid dreaming). A full cycle takes about 90 minutes.
A phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation (e.g., spiders, heights). GAD involves excessive worry about many different aspects of life without a specific trigger.
Watson and Rosalie Rayner conditioned a baby (Little Albert ) to fear a white rat by pairing it with a loud noise. This demonstrated that emotional responses could be classically conditioned .
Intro Psychology
What are Erikson's eight stages of psychosocial development?
Introspection is the process of looking inward and examining one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. It was the primary method used by structuralists to study the mind.
The scientific method involves: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Erikson proposed eight stages from infancy to old age: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, integrity vs. despair .
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes . It encompasses everything from brain function and perception to social interactions and psychological disorders.
Intro Psychology
What is the cerebral cortex?
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher-order functions such as thinking, planning, language, and voluntary movement. It is divided into four lobes.
Erikson proposed eight stages from infancy to old age: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, integrity vs. despair .
PTSD develops after exposure to a traumatic event and features symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders, and emotional numbing lasting more than one month.
This is Erikson's adolescent stage (12–18 years). The main task is developing a coherent sense of self and personal identity . Failure leads to confusion about one's role in life.
Intro Psychology
What is repression?
Self-actualization, central to Maslow's hierarchy , is the realization of one's full potential . It represents the highest level of psychological development, characterized by creativity, morality, and acceptance.
Freud proposed three structures: the id (primitive desires, pleasure principle), the ego (mediator, reality principle), and the superego (moral conscience, idealistic principle).
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, pleasure, and movement . Imbalances are linked to Parkinson's disease (too little) and schizophrenia (too much activity).
Repression is a Freudian defense mechanism in which threatening thoughts or memories are pushed into the unconscious . The person is unaware of the repressed material but it may still influence behavior.
Intro Psychology
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Operant conditioning is learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences (reinforcement or punishment). It was formalized by B.F. Skinner .
Positive symptoms are excesses (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking). Negative symptoms are deficits (flat affect, social withdrawal, reduced motivation, poverty of speech).
MDD involves persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities for at least two weeks. It may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy, and suicidal thoughts.
OCD is characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) performed to reduce anxiety. Examples include excessive handwashing or checking locks.
Intro Psychology
What are Freud's three structures of personality?
B.F. Skinner was a leading behaviorist who developed the concept of operant conditioning . He demonstrated how behavior is shaped by its consequences (reinforcement and punishment) using the "Skinner box."
Erikson proposed eight stages from infancy to old age: trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame, initiative vs. guilt, industry vs. inferiority, identity vs. role confusion, intimacy vs. isolation, generativity vs. stagnation, integrity vs. despair .
Freud proposed three structures: the id (primitive desires, pleasure principle), the ego (mediator, reality principle), and the superego (moral conscience, idealistic principle).
The cerebellum, located at the back of the brain , coordinates balance, movement, and motor learning . It helps fine-tune voluntary movements for smooth, precise actions.
Intro Psychology
What is the biopsychosocial model?
Random assignment means each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any condition of the experiment. It helps control for pre-existing differences between groups.
Psychoanalysis focuses on unconscious drives and childhood conflicts (Freud). Humanism focuses on conscious experience, free will, and the drive toward self-actualization (Rogers, Maslow).
PTSD develops after exposure to a traumatic event and features symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders, and emotional numbing lasting more than one month.
The biopsychosocial model explains behavior and mental processes as products of biological (genetics, brain chemistry), psychological (thoughts, emotions), and social (culture, relationships) factors interacting together.
Intro Psychology
What is REM sleep?
The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher-order functions such as thinking, planning, language, and voluntary movement. It is divided into four lobes.
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is characterized by fast brain waves, vivid dreaming, and temporary muscle paralysis. It is important for memory consolidation and emotional processing .
The forgetting curve, discovered by Hermann Ebbinghaus , shows that memory retention declines rapidly at first and then levels off. Most forgetting happens within the first hour of learning.
Humanistic psychology, led by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow , emphasizes free will, personal growth, and self-actualization . It views people as inherently good and striving toward their full potential.