ACETYLOHOLINE(ACH)
deals with motor movement and memory
lack of leads to Alzheimer

DOPAMINE
deals with motor movement and alertness
lack of links to Parkinson
to much leads to schizophrenia

SEROTONIN
involved in mood control
lack of leads to depression

ENDORPHIN
involves in pain control
most addictive drugs deal with endorphin

NOR EPINEPHRINE
helps control alertness and arousal
lack of can lead to depression
to much leads to bipolar

GABA (gammaaminobatylic acid)
major inhibitory neuro transmitters.
lack of lead to tremors, seizures, and insomnia


GLUTIMATE
memory
to much leads to migraines

DRUGS CAN BE:
AGONIST
make neuron fire
ANTAGONIST
stop neuron fires
RE UPTAKE
block neurotransmitters from entering the neuron




AFFERENT NEURONS (SENSORY)
 take information fem the senses to the brain\

INTER NEURONS
take messages from sensory neuron to other parts of the brain

MOTOR NEURON (EFFERENT)
take info from brain to the rest of the body

THE BRAIN

 

Cerebrum: 
The cerebrum or cortex is the largest part of the human brain, associated with higher brain function such as thought and action.

Cerebellum: 
The cerebellum is associated with regulation and coordination of movement, posture, and balance.

Limbic system:
The limbic system, also called the emotional brain", is found is found in the cerebrum. Like the cerebellum, evolutionary the structure is rather old.

Thalamus:
 The structure has sensory and motor functions. Almost all sensory information enters this structure where neurons send that information to the overlying cortex.

Motor cortex:

sends signals controlling body movements

Amygdala:
involved in memory, emotion, and fear.

Hippocampus:
 This part of the brain is responsible for  learning and memory.

Midbrain:
It is involved in functions such as vision, hearing, eye movement, and body movement.

Pons:
Responsible for facial expressions

Medulla Oblongata:
Responsible for involuntary functions, such as breathing and heart rate

Hypothalamus:
controls body temperature, thirst, hunger , endocrine system and hunger

Hemispheres:
Left- responsible for logic and sequential task
Right-responsible for spatial and creative tasks

Broca's area

responsible for controlling muscle that produce speech
 

Frontal lobe:

Concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement (motor cortex), emotions, and problem-solving.
 

Parietal lobe:

Concerned with perception of stimuli such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
 

Temporal Lobe:

responsible for you being able to understand what you re hearing
 

Occipital lobe:

Concerned with many aspects of vision.

 

 

Unit 3

Motivation and Emotion

Motivation: psychological process that directs and maintains your behavior toward a goal

Motive: the needs, wants, interest, and desires that propel or drive people in certain directions

Instinct Theory: we ate motivated by inborn behaviors

Biological Motives:

·         hunger

·         thirst

·         sex

·         sleep

Social Motive:

·         Achievement

·         order

·         play

·         affiliation

Drive Theory: biological, internal motivation (homeostasis)

Incentive Theory: Environmental motivation (not as much homeostasis, more outside factors)

Drive-Reduction Theory: When an individual experiences need or drive, then they are motivated to reduce that need or drive

Hunger: does not come from the stomach, but from the brain (the hypothalamus)

Glucose: The form of sugar that circulates in the blood; provides the major source of energy for body tissues; low= hungry, high= full

Hypothalamus:

Lateral: when stimulated makes you feel hungry

Ventromedial: when stimulated makes you feel hungry

There are many environmental factors to make us hungry

1.       availability of food

2.       learned preference and habits

3.       stress

Set Point Theory: the hypothalamus regulates a stable weight

Eating Disorders

Bulimia Nervosa: characterized by binging and purging

Anorexia Nervosa: starving of oneself to below 85% of their normal body weight

Obesity: severely overweight to the point of health complications

http://youtu.be/wint3Z6y4DI

Equity: give and take

Altruism: unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Bystander Effect: people are less willing to help if there are others around

Social Exchange Theory: Idea that our social behavior is an exchange process, which we maximize benefits and minimize costs

Peacemaking: Give people superordinate (shared) goals that can only be achieved through cooperation

 

 

 

 

Unit Two: Research Methods

Hindsight Bias: the tendency to believe after learning the outcome, that you knew all along.

Overconfidence: the tendency to think we know more than we do

The Barnum Effect: the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate

 Hawthorne Effect: double-blind study; both the subject and scientist do not know what is happening; reduces risk of bias and overconfidence

 

Applied vs. Basic Research

Applied: has a clear, practical application

Basic: explores questions that you may be curious about, but not intended to be immediately used

 

Hypothesis: expresses a relationship between two variable

·         Independent: whatever is being manipulated

·         Dependent: whatever is being measured

·         Confounding Variable: anything that could cause a change in B, that is not A.

Operational Definitions: Explain what you mean in your hypothesis. How will the variables be measured in “real life” terms

 

Sampling: identify the population you want to study; must be a representative of the population you want to study

 

Research Methods

Experimental Method: looking to prove causal relationships; cause->effect

Correlational Method: expresses a relationship between two variables

·         Positive: both variable go in the same direction (compliments, Self-esteem)

·         Negative: the variable go in opposite directions (smoking, living longer)

Correlation Coefficient: a number that measure the strength of a relationship; range is -1 to1; closer to zero is a weaker correlation

Survey Method: most common type of study in psychology; measures correlation;

cheap and fast; need a good random sample

Naturalistic Observation: watch subjects in their natural environment; do not manipulate the environment

Case Study: detailed picture of one or few subjects; tells us a story, just descriptive research; does not give us correlation data

 

Statistics

 

Statistics: recording the results of our data

·         Descriptive Statistics: describes sets of data

o   Range: distance from highest to lowest

o   Standard Deviation: the variance of scores around the mean; the higher the variance, the more spread out the distribution is

·         Z scores: a unit that measures the distance of one score from the mean

o   a positive z score means a number above the mean

o   a negative z score means a number below the mean

 

Ethical Guidelines for Research

Animal Research: clear purpose; treated in a humane way; acquire legally; least amount of suffering possible

Human Research: voluntary; informed consent; anonymity; no significant risk; must debrief