Jan 17
Thinking Critically w/ Psychology
What is Psychology?
● Scientific study of behavior - requires humility, curiosity, skepticism
● Subject matter is immediately available to us - everyone is thinking, feeling, doing, etc
● Most everyone has their own implicit theories about why they do what they do
● What makes psychology hard is applying the scientific method to the questions we think
we already know the answers to
The study of behavior
● Scientific- uses the scientific method. A systematic way of gathering data and testing
hypothesis in search of replicable effects and general laws of behavior
● Behavior includes thought, feelings, actions, attitudes … “all mental processes”
Why do psychology
● How can we differentiate btw uninformed opinions vs examined conclusions?
● The science of psychology helps make these examined conclusions, which leads to our
understanding of how people feel, think, and act as they do
● Intuition and common sense
○ Many people believe that intuition and common sense can be a good place to start
in understanding human behavior
○ Intuition is important but it’s perils are often underestimated
○ Ex. “ gut feelings”
● Critical thinking
○ Does not accept arguments and conclusions blindly
○ Examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence and assesses
conclusions
○ Ex. The Amazing Randi - debunks magicians/ psychics
● Hindsight bias
○ The “i knew it all along”phenomenon
○ After learning the outcome of an event, many people believe they could have
predicted that very outcome. We only knew the dot.com stocks would plummet
after they actually did plummet
Research Strategies: how psychologists ask and answer questions
, ● Research process: 1. Theories - 2. Hypothesis - 3. Research and Observations
○ Ex. 1. (theory) low self-esteem feeds depression - 2. (hypothesis) people with low
self-esteem will score higher on a depression scale - 3. (research and
observations) administer tests of self-esteem and depression
● Terms to know
○ IV - (independent variable) the variable that is manipulated in the experiment
○ Control Group - experimental group who don’t receive the experimental
treatment
○ Placebo group - an insert treatment that has no known effects
○ RCT (randomized control trial) - a study design that randomly assigns
participants into an experimental group or control group
● Correlations: a mathematical value between -1 and 1 ( that is closer to the absolute value
of 1) that describes the relationship between two variables and does not prove causation
● Correlation methods
○ When one trait or behavior accompanies another, we say the two correlate, or are
associated with each other
○ Indicates strength of relationship (0.00 - 1.00)
○ Correlation coefficient: a statistical measure of the relationship between two
variables
○ Indicates direction of relationship (+/-)
○ Line of Best Fit makes it easier to see the correlation between behaviors
○ Sometimes when data is plotted it is not linear, ex. Age and athletic performance
● Positive and Negative correlation
■ + : as one variable increases, so does the other. Both variables behave in
the same way
■ - : as one variable increases, the other decreases. Each variable acts
separately
○ The higher (or stronger) correlation between two variables, the better we are able
to predict the value of one variable if we know the vale of the other variable
● Illusory correlation: perception of a correlation between behaviors
○ Ex. time heals all wounds
○ Ex. parents being able to conceive after having had adopted a child
Jan 22
Biological basis of behavior: Neuroanatomy
The Neuron and the Nervous System
, ● Biological psychology: the scientific study of links between biological and psychological
processes
○ Behavioral neuroscientists
○ Neuropsychologists
○ Behavior geneticists
○ Physiological psychologists
○ biopsychologists
Neural impulses travel through the human body at the same speed that electricity travels through
wire - false
Endorphins are neurotransmitter molecules similar to morphine - true
For you to be able to run, your central nervous system must “talk” to your leg - true
The simplest neural pathways are those that govern our sexual drives - false
The knee-jerk reflex requires the activity of the central nervous system - true
Structure of the nervous system
● Central nervous system
○ Brain and spinal cord
● Peripheral nervous system
○ Spinal and cranial nerves
○ Somatic system - connects central system to voluntary muscles
○ Autonomic system - connects central system to nonvoluntary muscles and glands
■ Sympathetic system (catabolic) - arousing: readies body for activity, use of
energy
■ Parasympathetic (anabolic) - calming: readies body for restoration of
energy
Central nervous system
● Neurons = fancy cell/ a nerve cell that consist of many different parts
○ Dendrites - receive messages from other cells
○ Axon - passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons. Muscles, or
glands
○ Terminal branch of axon - form junctions with other cells
○ Cell body - the cells life support center
○ Neural impulse - (action potential) electrical signal traveling down the axon
○ Myelin sheath - covers the axon of some neurons and helps speen neural
impulses
■ Insulating layer of fatty material
■ Composed of glial cells
■ Helps efficient transmission of signals to other cells
■ Gaps in myelin sheath are nodes of Ranvier
● Types of Neurons
, ○ Sensory
○ Interneurons
○ Motor
● The Synapse
○ Junction between one neuron’s axon and another’s dendrites/cell body
○ Neurotransmitters cross the synapse
○ Plays a fundamental role in the communication btw neurons
● Anatomy of the Synapse
○ Presynaptic neuron axons end in terminal buttons
○ Terminal buttons contain synaptic vesicles
○ Synaptic vesicles contain neurotransmitters
○ Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit info across the synaptic gap (cleft)
○ Postsynaptic neuron dendrites contain receptor sites
○ Receptor sites fit certain neurotransmitters
○ Neurotransmitters bind to specific receptor sites in a lock-key system
● Electrical-chemical activity across the synapse
○ Neural communication is an electrical-chemical process
○ The electrical and chemical events are interrelated
● The action potential
○ Electrical charge gathered by dendrites and cell body
○ Electrical charge travels down the axon to synapse
○ Stimulates the release of neurotransmitters into synapse
○ Occurs only when electrical signal is at a certain level (threshold)
○ “All-or-none” - electrical impulse is the same no matter how much stimulation the
neuron receives
○ Neuron returns to resting state after electrical charge is transmitted
1. Waves of electrical energy fires down the axon (action potential)
2. Vesicles fuse with membrane in terminal buttons
3. Neurotransmitters released into synapse
4. Neurotransmitter interacts with receptors on postsynaptic neuron
5. Small waves of electrical energy flow to the soma
6. Axon fires if threshold of excitation is exceeded
Neurotransmitters (chemicals)- released from the sending neuron travel across the synapse and
bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action
potential
Types of Neurotransmitters
● Acetylcholine (Ach)
○ Function- enables muscle action. Learning and memory
○ Malfunctions- with alzheimer’s, ach producing neurons deteriorate
● Dopamine
○ Function- influences movement, learning, attention and emotion
Thinking Critically w/ Psychology
What is Psychology?
● Scientific study of behavior - requires humility, curiosity, skepticism
● Subject matter is immediately available to us - everyone is thinking, feeling, doing, etc
● Most everyone has their own implicit theories about why they do what they do
● What makes psychology hard is applying the scientific method to the questions we think
we already know the answers to
The study of behavior
● Scientific- uses the scientific method. A systematic way of gathering data and testing
hypothesis in search of replicable effects and general laws of behavior
● Behavior includes thought, feelings, actions, attitudes … “all mental processes”
Why do psychology
● How can we differentiate btw uninformed opinions vs examined conclusions?
● The science of psychology helps make these examined conclusions, which leads to our
understanding of how people feel, think, and act as they do
● Intuition and common sense
○ Many people believe that intuition and common sense can be a good place to start
in understanding human behavior
○ Intuition is important but it’s perils are often underestimated
○ Ex. “ gut feelings”
● Critical thinking
○ Does not accept arguments and conclusions blindly
○ Examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence and assesses
conclusions
○ Ex. The Amazing Randi - debunks magicians/ psychics
● Hindsight bias
○ The “i knew it all along”phenomenon
○ After learning the outcome of an event, many people believe they could have
predicted that very outcome. We only knew the dot.com stocks would plummet
after they actually did plummet
Research Strategies: how psychologists ask and answer questions
, ● Research process: 1. Theories - 2. Hypothesis - 3. Research and Observations
○ Ex. 1. (theory) low self-esteem feeds depression - 2. (hypothesis) people with low
self-esteem will score higher on a depression scale - 3. (research and
observations) administer tests of self-esteem and depression
● Terms to know
○ IV - (independent variable) the variable that is manipulated in the experiment
○ Control Group - experimental group who don’t receive the experimental
treatment
○ Placebo group - an insert treatment that has no known effects
○ RCT (randomized control trial) - a study design that randomly assigns
participants into an experimental group or control group
● Correlations: a mathematical value between -1 and 1 ( that is closer to the absolute value
of 1) that describes the relationship between two variables and does not prove causation
● Correlation methods
○ When one trait or behavior accompanies another, we say the two correlate, or are
associated with each other
○ Indicates strength of relationship (0.00 - 1.00)
○ Correlation coefficient: a statistical measure of the relationship between two
variables
○ Indicates direction of relationship (+/-)
○ Line of Best Fit makes it easier to see the correlation between behaviors
○ Sometimes when data is plotted it is not linear, ex. Age and athletic performance
● Positive and Negative correlation
■ + : as one variable increases, so does the other. Both variables behave in
the same way
■ - : as one variable increases, the other decreases. Each variable acts
separately
○ The higher (or stronger) correlation between two variables, the better we are able
to predict the value of one variable if we know the vale of the other variable
● Illusory correlation: perception of a correlation between behaviors
○ Ex. time heals all wounds
○ Ex. parents being able to conceive after having had adopted a child
Jan 22
Biological basis of behavior: Neuroanatomy
The Neuron and the Nervous System
, ● Biological psychology: the scientific study of links between biological and psychological
processes
○ Behavioral neuroscientists
○ Neuropsychologists
○ Behavior geneticists
○ Physiological psychologists
○ biopsychologists
Neural impulses travel through the human body at the same speed that electricity travels through
wire - false
Endorphins are neurotransmitter molecules similar to morphine - true
For you to be able to run, your central nervous system must “talk” to your leg - true
The simplest neural pathways are those that govern our sexual drives - false
The knee-jerk reflex requires the activity of the central nervous system - true
Structure of the nervous system
● Central nervous system
○ Brain and spinal cord
● Peripheral nervous system
○ Spinal and cranial nerves
○ Somatic system - connects central system to voluntary muscles
○ Autonomic system - connects central system to nonvoluntary muscles and glands
■ Sympathetic system (catabolic) - arousing: readies body for activity, use of
energy
■ Parasympathetic (anabolic) - calming: readies body for restoration of
energy
Central nervous system
● Neurons = fancy cell/ a nerve cell that consist of many different parts
○ Dendrites - receive messages from other cells
○ Axon - passes messages away from the cell body to other neurons. Muscles, or
glands
○ Terminal branch of axon - form junctions with other cells
○ Cell body - the cells life support center
○ Neural impulse - (action potential) electrical signal traveling down the axon
○ Myelin sheath - covers the axon of some neurons and helps speen neural
impulses
■ Insulating layer of fatty material
■ Composed of glial cells
■ Helps efficient transmission of signals to other cells
■ Gaps in myelin sheath are nodes of Ranvier
● Types of Neurons
, ○ Sensory
○ Interneurons
○ Motor
● The Synapse
○ Junction between one neuron’s axon and another’s dendrites/cell body
○ Neurotransmitters cross the synapse
○ Plays a fundamental role in the communication btw neurons
● Anatomy of the Synapse
○ Presynaptic neuron axons end in terminal buttons
○ Terminal buttons contain synaptic vesicles
○ Synaptic vesicles contain neurotransmitters
○ Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit info across the synaptic gap (cleft)
○ Postsynaptic neuron dendrites contain receptor sites
○ Receptor sites fit certain neurotransmitters
○ Neurotransmitters bind to specific receptor sites in a lock-key system
● Electrical-chemical activity across the synapse
○ Neural communication is an electrical-chemical process
○ The electrical and chemical events are interrelated
● The action potential
○ Electrical charge gathered by dendrites and cell body
○ Electrical charge travels down the axon to synapse
○ Stimulates the release of neurotransmitters into synapse
○ Occurs only when electrical signal is at a certain level (threshold)
○ “All-or-none” - electrical impulse is the same no matter how much stimulation the
neuron receives
○ Neuron returns to resting state after electrical charge is transmitted
1. Waves of electrical energy fires down the axon (action potential)
2. Vesicles fuse with membrane in terminal buttons
3. Neurotransmitters released into synapse
4. Neurotransmitter interacts with receptors on postsynaptic neuron
5. Small waves of electrical energy flow to the soma
6. Axon fires if threshold of excitation is exceeded
Neurotransmitters (chemicals)- released from the sending neuron travel across the synapse and
bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing it to generate an action
potential
Types of Neurotransmitters
● Acetylcholine (Ach)
○ Function- enables muscle action. Learning and memory
○ Malfunctions- with alzheimer’s, ach producing neurons deteriorate
● Dopamine
○ Function- influences movement, learning, attention and emotion
