Psychology Revision, summary notes
from the 2022 exam
Nervous system and what it contains
Central Nervous System CNS:
> brain (receives/ processes information)
> spinal cord (motor/sensory to PNS)
Peripheral Nervous System PNS: motor information from the CNS to muscles, glands and
organs
> somantic: voluntary, transmits information from receptors to spinal cord/ brain which
causes movement
> autonomic: subconscious
Parasympathetic: returning and maintaining functions
Sympathetic: activating
*SAME: Sensory=Afferent, Motor=Efferent*
Lock and key process
Neurotransmitters search for correctly shaped receptor sites on the dendrites
> excitatory: activate the neuron so that it fires (movement/ learning/ memory)
> inhibitory: prevents the neuron from firing GABA (regulates/ balances)
Stress
Daily life: day to day, day inconveniences
Life events: disturbed daily activities
Acculturative: relocation, forced
Major events: affects psychological and physiological wellbeing
Catastrophies: affects large population for a long time
Cortisol HPA
Cortisol: when the body cant produce adrenaline and noradrenaline it releases cortisol
> maintains body levels and functioning
HPA: hypothalumus, pituitary glands, adrenal gland
GAS
Alarm reaction: adrenaline/ cortisol is released. Resistance drops below normal level
Resistance: stressor isnt dealt with. Cortisol levels sustained to respond to stressor
Exhaustion: unable to defeat stressor. Cortisol is depleated
, Transational model of stress
Lazarus and Folkman: ability to cope with stressor
> primary: harm/ loss, stress, challenge
> secondary: limited resources -> stress, coping resources -> eliminated stress, reapraisal
Emotional, Problem
LTP and LTD
Long term potentiation: strengthening of synaptic connections
> actions/ thoughts/ feelings
Long term depression: weakening of synaptic connections
> weakness memory trace
They work together to ensure we have efficient neural pathways/ connections
Classical conditioning
Repetitive association of two or more stimuli
Neutral stimulus NS: no relevant response
Unconditioned stimulus UCS: unconditioned response UCR
NS + UCS: UCR
Conditioned stimus CS: Conditioned response CR
Operant conditioning
Behaviors being repeated is determined by a consequence
ABC: A (event), B (behaviour- response), C (reward or punishment)
Operant conditioning consequences
Positive reinforcement: adds a good thing
Negative reinforcement: takes a bad thing
Positive punishment: adds a bad thing
Response cost: takes a good thing
Observational learning
ARRMR: observing a models behaviour in hopes its repeated
Attention: pays attention to action
Retention: stores information
Reproduction: reproduces behaviours
Motivation: performs behaviour
Reinforcement: consequence so learning repeats
from the 2022 exam
Nervous system and what it contains
Central Nervous System CNS:
> brain (receives/ processes information)
> spinal cord (motor/sensory to PNS)
Peripheral Nervous System PNS: motor information from the CNS to muscles, glands and
organs
> somantic: voluntary, transmits information from receptors to spinal cord/ brain which
causes movement
> autonomic: subconscious
Parasympathetic: returning and maintaining functions
Sympathetic: activating
*SAME: Sensory=Afferent, Motor=Efferent*
Lock and key process
Neurotransmitters search for correctly shaped receptor sites on the dendrites
> excitatory: activate the neuron so that it fires (movement/ learning/ memory)
> inhibitory: prevents the neuron from firing GABA (regulates/ balances)
Stress
Daily life: day to day, day inconveniences
Life events: disturbed daily activities
Acculturative: relocation, forced
Major events: affects psychological and physiological wellbeing
Catastrophies: affects large population for a long time
Cortisol HPA
Cortisol: when the body cant produce adrenaline and noradrenaline it releases cortisol
> maintains body levels and functioning
HPA: hypothalumus, pituitary glands, adrenal gland
GAS
Alarm reaction: adrenaline/ cortisol is released. Resistance drops below normal level
Resistance: stressor isnt dealt with. Cortisol levels sustained to respond to stressor
Exhaustion: unable to defeat stressor. Cortisol is depleated
, Transational model of stress
Lazarus and Folkman: ability to cope with stressor
> primary: harm/ loss, stress, challenge
> secondary: limited resources -> stress, coping resources -> eliminated stress, reapraisal
Emotional, Problem
LTP and LTD
Long term potentiation: strengthening of synaptic connections
> actions/ thoughts/ feelings
Long term depression: weakening of synaptic connections
> weakness memory trace
They work together to ensure we have efficient neural pathways/ connections
Classical conditioning
Repetitive association of two or more stimuli
Neutral stimulus NS: no relevant response
Unconditioned stimulus UCS: unconditioned response UCR
NS + UCS: UCR
Conditioned stimus CS: Conditioned response CR
Operant conditioning
Behaviors being repeated is determined by a consequence
ABC: A (event), B (behaviour- response), C (reward or punishment)
Operant conditioning consequences
Positive reinforcement: adds a good thing
Negative reinforcement: takes a bad thing
Positive punishment: adds a bad thing
Response cost: takes a good thing
Observational learning
ARRMR: observing a models behaviour in hopes its repeated
Attention: pays attention to action
Retention: stores information
Reproduction: reproduces behaviours
Motivation: performs behaviour
Reinforcement: consequence so learning repeats
