CHM 2045 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Cerebral Cortex, Hindbrain, Experimental Psychology
Psychology - The scientific study of mental processes and behavior
Why do we study Psychology? - To understand how we and other living creatures think, feel,
and act.
What are the different areas of Psychology? - Biopsychology, Developmental psychology,
Experimental psychology, Cognitive psychology, Personality psychology, Social psychology
Psychoanalysis - An approach to psychology that studies how human behavior is determined by
hidden or unconscious motives and desires.
behaviorism - An approach to psychology that studies observable behavior rather than hidden
mental processes.
Scientific methods - A set of procedures used to gather, analyze, and interpret information in a
way that reduces error and leads to depend- able conclusions.
Theory - An organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related
Hypothesis - An educated guess, or prediction, about the nature of things based on a theory
Variable - Factors in the study that can be measured and that are capable of changing, or varying
Double-Blind - The subject nor the researcher is aware as to which group anyone is in. Third
party is usually involved.
Single-blind - The subjects do not know, but the researcher is aware as to which group everyone
is in.
3 Basic techniques of data collection - Self-report, Direct Observation, and Archival Information
Case Study - A scientific method involving an in-depth analysis of a single subject
Hindbrain - The part of the brain found at the rear base of the skull that controls the most basic
biological needs for life
Midbrain - The part of the brain above the hindbrain that plays a role in attention, stimulation,
and consciousness
Forebrain - The part of the brain above the midbrain that controls emotional reactions, thought
processes, movement, sensory information, and body temperature
Cerebral Cortex - The thinking center of the brain which coordinates and inte- grates all areas of
the brain into a fully functioning unit
Cerebral Hemispheres - Two halves of the cerebral cortex
Lobes - The four major sections of both cerebral hemispheres
Frontal Lobes - They are involved in the coordination of movement and higher mental processes,
such as planning, social skills, emotional control, and abstract thinking.
Occipital Lobes - They are located at the back of the cerebral hemispheres and allow you to
experience shapes, color, and motion.
Temporal lobes - are important in hearing and language.
pupil - An opening in the iris that allows light to enter the eye
iris - A ring of muscles that range in color from light blue to dark brown
lens - A clear, elastic, disc-shaped structure that refocuses light
retina - The light-sensitive surface at the back of the eye
optic nerve - Carries information from the retina to the brain
blind spot - The area on the retina where the optic nerve leaves the eye and that contains no
receptor cells
rods - important in detecting patterns of black, white, and gray. They function best under low-
light conditions so are most useful at night.
cones - require much more light to be activated and play a key role in color vision
Document Summary
Psychology - the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. To understand how we and other living creatures think, feel, and act. Experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, personality psychology, social psychology. Psychoanalysis - an approach to psychology that studies how human behavior is determined by hidden or unconscious motives and desires. behaviorism - an approach to psychology that studies observable behavior rather than hidden mental processes. Scientific methods - a set of procedures used to gather, analyze, and interpret information in a way that reduces error and leads to depend- able conclusions. Theory - an organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related. Hypothesis - an educated guess, or prediction, about the nature of things based on a theory. Variable - factors in the study that can be measured and that are capable of changing, or varying. Double-blind - the subject nor the researcher is aware as to which group anyone is in.
