ib psych paper 1 cram lets go (no sociocultural)

Localization

The theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular functions or behaviors. This concept is often illustrated through studies of patients with brain injuries.

• Broca (1861) “Tan patient”

• Wernicke’s area (1874)

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, allowing adaptation to new experiences or injuries.

• Merzenich et al (1984) - cortical mapping of the hand using monkeys

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers that transmit signals across synapses between neurons, influencing various physiological processes and behaviors.

• Fisher, Aron, & Brown (2005) - role of dopamine in romantic love

Hormones

Chemical substances produced by glands that regulate various physiological processes and behaviors in the body, influencing growth, metabolism, and mood.

• Romero et al (2014) - the role of oxytocin in social bonding and stress responses.

Pheromones

Chemical substances released by organisms that trigger social responses in members of the same species, often related to communication and mating.

• Cutler, Friedmann, McCoy (1998) idk

Genetics in Psychology

The study of how genetic factors influence behavior, personality traits, mental health, and the likelihood of developing psychological disorders. It involves understanding the interplay between heredity and environment.

• Bouchard and McGue (1981) - the impact of genes on individual differences in intelligence and personality.

Evolutionary explanations

in psychology focus on how evolutionary processes shape behavior and mental processes, emphasizing survival and reproductive advantages.

• Curtis, Aunger, & Rabie (2004)

  • Feelings of disgust differ depending on the source of the material. Disease-salient stimuli were more disgusting than others

Animal Research

Merzenich et al (1984) - Cortical mapping using monkeys

[Cognitive] Memory models

are frameworks that explain how information is encoded, stored, and retrieved in the human mind, including theories such as the multi-store model and working memory model.

• Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968) - short and long term memory stores

Schema theory

proposes that knowledge is organized into mental structures called schemas, which influence how we interpret and remember information.

• Bransford & Johnson (1972) - participants understood and remembered passages better when given a relevant context beforehand due to schema theory

Decision making

is the cognitive process of selecting a course of action from multiple alternatives, often influenced by biases, heuristics, and risk assessment.

• Luce, Bettman, & Payne (1997) - examined how individuals make decisions under risk and uncertainty, revealing the impact of alternative consideration and context on choice.

Reconstructive memory

Loftus & Palmer (1974) - speed verb experiment, demonstrated that the way questions are phrased can alter a person's recollection of an event.

Bias in decision-making

refers to systematic errors in judgment that occur when individuals rely on cognitive shortcuts, leading to potentially irrational choices.

• McCloskey & Zaragoza (1985) - found that misleading post-event information can distort eyewitness memory, demonstrating how biases influence decision-making and memory.

Emotion

is a complex psychological state that involves a subjective experience, physiological response, and behavioral or expressive response.

• Luce, Bettman, & Payne (1997)

Cognitive Processing in the Digital World

refers to how individuals think, learn, and make decisions in the context of digital information and technology. This includes the impacts of online environments on attention, memory, and information retrieval.

• Darley & Gross (1983) - demonstrated how context can influence judgments of competence based on video presentations.