Correlation Coefficient

·        Compute degree and direction of the relationship

·        Direction – positive, negative, and zero

·        Degree – strength

·        The range of coefficient

§         -1 to +1

§         e.g., +0.6  – 0.9

No Cause and Effect

·        E.g., Caffeine and Cancer

·        E.g., Crime rate and Number of churches in town.

Ethical Treatment of Participants

·        Written consent

·        Right to withdraw

·        Minimum deception

·        Complete debriefing

 

Statistics

Biological Psychology

·        What are biological bases of our behavior?

·        Most important – nervous system

·        Vast network of specialized cells that process information

·        Biological Psychologists – Study nervous system.

·        Some study – Other biological mechanisms

How does it work?

·        Nervous system is consisted of two types of cells.

§         Neuron – Gallia cells – protect support neurons]          

·        Structure

·        Each neuron goes through three stages, to transmit a message.

Resting Potential

·        When a neuron is resting

·        Inside – negatively charge

·        Outside – positively charged

§         Na+

§         K+

Action Potential

·        When dendrites are stimulated, the wall of a neuron becomes permeable.

·        Positive ions rush inside

·        Depolarization.  = message

·        Follows “all or none” principle – Always fires the same way

·        Only way to speed up – Myelin Sheath

Refractory Period

·        Until pumping our positively charged ions, the cell cannot fire again

Between Neurons

·        Message jumps a gap – synaptic gap.

·        Done by – neurotransmitters

·        Stored in vesicles

·        Either excitatory or inhibitory.

§         Excitatory = you have to fire (go signal)

§         Inhibitory = don’t send in any further (stop signal)

·        Absorbed by vesicles after being used – reuptake mechanism.

False Transmitters

·        Mimic real neurotransmitters

§         Alcohol – inhibitory

§         Amphetamine – excitatory

§         LSD – both – dangerous because it will be stored in vesicles

These Cells Form a Vast Network

·        Divided into – Central and Peripheral

·        Central

§         Brain

§         Spinal cord

·        Peripheral

§         Somatic

§         Autonomic – Sympathetic and parasympathetic

·         

Somatic

·        Control voluntary muscle movements

·        Two fibers

§         Sensory

§         Motor

·        Connected by inter-neurons

Autonomic

·        Regulate involuntary muscle movements

·        Sympathetic – Increase bodily arousal

§         “Fight or flight” syndrome

·        Parasympathetic – Reduce bodily arousal

·        Many activities involve both systems.