Lecture notes from the course Introduction to Psychology for 1st year Psychology Bachelor Students studying at the VU University Amsterdam. Three weeks are missing.
11/14 Lectures are included. I missed three of them.
Language: English
Introduction to Psychology
Lecture 2
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Period 1, Week 1
Communication among neurons
Either fire or do not fire
All-or-none law
Intensity variations by
1. No of neurons firing
2. Variations in firing rate
Neurons interact
Via synapses
Through chemical substances
Synapse
The place where a signal passes from one nerve cell to another
Neurotransmitters
Chemical substances that transmit signals from one neuron to another
Lock-and-key model
Effect is terminated by
1. Autoreceptors
2. Synaptic reuptake
3. Enzymes
The binding of a neurotransmitter with a receptor produces an excitatory or
inhibitory signal
Drugs
Agonists
Increase of precursor
Counteracting the cleanup enzymes
Blocking the reuptake
o SSRIs
Mimicking the transmitter’s action
o Because it fits into the receptor
Studying the brain
19th century > Phrenology
Bumps on the skull were interpreted in terms of personality traits
Methods for studying the brain
Clinical observation of patients with brain damage
Experimental techniques
Invasive: animal studies
TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)
EEG
ERP
fMRI
MRI
PET
Introduction to Psychology
Lecture 3
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Period 1, Week 2
Consciousness: one’s subjective experience of the world, resulting from brain
activity
Brain and mind are inseparable
Everyone experiences consciousness personally
Arises as a function of which brain circuits are active
Global Workspace Model
Sometimes unconscious processes lead people to do things that their
conscious minds struggle to explain
After-the-face explanations
Variations in consciousness
Attention: refers to the process that enables you to focus selectively on some
things and avoid focusing on others
There is a limit to the number of things you can be conscious of at the
same time
Unattended behavior may still affect behavior > subliminal perception
Yet, without much awareness > change blindness
Cocktail party phenomenon
Sometimes the unattended information breaks through
Sleep
Why do we sleep? > theories about sleep
Restorative theory
Circadian rhythm theory
2
, Facilitation of learning theory > strengthening of neural
connections and memory consolidation
Dreams: products of an altered state of consciousness in which images
and fantasies are confused with reality
Non-REM dreams: dull
REM dreams: bizarre and intense
Drugs
Addiction: drug use that remains compulsive despite its negative
consequences
Physical and psychological dependence
Tolerance: increasing amounts of a drug needed to achieve the
intended effect
Withdrawal: physiological and psychological state characterized
by feelings of anxiety, tension and cravings for the addictive
substance
Four major categories of drugs
Stimulants: drugs that increase behavioral and mental activity and activate
the sympathetic nervous system (e.g. amphetamines, methamphetamines,
cocaine, nicotine, caffeine)
Depressants: reduce behavioral and mental activity by depressing the central
nervous system (e.g. alcohol, benzo’s, barbiturates)
Opiates (narcotics): depress or slow down the central nervous system, relieve
pain and suffering (e.g. heroin, morphine, codeine)
Hallucinogens (psychedelics): produce alterations in cognition, mood and
perception (e.g. LSD, Mescaline – from Peyote cactus, psilocybin mushrooms)
Many do not fit into these four categories (XTC, MDMA, marijuana)
Introduction to Psychology
Lecture 4
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Period 1, Week 2
Sensation: the detection of external stimuli and the transmission of this information
to the brain
Perception: the processing, organization, and interpretation of sensory signals
The senses
Vision
Hearing
Taste
Smell
Skin senses
Vestibular sense – sense of balance
Kinesthesis – sense of muscles/tendants/joints
3
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller nmcsd. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R67,86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
