26/10 Flashcards
divisions of the NS
The Central Nervous System and the peripheral nervous system
divisions of the CNS
brain and spinal cord
function of the brain
Controls thoughts, feelings and actions
function of the spinal cord
Connects the brain and the PNS
divisions of the PNS
The autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system
function of the SNS
Communicates messages from the PNS to the skeletal muscles
divisions of the ANS
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems
function of the sympathetic nervous system
Prepares the body for action (activates FFF)
function of the parasympatheteic nervous system
Calms body after action and returns it to and maintains homeostasis
main functions of the nervous system
- Receive information
- processes information
- coordinate a response
lock and key process
- each type of neurotransmitter has a chemically distinct shape
- when released by the presynaptic neuron, the neurotransmitter (key) searches for the correctly shaped receptor site (lock) on the postynaptic neuron where it then binds
- this binding unlocks the postsynaptic neuron’s response
what is stress
A state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by stressors perceived as a challenge or something that exceeds our ability to cope
eustress
a positive psychological response to a stressor
when is eustress experienced
When stress is beneficial and desireable and not harmful to the body
distress
A negative psychological response to a stressor
when is distress experienced
When stress is objectionable or undeseriable and can have serious consequences for health
difference in the body’s reactions to eustress and distress
- the body cannot differentiate
- the sympathetic nervous system is activated in both reactions (FFF)
daily pressures
- little problems of everyday living that annoy or bother us
- are not necessarily significant in themselves, but when piled on top of one another can become a major source of stress
life events
- changes that force us to adapt to new circumstances
- have immediate consequences and require longer adjustments
acculturative stress
- the experience of people trying to adapt to a new culture
- the adopting of values, customs and languages
major stressors
- events that are extremely stressful for almost anyone who experiences them
- often described as psychologically traumatising events and typically involve life-threatening experiences
catastrophes
- sudden, unpredictable, uncontrollable events that cause widespread damage or suffering
- usually affect many people simultaneously
approach strategies
- a direct attempt to focus on a stressor
- more adaptive and effective
avoidance strategies
- an inderect attempt to deal with a stressor
- not always maladaptive, only short term
context-specific effectivenness
when there is a good match between the coping strategy used and the stressful situation
high coping flexibility
a ready adjustment of coping strategies when found ineffective
low coping flexibility
consistently using the same strategies across situations even if they prove to be ineffective
benefits of exercise
- uses up stress hormones
- releases endorphins
- provides an opportunity for distraction
recall
retrieving information using few or no cues
free recall
reproducing as much information as possible in no particular order without the use of a specific cue
serial recall
reproducing information in the order in which it was presented
cued recall
the use of cues to aid retrieval and reproduction of the required information
recognition
identifying the original learnt information from among alternatives. the presence of correct information acts a a cue for its retrieval
relearning
learning information again that has been previously learned and stored in the ltm. method of savings
reconstruction
combining stored information with available information to form a more complete memory. most evident when retrieving an episodic memory of a specific event
leading questions
have content or are phrased in a way that suggests what answer is desired or lead to the desired answer
the problem with leading questions
the witness may add false information and reconstruct the memory in an incorrect way
