AP TEST Flashcards
ablation
removal or destruction of brain tissue in a surgical procedure
acetylcholine (ACh)
a neurotransmitter involved in learning, memory, and muscle movement
acquisition
a process in classical conditioning by which the association of a neutral stimulus with a natural stimulus is first established
activation synthesis
the idea that dreams are the result of the cerebral cortex interpreting and organizing random flashes of brain activity, originating in the lower brain structures especially the pons
adrenal gland
source of the hormone norepinephrine which affects arousal
afferent
in neurons, another name for sensory
agonists
drugs which mimic the activity of neurotransmitters
alpha waves
seen when an individual is in a relaxed, unfocused, yet still awake state
antagonist
drug which blocks the activity of neurotransmitters
anterograde amnesia
loss of memory for events that occur AFTER the onset of the amnesia
anvil
the middle of thee three occicles in the middle ear
applied research
scientific investigations intended to solve practical problems
bipolar cells
eye neurons that receive information from the retinal cells and distribute information to the ganglion cells
cannon-bard
theory of emotion that says that a stimulus causes SIMULTANEOUSLY physiological arousal and the subjective experience of an emotion
catatonic
a form of schizophrenia in which the patient has muscle immobility and does not move
catharsis
release of aggressive energy through activity or fantasy
CAT scan
a method of creating static images of the brain through computerized axial tomography
client-centered
therapy developed by Carl Rogers featuring the patient’s self-discovery and actualization” also called person-centered
client-centered therapy
developed by Carl Rogers, this humanistic therapy includes unconditional positive regard
correlation coefficient
a positive ear 1.0 indicates two variables are positively related; a negative number indicates a negative relationship; zero indicates no relationship
crystallized
term describes a type of intelligence which applies cultural knowledge to solving problems
Delta waves
largest brain waves, associated with deep, dreamless sleep
depressant
any agent that reduces the activity of the central nervous system (CNS)
depth perception
an ability that we exercise by using both monocular and binocular cues
displacement
defense mechanism in which unwanted feelings are directed towards a different object
dispositional attribution
assuming that another’s behavior is due to personality factors, not situational ones (attribution error)
dissociative fugue
disorder in which one travels away from home and is unable to remember details of his past, including often his identity (fugue state)
dopamine
a neurotransmitter which is associated with Parkinson’s disease (too little of it) and schizophrenia (too much of it)
tympanic membrane
eardrum
echoic
memory of sounds
ego
mediator between the id and superego
egocentrism
in a toddler, the belief that others perceive the world in the same way they do
eidetic
describes a type of visual memory that is retained for a long time; photographic
Electra complex
counterpart to the Oedipus complex for females
emotion-theories
James-Lange; Cannon-Baird; Singer-Schachter; Lazarus; Zajonc
endorphins
neurotransmitters that give one a feeling of well-being, euphoria, or eliminate pain
feature detection
the ability of the brain to identify specific components of visual stimuli such as corners or edges
figure-ground
refers to our ability to distinguish foreground from background in visual images
fluid intelligence
term that describes a type of intelligence used to cope with novel situations and problems
foot-in-the-door
term describes a phenomenon in which people who agree to a small request are more likely to later agree to a larger request
fovea
the central focus area of the retina
frequency
theory of hearing which states that the rate of nerve impulses traveling up the auditory nerve matches the tone’s frequency
functional fixedness
the tendency to think about things only in terms of the usual cues; can be a hindrance to creative thinking
functionalism
WILLIAM JAMES’S school of though that stressed the adaptive and survival value of behaviors
ganglion cells
their axons form the optic nerve
general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Seyle’s concept that the body responds to stress
with alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
generativity vs. stagnation
Erikson’s stage of social development in which middle-aged people begin to devote themselves more to fulfilling one’s potential and doing pubic service
glial cell
this acts as a support system for neurons