Ch 1-3 Flashcards

evolution in psych, methods of psych, neuroscience & behavior

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1
Q

empiricism

A

the belief that knowledge is acquired through experience & observation, opposite of nativism
John Locke

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2
Q

nativism

A

the belief that some knowledge is innate, opposite of empiricism
Emmanuel Kant

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3
Q

sensory neurons

A

receive info from external world & convey to the brain via spinal cord

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4
Q

motor neurons

A

carry signals from brain to spinal cord to muscles to produce movement

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5
Q

interneurons

A

connect sensory, motor, & other neurons

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6
Q

Steps of electrochemical action

A
  1. Electrical signal conducted within neuron
  2. Chemical signal transmitted from one neuron’s axon terminal across synapse to another neuron’s dendrites
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7
Q

When action potential reaches threshold, _____ channels open up

A

sodium

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8
Q

Which occurs first, depolarization or repolarization?

A

depolarization

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9
Q

depolarization

A

charge gets close to zero

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10
Q

autoreceptors

A

receptors on sending neuron that neurotransmitters bind to to stop release of more NTs

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11
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemicals that transmits info across synapse

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12
Q

terminal buttons

A

knoblike structures branching out from axon

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13
Q

receptors

A

parts of cell membrane that receive NTs and initiate or prevent new electrical signal, lock-and-key system

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14
Q

nodes of Ranvier

A

gaps in myelin sheath, parts of axon that charge jumps between

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15
Q

glial cells

A

‘support’ cells in nervous system; provide physical & structural support for neurons; produce myelin

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16
Q

myelin sheath

A

insulates axon to make action potentials more efficient; produced by glial cells

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17
Q

synapse

A

fluid-filled gap between neurons across which NTs carry information

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18
Q

vesicle

A

sacs that contain NTs

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19
Q

3 ways that NTs are removed from synapse

A
  1. Reuptake by terminal buttons of presynaptic neurons, or by glial cells
  2. Enzyme deactivation (specific enzymes in synapse break down specific NTs)
  3. Diffusion out of synapse (NTs don’t reach receptors)
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20
Q

Steps of synaptic transmission

A
  1. Signal reaches terminal buttons
  2. Action potential of presynaptic neuron triggers release of neurotransmitters
  3. NTs carry info across
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21
Q

hormones vs. neurotransmitters

A

hormones released by endocrine glands into bloodstream, travel far throughout body
NTs released by neurons across short distance of synaptic cleft

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22
Q

agonist

A

increases action of NT
(ex: Adderall increases norepinephrine, increasing focus)

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23
Q

antagonist

A

blocks function of NT

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24
Q

Tabula Rasa

A

“blank slate” AKA babies are born knowing nothing, an idea of empiricism; Aristotle

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25
Q

psychology

A

study of observable behavior and mind/mental processes

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26
Q

dualism

A

Rene Descartes, the idea that mind and body are separate things but connected, opposite of materialism

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27
Q

ghost in the machine

A

Dualism idea of immaterial mind inside material body

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28
Q

materialism

A

Thomas Hobbes, mind & body are NOT fundamentally different things, mind is what body does, opposite of dualism

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29
Q

Who was the Father of Psychology?

A

Wilhelm Wundt

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30
Q

Who was the Father of American Psychology?

A

William James

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31
Q

realism

A

perception is like a camera, sends exact picture of world to brain
John Locke

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32
Q

idealism

A

perception is like a painting, people have different interpretations
Immanuel Kant

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33
Q

When was the 1st psych lab established?

A

1879

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34
Q

structuralism

A

idea of breaking down the mind into simple parts to understand what it is LIKE, observation; introspection & self-reports
Wilhelm Wundt

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35
Q

functionalism

A

focusing on PURPOSE of mental process rather than components, what is the mind FOR
William James

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36
Q

introspection

A

technique used by structuralists to analyze subjective experience by having study volunteers describe their experience with various presented stimuli

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37
Q

Sigmund Freud

A

physician who believed nervous disorders were result of childhood trauma residing in unconscious, developed psychoanalytic theory

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38
Q

psychoanalytic theory

A

theory developed by Freud, emphasizes influence of unconscious on feelings, thoughts, behaviors

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39
Q

John Broadus (JB) Watson

A

believed psych should focus on science of stimuli and response

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40
Q

“Little Albert” experiment

A

JB Watson trained a child who loved rats to have a phobia of rats by making a loud noise whenever the child interacted with the rat

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41
Q

behaviorism

A

restricts scientific inquiry to objectively observable behavior
John Watson

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42
Q

What did Watson believe about behaviorism?

A

Studying behavior would allow psychs to predict & control it

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43
Q

BF Skinner

A

psych student who wanted to know how animals learn to do things; proposed principle of reinforcement

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44
Q

“Skinner Box”

A

BF Skinner’s experiment: put a rat in a cage with a lever that delivered food when pressed; recorded frequency of rat’s lever-presses; behavior-consequence relationship

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45
Q

Ivan Pavlov

A

studied digestion in dogs, figured out that they associated footsteps with food

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46
Q

principle of reinforcement

A

developed by Skinner, states that any behavior that is rewarded will be repeated and vice versa

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47
Q

Why was Skinner’s experimentation controversial?

A

people believed he wanted control and would use reinforcement to gain it

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48
Q

illusory motion

A

2 lights flashing on screen, when time between flashes is longer, people thought it was 2 lights; when shorter time, thought it was 1 light moving back and forth
Occurs bc brain has theories of how world works

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49
Q

Gestalt psychology

A

emphasizes way in which mind creates perceptual experience; the whole is more than the sum of its parts

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50
Q

social psychology

A

thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of people in context of society and its norms
Kurt Lewin

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51
Q

cognitive psychology

A

study of human info-processing (perception, thought, memory, reasoning); new tech allowed this

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52
Q

developmental psychology

A

study of way in which psych phenomena change over the lifespan

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53
Q

Kurt Lewin

A

believed people react to world as they see it, not as it is; introduced social psych

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54
Q

evolutionary psychology

A

how mind & behavior are shaped by natural selection
John Garcia

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55
Q

John Garcia

A

studied taste aversion in rats, noticed they associated nausea with food eaten & would not associate it with any other stimuli; concluded that they evolved to avoid spoiled food and therefore could not be blank slates

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56
Q

cultural psychology

A

studies how cultures influence mental processes of their members

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57
Q

fMRI

A

shows blood flow in brain to see which areas are being supplied with more oxygen at given time/which are working during various tasks

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58
Q

How is cognitive vs. evolutionary psych similar to structuralism vs functionalism?

A

cognitive & structuralism ask what the mind is LIKE; evolutionary & functionalism ask what the mind is FOR

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59
Q

Broca’s area

A

region of brain’s left frontal lobe responsible for verbal/written word understanding & speech/language production; named after Paul Broca, who treated a man whose area was damaged and the man could understand words but stopped being able to produce them

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60
Q

rationalism

A

knowledge acquired via reason & argument

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61
Q

cognitive neuroscience

A

relationship btwn brain & mental processes

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62
Q

behavioral neuroscience

A

relationship btwn brain & behavior

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63
Q

Mary Whiton Calkins

A

1st female president of APA

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64
Q

APA

A

American Psychological Association

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65
Q

Margaret Fly Washburn

A

1st woman to receive psych PHD, later became APA president

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66
Q

Francis Cecil Sumner

A

1st Black person to receive psych PHD

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67
Q

Kenneth Clark

A

1st Black president of APA

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68
Q

What did the Clarks study?

A

psychological harm of racial segregation on Black children; their research was cited in Brown v. Board and helped conclude that segregation is unconstitutional

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69
Q

Mamie Phipps Clark

A

studied effect of racial segregation on Black kids

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70
Q

scientific method

A

procedure for using empirical evidence to establish facts; based on empiricism

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71
Q

dogmatism

A

tendency to cling to one’s beliefs

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72
Q

theory

A

explanation of natural phenomenon; can NEVER be proven right

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73
Q

What are the 6 (simplified) steps of the scientific method/experimentation?

A
  1. identify problem
  2. gather info
  3. develop falsifiable hypothesis
  4. design & conduct experiment
  5. analyze data & make conclusions
  6. restart the process!
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74
Q

__% of people receiving PHDs in psych are women

A

70

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75
Q

hypothesis

A

FALSIFIABLE prediction made by a theory

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76
Q

demand characteristics

A

people change behavior in different settings, behave as they believe they are expected to
can avoid by using naturalistic observation, keeping participants blind to research question, allow anonymity

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77
Q

Why isn’t naturalistic observation always possible?

A

not enough time, money; some events not naturally occurring; some events can only be observed through direct interactions; observer bias

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78
Q

observer bias

A

expectations can influence researchers’ observations & perceptions of reality
avoid by using double-blind study

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79
Q

double-blind study

A

neither observed nor observer know true purpose of study

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80
Q

participant observation

A

researcher secretly joins group being observed
often only way to access group, but observer bias and reactivity are increased

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81
Q

case study

A

in-depth analysis of unique
circumstance, person, or group
of people

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82
Q

Phineas Gage case study

A

railroad worker whose entire personality changed when an iron bar went through his head & damaged most of his left frontal lobe

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83
Q

Genie case study

A

abused child who was neglected, causing her brain to not develop properly; cortex for language and speech was not stimulated in Genie’s brain due to neglect & lack of stimulation
nature versus nurture debate

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84
Q

survey research

A

quick and easy method to collect info on opinions, perspectives, attitudes; can’t survey entire population, sampling error & bias

85
Q

research ethics

A

set of principles/standards behavioral psychs must follow when conducting research to protect participants

86
Q

historical ethical failures

A

Tuskegee syphilis study
Little Albert
Stanford Prison Experiment
Milgram experiment

87
Q

5 ethical principles for psych research

A
  1. Beneficence (do no harm)
  2. Fidelity & Responsibility (disclose risks, can opt out)
  3. Integrity (accurate, non-biased practice)
  4. Justice (equality in choosing participants; they should benefit from the study)
  5. Respect for People’s Rights & Dignity (informed consent, confidentiality, NO COERCION)
88
Q

deception

A

withholding info about purpose/procedure of study during informed consent

89
Q

How to be approved for use of deception?

A

minimal risk
doesn’t affect wellbeing/rights of participant
justify why it’s used
debriefing occurs after study is over to reveal true purpose

90
Q

extraneous/confounding variables

A

variables unrelated to study but must be controlled or they will impact results

91
Q

population

A

every single member of a group we are studying

92
Q

sample

A

subset of whole group we are studying

93
Q

simple random sample

A

everyone has equal chance of being selected

94
Q

stratified random sample

A

divide sample into subgroups & pull from those groups
ensures equal representation of subgroups

95
Q

non-random sample

A

everyone does NOT have equal chance of being selected

96
Q

convenience sample

A

participants selected bc of preexisting condition, easy access, convenience (ex: SONA)

97
Q

A measure can be ____ without being ____

A

reliable; valid

98
Q

measurement must have

A

reliability, validity, power

99
Q

reliability

A

consistency of measurement (precision)

100
Q

validity

A

accuracy of measurement (to true value)

101
Q

internal validity

A

How much did IVs cause changes in DVs? Can this be replicated?

102
Q

power

A

ability to detect differences in measurements, when present

103
Q

external validity

A

How well do findings
generalize to real-world settings?

104
Q

correlation

A

capture strength & direction of relationship
between 2 variables

105
Q

correlation coefficient

A

r, ranges from -1 to +1

106
Q

curvilinear

A

as X scores increase, Y scores alter direction after a certain point

107
Q

positive correlation

A

r = 1

108
Q

negative correlation

A

r = -1

109
Q

no correlation

A

r = 0

110
Q

third-variable problem

A

correlation between two variables can actually be explained by a third variable that hasn’t been accounted for

111
Q

nervous system

A

interacting network of neurons that convey electrochemical info throughout body

112
Q

nervous system “tree”

A

central
peripheral:
somatic
autonomic:
sympathetic
parasympathetic

113
Q

central nervous system

A

composed of brain & spinal cord
receives sensory info from external world, processes & coordinates info
sends commands to skeletal & muscular systems for action

114
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

composed of nerves outside of brain & spinal cord; connects CNS to body’s organs & muscles
somatic & autonomic

115
Q

3 qualities that make humans hard to study

A
  1. COMPLEX (brain has A LOT of neurons & activity)
  2. VARIABLE (no 2 ppl ever do/say/feel the same under the same circumstances
  3. REACTIVE (ppl act differently when they think they’re being observed)
116
Q

empirical method

A

set of rules & techniques for observation

117
Q

construct validity

A

degree to which operational definition adequately describes important features of phenomenon being studied (ex: most people think happy people would smile more)

118
Q

operational definition

A

description of a property in measurable terms (ex: number of smiles in an hour [define happiness in measure] and then detect by counting smiles)

119
Q

naturalistic observation

A

gathering info by unobtrusively observing ppl in their natural environments

120
Q

primacy

A

the first thing you learn about someone influences everything else you learn later

121
Q

somatic nervous system

A

Contains neurons & nerves that
control voluntary movement
Integrates sensory info from body to brain
conveys info btwn skeletal muscles & CNS

122
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

carries involuntary commands controlling blood vessels, organs, glands; divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic

123
Q

sympathetic nervous system

A

prepares body for action
“fight or flight” (arousing)
increases heart rate, blood flow, respiration; inhibits saliva (dry mouth), digestion, pain responses, etc

124
Q

informed consent

A

verbal agreement to participate in a study, given by an adult who has been fully informed of all risks associated with participation

125
Q

psych honor code

A
  1. report truthfully
  2. share credit
  3. share data
126
Q

parasympathetic nervous system

A

helps body return to normal resting state
slows heart rate, etc; mirrors sympathetic nervous system

127
Q

brain function

A

supports perception, motor functions, emotion, cognition

128
Q

spinal cord function

A

transmits sensory info to brain & distributes motor info to organs and muscles

129
Q

spinal reflexes

A

simple pathways in the
nervous system that rapidly generate
muscle contractions; signal reaches spinal cord but not brain

130
Q

divisions of brain

A

hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

131
Q

hindbrain

A

coordinates incoming & outgoing info from spinal cord, controls basic life functions

132
Q

midbrain

A

responsible for orientation & movement

133
Q

forebrain

A

highest level of brain; critical for complex cognitive, emotional, sensory, & motor functions

134
Q

hindbrain structures

A

medulla, reticular formation, pons, cerebellum

135
Q

medulla

A

survival center; controls heart & lungs

136
Q

reticular formation

A

regulates arousal, sleep, wakefulness, attention, alertness

137
Q

pons

A

“bridge”, relays info from cerebellum to rest of brain; detailed functions poorly understood (for now)

138
Q

cerebellum

A

controls & coordinates fine motor movements

139
Q

midbrain structures

A

tectum, tegmentum

140
Q

tectum

A

helps orient an organism in the environment via stimuli received from senses

141
Q

tegmentum

A

involved in movement & arousal; also helps orient organism towards sensory stimuli

142
Q

forebrain structures

A

cerebral cortex, subcortical structures

143
Q

cerebral cortex

A

outermost layer of brain, divided into 2 hemispheres; controls & coordinates fine motor movements

144
Q

subcortical structures

A

areas of forebrain housed under cerebral cortex, near center of brain; relay info throughout brain & perform specific tasks

145
Q

basal ganglia

A

direct intentional movement

146
Q

thalamus

A

relay station for sensory info, filters & transmits it to cerebral cortex; control center, receives all sensory BUT smell; closes pathways during sleep

147
Q

hypothalamus

A

4 F’s; regulates body temp, hunger, thirst, sexual behavior; motivated behaviors

148
Q

hippocampus

A

creates & integrates new memories; critical for learning & memory

149
Q

amygdala

A

critical for emotional processes; responsible for emotional memories

150
Q

pituitary gland

A

“master gland” of endocrine system; releases hormones directing function of other glands in body; controls stress, digestive activities, & reproductive processes; receives signals from hypothalamus

151
Q

What structure is associated with the 4 F’s (fight, flight, flee, fuck)?

A

hypothalamus

152
Q

thyroid gland

A

regulates bodily functions like heart rate & body temperature

153
Q

adrenal glands

A

above kidneys, regulate stress responses

154
Q

pancreas

A

controls digestion & blood sugar levels; produces insulin

155
Q

pineal gland

A

produces melatonin; influences sleep-wake cycle

156
Q

commissure

A

bundle of axons

157
Q

The right hemisphere controls movement for the ____ side of the body

A

left

158
Q

corpus callosum

A

largest commissure connecting L&R hemispheres of brain; supports communication across hemispheres

159
Q

Each brain hemisphere is divided into __ lobes

A

4

160
Q

lobes of the brain

A

occipital, parietal, temporal, frontal

161
Q

occipital lobe

A

back of brain; processes visual info & light stimuli

162
Q

parietal lobe

A

processes touch info; contains somatosensory cortex

163
Q

gyrus/gyri

A

ridge(s) of cerebral cortex

164
Q

sulcus/sulci

A

groove(s) of cerebral cortex

165
Q

temporal lobe

A

processes sound input from auditory nerves
(hearing); responsible for hearing & language; contains primary auditory cortex & Wernicke’s area

166
Q

Wernicke’s area

A

involved in language comprehension; located in temporal lobe

167
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

strip of brain tissue behind motor cortex, on parietal lobe; different areas correspond to touch on different areas of body; more sensitive areas have larger section of cortex

168
Q

primary auditory cortex

A

receives sensory info from ears, secondary areas process info into words/speech

169
Q

frontal lobe

A

responsible for movement, planning, memory, judgment, etc; contains pre-frontal cortex, motor cortex, & Broca’s area

170
Q

Limbic system

A

consists of thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala

171
Q

pre-frontal cortex

A

complex decision-making; adolescent development

172
Q

motor cortex

A

strip of tissue in front of somatosensory cortex; initiates voluntary movements; areas of cortex correspond to areas of body

173
Q

endocrine system

A

network of glands that produces & secretes hormones into bloodstream

174
Q

hormones

A

chemical messengers that influence several basic functions (e.g. metabolism, growth, sexual maturation)

175
Q

neuroplasticity

A

ability of neurons & their networks to change

176
Q

association areas

A

specific regions of the cerebral cortex that are responsible for integrating and processing info from different sensory modalities

177
Q

mirror neurons

A

found in frontal & parietal lobes; activated when organism engages in or observes behavior; some of same neurons become active in observer’s brain as are active in the actor’s brain; more highly activated when observing action within a context; important role in social behavior

178
Q

plasticity

A

sensory cortices can adapt to change; functions assigned to certain brain areas may be reassigned to other areas; greater use of function may command greater space on cortical map

179
Q

_____ can benefit strength & connections of synapses in brain

A

Exercise

180
Q

dendrites

A

“branches” on cell body; receive info from other neurons & relay to soma

181
Q

soma

A

cell body; coordinates information-processing tasks & keeps cell alive; holds nucleus w/ DNA

182
Q

axon

A

carries messages (action potentials) from soma to terminals; covered in myelin sheath

183
Q

axon terminals

A

located at end of axon; release NTs upon receiving AP

184
Q

presynaptic neuron

A

sending neuron; terminal buttons

185
Q

postsynaptic neuron

A

receiving neuron; dendrites

186
Q

resting potential

A

difference in electric charge between inside & outside of neuron’s cell membrane; -70mV inside cell when at rest

187
Q

refractory period

A

time following an AP during which a new AP can’t be initiated

188
Q

action potential

A

electric signal conducted along neuron’s axon to synapse; threshold is reached: “all-or-none”

189
Q

acetylcholine

A

NT involved in attention & movement

190
Q

glutamate

A

major excitatory NT

191
Q

GABA

A

major inhibitory NT

192
Q

endorphins

A

NT; pain pathways & emotional centers; ex: runner’s high

193
Q

dopamine

A

NT; motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, & emotional arousal

194
Q

epinephrine

A

NT; fight-or-flight response

195
Q

serotonin

A

NT; sleep & wakefulness, eating, aggressive behaviors

196
Q

norepinephrine

A

vigilance & hyperawareness

197
Q

gene

A

unit of hereditary transmission; sections on DNA strands that code
for protein molecules that affect traits; organized into 23 pairs of chromosomes

198
Q

monozygotic twins

A

twins from the same zygote that divides in half; share 100% of their DNA

199
Q

dizygotic twins

A

twins from different zygotes (fraternal twins); share 50% of their DNA

200
Q

epigenetics

A

environmental
influences that change
expression of genetic material without changing underlying DNA structures

201
Q

EEG

A

records electrical activity of neurons

202
Q

CT

A

uses x-rays to show
tissue densities & locate
lesions/tumors

203
Q

MRI

A

uses magnetism to see different body tissue & help localize brain damage (hi-res)

204
Q

fMRI

A

measures activation of areas by tracking blood flow to various parts

205
Q

PET

A

uses radiation to track
activation, molecular changes, & NT release

206
Q

split-brain surgery

A

corpus callosum severed, often used for seizure patients to keep seizure from crossing between hemispheres & creating feedback loop; stops communication btwn L&R hemispheres

207
Q

left hemisphere

A

reading, writing, speaking, arithmetic, reasoning, understanding

208
Q

right hemisphere

A

perceptual tasks (e.g. recognizing faces, perceiving emotion); making inferences; creativity, imagination