Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psych 101 > Mod 1-3,5 > Flashcards

Mod 1-3,5 Flashcards

1
Q

Biological Psychology

A

the science that deals with the biological basis of behavior, thoughts, emotions and the reciprocal relations between biological and psychological processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Nervous System

A

the network of fibers which transmit nerve impulses between parts of the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

neuron

A

a specialized cell transmitting nerve impulses; nerve cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

neuroplasticity

A

the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience following an injury.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

cell body

A

the spherical part of a neuron containing the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

dendrite

A

the branches coming off of a nerve cell that receive impulses from other cells at synapses.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

axon

A

the long portion of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the body of the cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

critical thinking

A

the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment through curiosity, skepticism, and humility.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

psychology

A

the scientific study of behavioral and mental processes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

levels of analysis

A

the various ways of observation in psychology: biological, psychological, and sociocultural

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

biopsychosocial approach

A

considers the combination of biological, psychological, and social factors to help understand health (usually mental health)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

hindsight bias

A

you thought you knew it all along after hearing a fact you actually didn’t know simply because it “makes sense”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

overconfidence

A

being overconfident in answers because you think you know more than you do

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

theory

A

a system of an idea to explain a behavior with little to no evidence yet—information to be tested

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

hypothesis

A

is a precise, testable statement of what the researchers predict will be the outcome of the study

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

operational definition

A

The way an original experiment was conducted (independent variables written down so they can be used). this is important when an experiment is being retested by the same scientists or others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

replicate

A

to conduct a study again with the same operational definition as before

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

case study

A

a thorough study of a single person, community or event that relies on observations, facts and experiments to gather information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

naturalistic observation

A

to study the behavior of specimen in their natural state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

survey

A

this collects self-report data from study participants

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

sample

A

a small portion of individual cases selected from a greater population. A population is every single person (or case) that shares a common characteristic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

population

A

the entire group of people you want to draw conclusions about

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

correlational study

A

a type of research design that looks at the relationships between two or more variables

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

experimental study

A

a type of study that involves manipulating variables to see if there is a cause-and-effect relationship

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

experimental and control group

A

control group is the one who gets to act as normal or have a placebo, while experimental are the test subjects of the new medicine or whatever other reason the study is being conducted

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

independent variable

A

a variable that stands alone and isn’t changed by the other variables you are trying to measure

27
Q

dependent variable

A

what changes as a result of the independent variable manipulation in experiments. It’s what you’re interested in measuring, and it “depends” on your independent variable. In statistics, dependent variables are also called: Response variables (they respond to a change in another variable)

28
Q

informed consent

A

the process by which researchers working with human participants describe their research project and obtain the subjects’ consent to participate in the research based on the subjects’ understanding of the project’s methods and goals.

29
Q

debriefing

A

when an experimenter tells the subject more information about the study’s purpose and procedures after the study is completed

30
Q

myelin sheath

A

a layer of fatty tissue that insulates some axons and speeds their impulses

31
Q

terminal branches

A

at the end of the axon, forming junctions with cells (neurons, muscles or glands)

32
Q

action potential

A

an incoming signal from another neuron that is either sufficient or insufficient to reach the threshold of excitation

33
Q

synapse

A

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron. the gap is called synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

34
Q

neurotransmitters

A

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

35
Q

receptors

A

molecules that receive and react to neurotransmitters on the surface of a cell

36
Q

central nervous system

A

the body’s decision maker

37
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

responsible for gathering information and transmitting central nervous system decisions to other parts of the body

38
Q

brain

A

a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body.

39
Q

spinal cord

A

the conduit between the brain and the rest of the body

40
Q

nerve

A

cables that carry electrical impulses between your brain and the rest of your body

41
Q

somatic nervous system

A

gathers sensory input and sends to the central nervous system, but at the same time receives motor output from the CNS, causing you to move

42
Q

autonomic nervous system

A

controls action of internal organs and glands

43
Q

Sympathetic

A

arouses and expands energy so you are ready for action

44
Q

parasympathetic (nervous system)

A

produces opposite effects of sympathetic, conserving energy as it calms you.

45
Q

hierarchy

A

ranking parts of the brain from most complex to least complex base on control

46
Q

spinal reflex

A

simple behaviors the brain doesn’t control that are produced entirely by the spinal cord

47
Q

brainstem

A

the bottom, stalk-like piece of the brain that connects to the spinal cord. your brainstem sends messages to the rest of the body to regulate involuntary functions like balance, breathing, heart rate and more.

48
Q

medulla

A

it’s the lowest part of the brainstem and it’s job is to control functions that involve autonomic nervous response like heart rate and breathing.

49
Q

pons

A

the part of the brainstem that controls when you become conscious and unconscious. (part of the brainstem that controls when you wake up, and when you fall asleep)

50
Q

cerebellum

A

this helps
-balance and posture,
-movement and motor learning, -language processing and memory.

51
Q

thalamus

A

this is in the middle of your brain (on the top of the brainstem).
it takes incoming motor and sensory information (hearing, taste, touch, sight, but not smell)

52
Q

forebrain

A

-controls voluntary movement,
-it receives sensory information,
-governs all our higher complex thought (logic, speech and emotions)

53
Q

cerebral cortex

A

This is called “gray matter.” it is the outer layer of the forebrains cerebral hemispheres. this is the body’s ultimate control and information processing center.

54
Q

hippocampus

A

this is in the limbic system.
it helps process conscious memories, facts and events so they can be stored. it kind of looks like cords, and was blue on the diagram!

55
Q

amygdala

A

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system that are linked to emotion. when activated, they cause fear and/or aggression.
it is connected to the hippocampus and is purple on the diagram!

56
Q

hypothalamus

A

part of the limbic system that is below (hypo means below!) the thalamus; it makes you to do things to survive (eating, drinking, maintaining body temperature). When that happens, it gives you an emotional reward.
It also controls the endocrine system by the pituitary gland, which helps with giving emotional rewards.

57
Q

motor cortex

A

causes voluntary motor function
(motor means movement! and voluntary means to do on purpose.)
“on purpose movement”

58
Q

somatosensory cortex

A

this receives skin senses such as touch and temperature, and from body part movements

59
Q

corpus callosum

A

the connectivity pathway that connects the left side of the brain to the right

60
Q

frontal lobes

A

the part of the cerebral cortex behind the forehead.
it controls speaking, voluntary muscle movements, in making plans and judgments

61
Q

parietal lobes

A

the part of the cerebral cortex at the top of the head and towards the back. it receives sensory input for touch and body position.

62
Q

occipital lobes

A

the part of the cerebral cortex at the back of the head.
it has the visual cortex, which makes you see

63
Q

temporal lobes

A

the part of the cerebral cortex above the ear; it includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

64
Q

association areas

A

areas of the cerebral cortex that don’t deal with motor or sensory functions; rather, they cause higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking and speaking

Psych 101 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions