Mod 13-15 Flashcards
corpus callosum
the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them.
split brain
a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
consciousness
our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment.
cognitive neuroscience
the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language).
dual processing
the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks.
blindsight
a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it.
parallel processing
processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions.
sequential processing
processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems.
behavior genetics
the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
heredity
the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.
environment
every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.
chromosomes
threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.
genes
the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins
genome
the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes.
identical (monozygotic) twins
develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.
fraternal (dizygotic) twins
develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment
heritability
the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
interaction
the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity).
molecular genetics
the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.
molecular behavior genetics
the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior.
epigenetics
“above” or “in addition to” (epi) genetics; the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occurs without a DNA change
evolutionary psychology
the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.
natural selection
the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.
