Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

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


See full index

PSY100 > PSY100 Final Exam > Flashcards

PSY100 Final Exam Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 5 steps of the scientific method?

A

OFTDE:

  1. Observing a phenomenon
  2. Formulating hypotheses and predictions
  3. Testing through empirical research
  4. Drawing conclusions
  5. Evaluating the theory
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the empirical method of research?

A

Gaining knowledge by collecting objective evidence; conducting systematic inquiries, collecting data + analyzing the information.

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

What is an operational definition?

A

A definition that provides an objective description of how a variable is going to be measured + observed in a study.

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

What is self-determination theory?

A

A theory proposing that people are likely to feel fulfilled when their lives meet 3 important needs:

  1. Relatedness (relations w/ others)
  2. Autonomy (independence)
  3. Competence (mastering new skills)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the nervous system?

A

The body’s electrochemical communication circuitry, composed of nerves and cells which carry messages to and from the brain + spinal cord/various parts of the body.

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

What is the central nervous system (CNS)?

A

The brain and spinal cord. The brain processes and interprets sensory information sent from the spinal cord, which acts as a pathways for messages btwn the brain and body, and controls many reflexes.

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

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)?

A

Consists of all the other neural elements, including peripheral nerves and sensory receptors.

Divided into:
- Somatic nervous system (voluntary movements)
- Autonomic nervous system (involuntary movements)

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

What is the somatic nervous system?

A

A part of the PNS that controls voluntary movements of the body (e.g. moving your arm to grab something)

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

What is the autonomic nervous system?

A

The part of the PNS that controls involuntary body functions, like breathing and heart rate.

Divided into:
- Sympathetic (prepares body for stress + action)
- Parasympathetic (calms body + conserves energy)

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

What are neurons?

A

Cells in the body that receive, process and communicate information thru the nervous system.

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

What are glial cells?

A

Non-neuronal cells in the nervous system that don’t conduct nerve impulses but instead play supporting roles (providing protection, nutrients, maintenance and repair).

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

What is **plasticity*?

A

The brain’s special physical capacity for change.

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

What are afferent or sensory nerves?

A

Nerves that carry information about the external environment to the brain and spinal cord, via sensory receptors.

Afferent nerves arrive at the brain and spinal cord.

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

What are efferent or motor nerves?

A

Nerves that carry information out of the brain and spinal cord to other areas of the body.

Efferent nerves exit the brain and spinal cord.

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

What is the hindbrain composed of?

A

The cerebellum, pons and medulla.

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

What is the midbrain composed of?

A

A small central part of the brain stem acting as a bridge to connect the forebrain, hindbrain and spinal cord. Processes info btwn the brain & eyes + ears.

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

What is the forebrain composed of?

A

The limbic system, including amygdala and the hippocampus (a group of brain structures that deal w/ emotions, memories and arousal (stimulation)), the thalamus (area in the brain that receives + sorts sensory information), basal ganglia, hypothalamus (acts as a control center for homeostasis), and cerebral cortex (outermost layer of the brain divided into 4 lobes).

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

What are mirror neurons?

A

Nerve cells in the brain that are activated (in human and nonhuman primates) both when an action is performed and when the organism observes the action being performed by another.

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

What are the 5 anatomical structures that neurons share?

A

Cell bodies, dendrites, axons, axon terminals, and cell membranes.

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

What is the cell body?

A

The part of the neuron that contains the nucleus, which directs the manufacture of substances that the neuron needs for its growth and maintenance and to communicate w/ other cells.

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

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Chemical messengers (molecules) released into the synapses that allow the nervous system to send messages between neurons, or from neurons to muscles.

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

What are dendrites?

A

Branchlike fibres projecting from a neuron, which receive information and orient it toward the neuron’s cell body.

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

What is an axon?

A

The part of the neuron that carries info away from the cell body toward other cells.

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

What are axon terminals?

A

The end of an axon, where chemicals are stored and intermittently released to affect the functioning of neighbouring neurons.

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

What is a neuron’s resting potential (voltage)?

A

Between -60 and -75 millivolts (1 mV is 1/1000th of a volt).

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

What is action potential?

A

The brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon. When a neuron sends this, it is often said to be “firing”.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is the refractory period?

A

When the cell has a “time out” period where it has to regain its resting potential before it can fire again. During this, sodium ions are expelled out of the cell until it again reaches the -70mV resting potential.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is the all-or-nothing principle?

A

A principle meaning that once the electrical impulse reaches a certain level of intensity — its threshold — it fires and moves all the way down the axon without losing its intensity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is a myelin sheath?

A

A layer of fatty glial cells that encases + insulates most axons. Also helps w/ speed, allowing the action potential to travel up to 15 times faster.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is a synapse?

A

The region defined by the pre-synaptic membrane and the post-synaptic membrane, including the tiny gap between them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is acetylcholine?

A

A chemical that usually stimulates the firing of neurons and is involved in muscle action, learning, and memory. Found thru/out the C + PNS.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)?

A

An acid found throughout the CNS that inhibits neurons from firing, helping to regulate neuron firing/precision of signal being carried; believed to be present in as many as 1/3rd of the brain’s synapses. Low levels are linked w/ anxiety.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is glutamate?

A

The most prevalent neurotransmitter which excites neurons to fire and is involved in learning + memory. Too much glutamate can trigger migraines/seizures.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What is norepinephrine?

A

A neurotransmitter released by stress; inhibits the firing of neurons in the CNS but excites the heart muscle, intestines and urogenital tract.

Helps to control alertness; too much triggers agitation, and too little is associated w/ depression.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What is dopamine?

A

A neurotransmitter which helps to control voluntary movement + affects sleep, mood, attention, learning, motivation, etc. Problems in regulating dopamine are associated w/ schizophrenia.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What is serotonin?

A

A neurotransmitter involved in regulation of sleep, mood, attention + learning. Plays a role in mood regulation (low levels are associated w/ depression).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What are endorphins?

A

Natural opiates that stimulate the firing of neurons. They shield the body from brain + elevate pleasure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What is oxytocin?

A

A hormone + neurotransmitter that plays a role in love & social bonding.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What are agonist drugs?

A

Drugs that mimic or increase the effect of a neurotransmitter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What are antagonist drugs?

A

Drugs that block the effects of a neurotransmitter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What are neural networks?

A

Interconnected pathways of nerve cells that integrate sensory input + motor output.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What is the medulla and its function?

A

Located where the spinal cord enters the skull; controls breathing and heart rate + regulates our reflexes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What is the pons and its function?

A

The pons is a bridge in the hindbrain that connects the cerebellum and brain stem. It contains clusters of fibres involved in sleep + arousal.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

What is the cerebellum?

A

2 rounded structures extending from the rear of the hindbrain. Plays an important role in motor coordination (leg + arm movements).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

What is the amygdala?

A

An almond-shaped structure within the base of the temporal lobe that is involved in the discrimination of objects necessary for organism’s survival, such as food, mates + social rivals. 1 is present in each hemisphere of the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

What is the hippocampus?

A

The structure in the limbic system which has a special role in the storage of memories.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

What are the 4 lobes in the cerebral cortex of the brain?

A

Frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital lobes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

A

Involved in executive functions such as decision-making, problem-solving, consciousness and emotions. It also includes the motor cortex which helps control voluntary movements.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

A

Situated behind the frontal lobe, it processes sensory information such as touch, temperature and pain. Also plays a key role in spatial orientation + manipulation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

A

Found beneath the frontal and parietal lobes, is key ink processing auditory info and is involved in memory and speech.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

A

Located at the back of the brain, it is primarily responsible for visual processing, including recognition of shapes + colours.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

What are the basal ganglia?

A

Clusters of neurons that work w/ the cerebellum and cerebral cortex to control + coordinate voluntary movements.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
53
Q

What is bottom-up processing?

A

The operation in which sensory receptors register information about the environment and send it to the brain for interpretation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
54
Q

What is top-down processing?

A

The operation that is launched by cognitive processing at the brain’s higher levels, that allows the organism to sense what is happening and apply that framework to information from the world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
55
Q

What are sensory receptors?

A

Specialized cells that detect stimulus information and transmit it to sensory (afferent) nerves and the brain.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
56
Q

What are the 3 main categories of sensory receptors?

A

Photoreception (detection of light — sight)
Mechanoreception (detection of pressure, vibration, and movement — touch, hearing, equilibrium)
Chemoreception (detection of chemical stimuli — smell and taste)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
57
Q

What is the absolute threshold?

A

The minimum amount of stimulus energy that a person can detect.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
58
Q

What is the difference threshold (just noticeable difference)?

A

The degree of difference that must exist between two stimuli before the difference can be detected.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
59
Q

What is Weber’s law?

A

The principle that 2 stimuli must differ by a constant minimum percentage (rather than a constant amount) to be perceived as different.

Ex. If you’re lifting a light weight, a small addition of weight would be noticeable; if you’re lifting heavier weight, you would need to add a larger amt of weight to notice the change.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
60
Q

What is subliminal perception?

A

The detection of information below the level of conscious awareness.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
61
Q

What is signal detection theory?

A

An approach to perception that focuses on decision making about stimuli under conditions of uncertainty.

Hit: signal present and you guessed it was present
Miss: signal present and you guessed it was absent
False alarm: signal absent and you guessed it was present
Correct rejection: signal absent and you guessed it was absent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
62
Q

What is selective attention?

A

The act of focusing on a specific aspect of experience while ignoring others.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
63
Q

What is the stroop effect?

A

The difficulty present in naming the colour of ink a word is printed in when our brain automatically reads the name of a colour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
64
Q

What is a perceptual set?

A

A predisposition or readiness to perceive something in a particular way.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

What is sensory adaptation?

A

A change in the responsiveness of the sensory system to the average level of stimulation.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
66
Q

What is light?

A

A form of electromagnetic energy that can be described in terms of wavelengths.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
67
Q

What is a wavelength?

A

The distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next. The wavelength of light reflected from a stimulus determines its hue.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
68
Q

What are feature detectors?

A

Neurons in the brain’s visual system that respond to particular features of a stimulus.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
69
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

The simultaneous distribution of information across different neural pathways.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
70
Q

What is binding?

A

In vision, the bringing together and integration of what is processed by different neural pathways or cells.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
71
Q

What is the trichromatic theory?

A

Theory stating that colour perception is produced by 3 types of cone receptors in the retina that are particularly sensitive to different, overlapping ranges of wavelengths.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
72
Q

What is the opponent-process theory?

A

Theory stating that cells in the visual system respond to complimentary pairs of red-green and blue-yellow colours; a given cell might be excited by red and inhibited by green, whereas another cell may be excited by yellow and inhibited by blue.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
73
Q

What is the figure-ground relationship?

A

The principle by which we organize the perceptual field into stimuli that stand out (figure) and those that are left over (background, or ground).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
74
Q

What is gestalt psychology?

A

A school of thought interested in how people naturally organize their perceptions according to certain patterns.

75
Q

What are the 3 main principles of gestalt psychology?

A

Closure
Proximity
Similarity

76
Q

What is closure?

A

When we view disconnected or complete figures, we fill in the spaces and see them as complete figures.

77
Q

What is proximity?

A

When we view objects near each other, they are seen as a unit.

78
Q

What is similarity?

A

When we view objects that are similar to each other, they’re seen as a unit.

79
Q

What are binocular cues?

A

Depth cues that depend on the combination of the images in the left and right eye, and the way the 2 eyes work together.

80
Q

What is convergence?

A

A binocular cue to depth and distance in which the muscle movements in the 2 eyes provide info about how deep/far away something is.

81
Q

What are molecular depth cues?

A

Powerful depth cues available form the image in 1 eye, either right or left.

82
Q

What is the outer ear?

A

The outer ear consists of the pinna + external auditory canal.

83
Q

What is pinna?

A

The outer, visible part of the ear which funnels sound into the interior of the ear.

84
Q

What is the middle ear?

A

The middle ear is the part that channels sound through the eardrum, hammer, anvil and stirrup to the inner ear.

85
Q

What is the hammer?

A

A tiny bone that transmits sound vibrations from the eardrum to the anvil, and eventually toward the inner ear.

86
Q

What is the anvil?

A

Another tiny bone in the middle ear which acts a bridge, receiving vibrations from the hammer and passes them to the stirrup.

87
Q

What is the stirrup?

A

The smallest bone in the middle ear which transmits sound vibrations from the anvil to the oval window.

88
Q

What is the inner ear?

A

The part of the ear including the oval window, cochlea and basilar membrane. The function is to convert sound waves into neural impulses + send them to the brain.

89
Q

What is the oval window?

A

A membrane in the inner ear which transmits sound waves to the cochlea.

90
Q

What is the cochlea?

A

A tubular, fluid-filled structure that is coiled up (like a snail’s shell), whose function is to convert sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain.

91
Q

What is the basilar membrane?

A

The lining of the inner wall of the cochlea which varies in width and stiffness to allow different parts of the membrane to resonate at different frequencies.

92
Q

What is place theory?

A

Theory on how the inner ear registers the frequency of sound, stating that each frequency produces vibrations at a particular spot on the basilar membrane.

**Explains high but NOT low frequency sounds.

93
Q

What is frequency theory?

A

Theory on how the inner ear registers the frequency of sound, stating that the perception of a sound’s frequency depends on how often the auditory nerve fires.

**Does not apply to tones with frequencies that require a neuron to fire more rapidly than 1000x/sec.

94
Q

What is the volley principle in connection to frequency theory?

A

Modification of frequency theory, stating that a cluster of nerve cells can fire neural impulses in rapid succession, producing a volley of impulses.

95
Q

What are hair cells?

A

Specialized sensory cells essential for hearing and balance. These cells pass electrical signals (of sound) to the auditory nerve, which carries them to the brain.

**The movement transforms the physical stimulation of sound waves into action potentials.

96
Q

What is the auditory nerve?

A

The nerve structure that receives information about sound from the hair cells of the inner ear, and carries these neural impulses to the brain’s auditory areas.

97
Q

What is a sound shadow?

A

A phenomenon that occurs when an object blocks the path of sound waves, resulting in a reduced sound intensity behind the object.

98
Q

What are the cutaneous senses?

A

Sensations that arise from stimulating the skin; temperature, touch, and pain.

99
Q

What are thermoreceptors?

A

Sensory nerve endings under the skin that respond to changes in temperature at or near the skin and provide input to keep the body’s temperature at 37ºc.

2 types: warm and cold.

100
Q

What are pain receptors?

A

Specialized sensory neurons found in the skin, muscles, joints and some internal organs. They respond to stimuli that cause damage to the body. They have a higher threshold for firing than receptors for temp + touch

101
Q

What is the fast pathway for pain?

A

The pathway that transmits info about sharp, localized pain, taking <1/sec to reach the cerebral cortex.

Myelinated A-delta fibres connect directly to the thalamus, and then to the cerebral cortex.

102
Q

What is the slow pathway for pain?

A

Characterized by unpleasant, nagging pain, functions to remind the brain and injury has occurred and needs attention.

Unmyelinated C fibres transmit pain info thru the limbic system.

103
Q

What are papillae?

A

Rounded bumps above the tongue’s surface that contain the taste buds, the receptors for taste.

104
Q

What is the olfactory epithelium?

A

The lining of the roof of the nasal cavity, containing a sheet of receptor cells (which are covered in millions of hairlike antennae) for smell. The neurons here tend to replace themselves after injury + with age.

105
Q

What are the kinesthetic senses?

A

Senses that provide information about movement, posture and orientation. Receptors are embedded in muscle fibres and joints; as we move, they signal the state of the muscle.

106
Q

What is the vestibular sense?

A

Sense that provides information about balance and movement.

107
Q

What are the semicircular canals of the inner ear?

A

3 fluid-filled circular tubes in the inner ear which contain sensory receptors that detect head motion when an individual tilts or moves the head/body.

108
Q

What is a ‘stream of consciousness’?

A

A term used by William James to describe the mind as a continuous flow of changing sensations, images, thoughts and feelings.

109
Q

What is consciousness?

A

An individual’s awareness of external events and internal sensations under a condition of arousal, including awareness of the self and thoughts about one’s experiences.

110
Q

What is awareness?

A

Awareness of the self and thoughts about one’s experiences.

111
Q

What is arousal?

A

The physiological state of being engaged with the environment.

112
Q

What is the reticular activating system?

A

A network of structures including the brain stem, medulla, and thalamus that are involved in the experience of arousal and engagement with the environment.

113
Q

What is theory of mind?

A

Individual’s understanding that they and others both think, feel, perceive and have private experiences.

114
Q

What are controlled processes?

A

The most alert states of human consciousness, during which individuals actively focus their efforts toward a particular goal.

115
Q

What is executive function?

A

Higher-order, complex cognitive processes, including thinking, planning, and problem-solving.

116
Q

What are automatic processes?

A

States of consciousness that require little attention and do not interfere with ongoing activities.

117
Q

What is daydreaming?

A

A state of consciousness that involves a low level of conscious effort, laying between active consciousness and dreaming while asleep. Can be mind wandering or fantasies.

118
Q

What are altered states of consciousness?

A

Mental states that are noticeably different from normal awareness. Can be induced by trauma, fever, fatigue, meditation, hypnosis, drugs, and psychological disorders.

119
Q

What is incubation?

A

The subconscious processing that leads to a solution after a break from conscious thought about the problem.

120
Q

What is unconscious thought, according to Freud?

A

A resevoir of unacceptable wishes, feelings and thoughts that are beyond conscious awareness.

121
Q

What are biological rhythms?

A

Periodic physiological fluctuations in the body, such as the rise and fall of hormones and accelerated and decelerated cycles of brain activity, that can influence behaviour.

122
Q

What are circadian rhythms?

A

Daily behavioural or physiological cycles that involve the sleep/wake cycle, body temperature, blood pressure and blood sugar level.

123
Q

What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)?

A

A small brain structure that uses input from the retina to synchronize its own rhythm with the daily cycle of light and dark; the body’s way of monitoring the change from day to night.

124
Q

What is stage W?

A

“W” for “wake.” EEG patterns exhibit 2 waves: beta and alpha.

125
Q

What are beta waves?

A

Waves that reflect concentration and alertness; they are the highest in frequency + lowest in amplitude. They are also desynchronous (do not form a consistent pattern).

126
Q

What are alpha waves?

A

Waves that slow down, increase in amplitude and become more synchronous. They are associated w/ relaxation + drowsiness; present before we fall asleep + during meditation.

127
Q

What is stage N1 (non-REM1) sleep?

A

Characterized by drowsy sleep, where rapid eye movements are not present. In this stage, the person may experience myoclonic jerks. They have theta waves, slower in frequency + greater in amplitude than alpha waves.

128
Q

What is stage N2 (non-REM2) sleep?

A

Where muscle activity decreases, and the person is no longer consciously aware of the environment. Sleep spindles are a defining characteristic; increase in high-frequency wave bursts.

129
Q

What is stage N3 (non-REM3) sleep?

A

Sleep stage characterized by delta waves, the slowest + highest-amplitude brain waves, and deepest sleep. The state when bedwetting, sleepwalking and sleep talking occur.

130
Q

What is stage R (REM) sleep?

A

Rapid eye movement sleep, an active stage of sleep during which vivid dreaming occurs. Fast waves similar to those of relaxed wakefulness, and the eyeballs move.

131
Q

What are 3 important neurotransmitters involved in sleep?

A

Serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.

132
Q

What is norepinephrine?

A

A neurotransmitter that is primarily involved in regulating attention, arousal and mood. Crucial for the fight-or-flight response.

133
Q

What is serotonin?

A

A neurotransmitter best known for its role in influencing mood. High levels are associated w/ happiness. Also helps to regulate sleep cycles and promote satiety.

134
Q

What is acetylcholine?

A

A neurotransmitter essential in muscle contraction, and helps regulate many automatic body functions like heart rate, digestion and salivation. In the brain, it is known for its role in facilitating learning + memory formation.

135
Q

What is manifest content?

A

According to Freud, the surface content of a dream which contains symbols that disguise the dream’s true meaning.

136
Q

What is latent content?

A

According to Freud, the dream’s hidden content; its unconscious and true meaning.

137
Q

What is the cognitive theory of dreaming?

A

Theory proposing that dreaming can be understood by applying the same cognitive concepts used to study the waking mind.

138
Q

What is the activation-synthesis theory of dreaming?

A

Theory that dreaming occurs when the cerebral cortex synthesizes neural signals generated from activity in the lower part of the brain and that dreams result from the brain’s attempts to find logic in random brain activity that occurs during sleep.

139
Q

What is the evolutionary theory of dreaming?

A

Since a behaviour like dreaming is seen in most animal species, it must have been important to increasing survival or reproductive fitness.q

140
Q

What is lucid dreaming?

A

Dreaming while being conscious of the fact we are doing so. The awareness that we are asleep + dreaming and what is going on around us is not real, but simply a dream.

141
Q

What are psychoactive drugs?

A

Drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, modify perception, and change mood.

142
Q

What are the 3 main categories of psychoactive drugs?

A

Depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens.

143
Q

What are depressant drugs?

A

Psychoactive drugs that slow down mental and physical activity; alcohol, barbiturates, tranquilizers, and opiates.

144
Q

What are barbiturates?

A

Depressant drugs that decrease central nervous system activity and can lead to impaired memory, poor decision making, and difficulty breathing.

145
Q

What are tranquilizers?

A

Depressant drugs that reduce anxiety and induce relaxation.

146
Q

What are opiates?

A

Psychoactive drugs that consist of opium and its derivatives; they depress the central nervous system’s activity and are powerful painkillers.

147
Q

What are stimulants?

A

Psychoactive drugs that increase the central nervous systems activity

148
Q

What are hallucinogens?

A

Psychoactive drugs that modify a person’s perceptual experiences and produce visual images that are not real.

149
Q

What is behaviourism?

A

A systematic method/approach to understanding changes in behaviour that focuses solely on observable behaviours, discounting the importance of mental activity like thinking.

150
Q

What is non-associative learning?

A

A learned change in behaviour to a novel stimulus after repeated or continuous exposure to that stimulus.

Habituation, sensitization, and imprinting.

151
Q

What is habituation?

A

A decrease in the response to a repeated or prolonged stimulus over time.

152
Q

What is sensitization?

A

The increase in the response to a repeated or prolonged stimulus. Often caused by high-intensity stimuli.

153
Q

What is associative learning?

A

Learning that occurs when an organism makes a connection, or association between 2 stimuli/events.

154
Q

What is memory?

A

The retention of info or experience over time as the result of 3 processes: encoding, storage and retrieval.

155
Q

What is memory encoding?

A

The first step in memory; the process by which information gets into memory storage.

156
Q

What is divided attention?

A

Concentrating on more than 1 activity at the same time.

157
Q

What is sustained attention?

A

The ability to maintain attention to a selected stimulus for a prolonged period of time.

158
Q

What is working memory?

A

A combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow individuals to hold information temporarily as they perform tasks; where the brain manipulates information to guide understanding, decision-making and problem solving.

159
Q

What is the 3-part model of working memory, proposed by Alan Baddeley?

A

The phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and the central executive.

160
Q

What is the phonological loop in the working memory?

A

A system specialized to briefly store speech-based information about the sounds of language. Contains 2 components: an acoustic code (the sounds we heard) which decays in a few seconds, and rehearsal (allows us to repeat the words in the phonological store).

161
Q

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad in the working memory?

A

The system which stores visual + spatial information, including imagery (e.g., spatial arrangements of letters in a word)

162
Q

What is the central executive in the working memory?

A

A system that integrates info from both phonological loop + visuo-spatial sketchpad, as well as long term memory. Monitors which info deserves our attention or does not; has a limited capacity.

163
Q

What is long-term memory?

A

A relatively permanent type of memory that stores huge amounts of information for a long time.

164
Q

What is explicit vs. Implicit memory?

A

Explicit has to do w/ remembering who, what, where, why + when; implicit has to do w/ remembering how.

165
Q

What is explicit (or declarative) memory?

A

The conscious recollection of information, such as specific facts and events and information that can be verbally communicated.

166
Q

What is permastore memory?

A

The portion of original learning that appears destined to stay w/ the person virtually forever, without rehearsal.

167
Q

What is episodic memory?

A

A subtype of explicit memory that represents the retention of information about the where, when and what of life’s happenings.

168
Q

What is semantic memory?

A

A subtype of explicit memory that represents a person’s knowledge about the world, including their areas of expertise; general knowledge, things learned in school, etc.

169
Q

What is implicit (or nondeclarative) memory?

A

Memory in which behaviour is affected by prior experience w/o a conscious recollection of that experience.

170
Q

What is procedural memory?

A

A subtype of implicit memory that involves memory for skills (for example, riding a bike or typing).

171
Q

What is priming?

A

A subtype of implicit memory that involves the activation of information that people already have in storage, to help them remember new information better + faster.

172
Q

What is a schema?

A

A pre-existing mental concept/framework that helps people organize ands interpret info.

173
Q

What is a script?

A

A schema for an event.

174
Q

What is connectionism or parallel distributed processing (PDP)?

A

The theory that memory is stored thru/out the brain in connections among neurons, several of which work together to process 1 memory.

175
Q

What is memory retrieval?

A

The process that occurs when information that was retained in memory comes out of storage.

176
Q

What is the serial position effect?

A

The tendency to recall items at the beginning + end of a list more easily than those in the middle.

177
Q

What is the primacy effect?

A

Primary effect refers to better recall of items at the beginning of a list; the recency effect refers to better recall of items at the end.

178
Q

What is the difference between recall and recognition?

A

Recall is a memory task in which the individual has to retrieve previously learned information; recognition is a memory task in which the individual only has to recognize learned items.

179
Q

What is the encoding specificity principle?

A

The principle that states that information present at the time of encoding or learning tends to be effective as a retrieval cue.

180
Q

What is flashbulb memory?

A

The memory of emotionally significant events that people often recall w/ more accuracy and vivid imagery than everyday events.

181
Q

What is motivated forgetting?

A

Forgetting that occurs when something is so painful or anxiety-laden that remembering it is intolerable.

182
Q

What is interference theory?

A

Theory that people forget not because memories are lost from storage, but because other information gets in the way of what they want to remember.

183
Q

What is decay theory?

A

Theory stating that when we learn something new, a neurochemical memory trace forms, but over time this disintegrates; suggests the passage of time always increases forgetting.

PSY100 (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions