Psychology Ch. 4 Flashcards
Nature
Our genetics - how they impact our behavior
Nurture
Conditions of our environment
Nature vs. Nurture
Impossible to separate these
Francis Galton (cousin of Darwin)
Father of eugenics recognized for his contributions to the study of individual differences and the development of certain statistical methods.
Eugenics
(francisGalton) The idea of trying to improve the human population by encouraging certain people to have more children and discouraging others from having children. It involves the belief that certain traits, like intelligence or behavior, are passed down through genes, and by controlling who has children, we can make the overall population “better.”
Dark history - lead the harmful practices
Monozygotic twins
Identical twins - one egg, one sperm
Dizygotic twins
Fraternal twins - two eggs, two sperm
Epigenetics
Changes in gene expression that are due to non genetic influences.
Predictor variables
Low MAO-A + maltreatment – increased probability of being a violent criminal
(Type of MAO-A gene - lower vs higher levels of MAO (nature))
MAO-A
enzyme that breaks down certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
Heredity
The genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.
Heritability
An estimate of the genetic proportion of the variation in some specific trait *within a particular population (not an individual)
Central nervous system
Brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system
Somatic, autonomic, sympathetic, parasympathetic nervous system.
Somatic nervous system
Skin, muscles, and joints (Intentional muscle movement.)
e.g., waving arm around
Autonomic nervous system
Internal organs/glands (unintentional functions)
e.g., heart beating, pupils constricting
[sympathetic, parasympathetic]
Sympathetic nervous system
fight or flight response
e.g., encountering a threat
Parasympathetic nervous system
Rest and digest - promotes relaxation and recovery after a stressor has passed.
Slows down heart rate, stimulates digestion, and conserves energy.
Neurons
Operates through electrical impulses - compulses with other neurons with other neurons through chemical signals.
Cells
Cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus etc..
Sensory neurons (afferent)
Transmit signals FROM sensory receptors (e.g., in the skin, eyes, ears) to the central nervous system (CNS).
e.g., When you touch a hot surface, afferent neurons convey the sensation of heat to the spinal cord and brain.
Motor neurons (efferent)
Transmit signals AWAY from the central nervous system (CNS) to muscles or glands.
e.g., When your brain decides to move your hand, efferent neurons carry signals from the brain to the muscles, resulting in the movement.
Axon
transmit electrical signals, known as action potentials or nerve impulses, away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.
Label this neuron
https://www.google.com/search?q=empty+neuron+diagram&sca_esv=590226030&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS1071CA1075&tbm=isch&sxsrf=AM9HkKkE5tRB_9v9YcEPBmZPnhw5MxqPZw:1702405852551&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjL_-qAxIqDAxUNDzQIHdZ2AFgQ_AUoAXoECAMQAw&biw=1468&bih=739&dpr=2#imgrc=POeaYroeuNWlTM
Dendrites
The branch-like extensions of a nerve cell (neuron) that receive signals from other neurons and transmit these signals toward the cell body
Myelin sheath
Surrounds and insulates the axon. Myelin helps speed up the transmission of nerve impulses along the axon.
(think of a wire the - black cover insulates the electricity from flowing out of the wire.)
Nodes of Ranvier
Small gaps or interruptions in the myelin sheath. These nodes are crucial for the efficient transmission of nerve impulses along the axon
Terminal buttons
They transmit signals to the dendrites found at the end of axons.
Key Result
Low-MAO gene + maltreatment à increased probability
of being a violent criminal