Psychology Test 1 Flashcards
Acetylcholine
Learning - Involved in thought, learning, and memory. Activates muscle action in the body. Also associated with attention and awakening.
Dopamine
Pleasure - Feelings of pleasure, also addiction, movement, and motivation. People repeat behaviors that lead to dopamine release.
Serotonin
Mood - Contributes to well-being and happiness. Helps sleep cycle and digestive system regulation. Affected by exercise and light exposure.
GABA
Calming - Calms firing nerves in the central nervous system. High levels improve focus, low levels cause anxiety. Also contributes to motor control and vision.
Endorphins
Euphoria - Released during exercise, excitement, and ***, producing well-being and euphoria, reducing pain.
Glutamate
Memory - Most common neurotransmitter. Involved in learning and memory, regulates development and creation of nerve contacts.
Adrenaline/Epinephrine
Fight or Flight - Produced in stressful situations. Increases heart rate and blood flow, leading to physical boost and heightened awareness.
Noradrenaline/Norepinephrine
Concentration - Affects attention and responding actions in the brain. Contracts blood vessels increasing blood flow.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates a wide range of vital processes throughout the body, including metabolism and the immune response. It also has a very important role in helping the body respond to stress.
Oxytocin
The two main actions of oxytocin in the body are contraction of the womb (uterus) during childbirth and lactation. In the brain, oxytocin acts as a chemical messenger and has an important role in many human behaviors.
Melatonin
In addition to its circadian rhythm, melatonin levels also have a seasonal (or circannual) rhythm, with higher levels in the autumn and winter, when nights are longer and lower levels in the spring and summer.
