PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 3 AOS 1 - FINAL Flashcards
Main divisions of nervous system:
Central nervous system + peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system consists of?
Brain + spinal cord
Communication around the body through:
neurons
Functions of Central nervous system:
receives sensory information from PNS
sends motor information to PNS
Brain function:
regulates + guides all other parts of the nervous system
The brain is responsible for:
Higher order thinking (planning, learning)
Vital body functions (digesting, breathing, heart-rate)
Receiving information via senses + responses
Spinal cord:
Cable-like column of nerve fibers which extend from the base of the brain to the lower back (encased by vertebrae)
Spinal cord function:
sends sensory messages to brain
takes motor messages back
(sensory = afferent, motor = efferent)
Peripheral nervous system:
consists of muscles, organs and glands.
Peripheral nervous system functions:
sends sensory information to CNS (brain)
receives motor information from CNS (brain)
Subdivisions of peripheral nervous system:
Somatic + autonomic nervous systems
Somatic nervous system:
Network of neurons which transmit info from receptor sites to CNS, carry info to muscles to initiate voluntary movement
Autonomic nervous system:
Network of neurons that carry info between CNS and organs + glands and ensures they regulate without conscious awareness
Subdivisions of autonomic nervous systems
Sympathetic + parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system:
Prepares the body for action to deal with potential threat (activates fight-flight-freeze response)
Parasympathetic nervous system:
Maintains the body in a state of homeostasis, regulates the body to a sense of calm following heightened arousal
Sympathetic nervous system characteristics:
Pupils dilate
Accelerated heart rate
Inhibits digestion
Parasympathetic nervous system characteristics:
Pupils contract
Slows heart rate
Stimulates digestion
Neurons:
Cells within nervous system that transmits messages to and from brain
Types of neurons:
Interneuron, motor neuron, sensory neuron
Sensory neurons: (afferent) FUNCTIONS
transmits sensory info from body to brain (done via afferent pathways)
Motor neurons: (efferent) FUNCTIONS
transmits motor info from brain to body (done via efferent pathways)
Interneurons: FUNCTIONS
transmits info between sensory and motor neurons
Typical neural communication:
1) sensory neurons at receptor sites feel sensation
2) pass along afferent tracts through PNS, to spinal cord to brain
3) interneurons in brain communicate with motor neurons
4) motor neurons send signal via efferent pathways through spinal cord and in CNS, through PNS, to effector site.
Conscious response examples:
walking, talking, waving
Unconscious response examples:
breathing, stomach contractions,
Spinal reflex (reflex arc):
automatic, unconscious response that is initiated by neurons in the spinal cord, independent of the brain
- to adapt to brain
When does spinal reflex occur?
pain, aid survival
How does spinal reflex occur?
intercepted by interneurons in spinal cord
Why does spinal reflex occur?
Faster reaction time to pain stimulus
Neurotransmission:
neuron communication process, uses electrochemical energy
Neurotransmission process:
Neural impulse (electrical energy) runs from dendrite down axon to axon terminals
Terminal buttons (synaptic knobs) release chemical substance
Chemical substance (neurotransmitter) crosses synapse
Neurotransmitter picked by by receiving neuron via dendrites
Neuron components:
Dendrites, soma, axon, axon terminals, myelin sheath, terminal buttons, nucleus
Dendrites:
receives incoming neural messages
Soma:
body of neuron, contains nucleus with genetic material for next neuron
Axon:
pathway down neural message travels
Myelin sheath:
Fatty tissue which encases around axon in speed of transmission
Axon terminals:
Exit pathways for neural messages to make way to next neuron
Terminal buttons:
Releases chemical substance to a receiving neuron for communication purposes (synaptic knobs)
Neurotransmitters:
chemical substance released by terminal button of a neuron for neural communication
Excitatory effects:
increasing the likelihood that an action will fire an action potential
Inhibitory effects:
decreasing the likelihood that the neuron will fire an action potential
Lock + key process:
Mechanism which neurotransmitters and neuromodulators bond uniquely to their complimentary receptors
Examples of neurotransmitters + neuromodulators
Dopamine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate
Excitatory neurotransmitter:
Glutamate = sends signals to other cells
Inhibitory neurotransmitter:
GABA = inhibits brain signals
Role of neuromodulators:
Work together with neurotransmitters to enhance inhibitory + excitatory effects and create widespread impacts + enhance signal transmission.
Dopamine:
Neurotransmitter involved in drive, motivation and motor movement.
Dopamine: FUNCTION
Facilitates smooth movement
Serotonin:
Neuromodulator involved in mood stabilizing, wellbeing and happiness
Neuroplasticity:
Ability of the brain to change itself as a result of experience
Types of neuroplasticity:
developmental, adaptive
Synaptic plasticity:
ability of synaptic connections to change overtime in response to experiences.
Brain plasticity:
enables faster response times
Long-term potentiation:
Increase in synaptic strength through high frequency stimulation of neural pathway
Long-term depression:
Reduction of the efficiency of synaptic connections.
Long lasting and experience dependent weakening of synaptic connections between neurons that are not regularly activated.
Neural process
Proliferation, migration, circuit formation, circuit pruning, myelination
Proliferation:
Growth and making more neurons (enhance)
Migration:
Moving neurons to area needed mot
Circuit formation:
Creation of synapse
Neural processes:
sprouting, rerouting, pruning
Sprouting:
creation of new connections between neurons.
Rerouting:
re-establishing neural connections by creating alternate pathways
Pruning:
removing old neural connections that are not adequately activated
Stress:
Psychological + physiological state of tension in response to a stimulus.
Eustress:
Positive type of stress (allows increase in performance, enhances memory/experiences)
Distress:
Negative type of stress (limits performance, unable to think)
Acute stress:
Short term stress
Chronic stress:
Long term stress
Stressor:
internal/external stimulus that prompts a stress response
Internal stressor:
stimulus from within a persons body that prompts a stress response
External stressor:
stimulus from outside a persons body that prompts a stress response
Internal stressor examples:
hunger, illness, low self esteem
External stressor examples:
upcoming exam, financial issues, relationship status
Stress response:
result of the stress displayed in physiological or psychological characteristics
physiological stress responses
headaches, heart palpitations, cold/flu
psychological stress responses
behavioural: change to eating habit/sleep
emotional: irritability/aggression
cognitive: decreased concentration/memory impairment
Fight-flight freeze response:
involuntary and automatic response to threat that takes the form of either escaping, confronting or freezing.
Role of cortisol in stress response:
increases glucose to help different bodily functions repair damage done through stress
cortisol:
stress hormone released to aid in body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal
Hans Selye GAS:
stress response from a biological perspective
(pulled rats tails to illict a stress response)
Role of cortisol in GAS model
HPA axis: amygdala picks up signal of threat, triggers HPA axis to release.
Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome:
ALARM REACTION (shock, counter shock)
RESISTANCE
EXHAUSTION
GAS: HOW DOES IT EXPLAIN STRESS?
impacts brain size, experience of stress from a biological perspective
Elements of GAS
Shock: resistance to stress = below normal
- Body acts injured, blood pressure and temperature drop
____________________________
Counter-shock: resistance to stress = above normal
- sympathetic ns activated, flight-fight-freeze, adrenaline released
______________________________
Resistance: resistance to stress = above normal
- cortisol released, unnecessary functions shut down
_______________________________
Exhaustion: resistance to stress = below normal
- resources depleted, immune system weakened
Strengths of GAS
evidence of relationship between illness and stress
highlights a pattern that can be measured in individuals
Limitations of GAS
research not conducted on humans
does not account for individual differences + psychological factors
Lazarus + Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping:
Stress involves an encounter between an individual and their external environment
Stress response depends on individuals appraisal of stressor and ability to cope
Elements of transactional model:
primary appraisal: individuals assessment of situation (positive, benign, stressful)
secondary appraisal: individuals assessment of the available resources to deal with demands
Differences = comparing the GAS to Transactional model
GAS = Biological, animals
Transactional = Psychological, humans
Similarities = comparing the GAS to Transactional model
Time, psychobiological, stress
Enteric nervous system:
gastrointestinal tract involved in processing food, absorbing nutrients, excreting waste
Microbiota:
living organisms that live in our gastrointestinal tract and maintain gut health and functioning
Gut-brain axis:
bi-directional relationship between the gut and brain through the enteric and central nervous system
Coping with stress:
the process of dealing with stress
Coping strategies: approach
Coping strategies that directly confront the source of the stress
Coping strategies: avoidance
coping strategies that evade the stressor, seeking to indirectly reduce stress
Context-specific effectiveness:
Coping strategy used is appropriate for the demands of the stressor
Coping flexibility:
Ability to adjust coping strategies depending on the unique demands of a stressor
