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Psychology 2 > SAC 1 > Flashcards

SAC 1 Flashcards

1
Q

what is an action potential?

A

a neuron has a resting potential when not activated. negatively charged ions are inside the neuron and negatively charged ions are outside. all or nothing process

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2
Q

what are neurotransmitters

A

are a chemical substance produced by a neuron that carry a message to other neurons or cells in muscles, organs or other tissue. are around 50 types

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3
Q

role of neurotransmitters

A
  • work by attaching or binding to receptor sites located on the dendrites of the post synaptic neuron
  • they work to either excite the neuron to fire or inhibit the neuron from firing
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4
Q

excitatory neurotransmitters

A

increase to chance of an action potential firing and stimulate a response

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5
Q

two important excitatory neurotransmitters

A

glutamate: essential for memory forming and learning and excessive amounts can cause overexcitement of neurons leading to neural damage
dopamine: important for drive, motivation and motor movement

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6
Q

inhibitory neurotransmitters

A

restrict an action potential from firing therefore possibly inhibiting a response

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7
Q

two inhibitory neurotransmitters

A

GABA: when in low levels is linked to high anxiety and is essential for motor control and vision
serotonin: important for stabilising mood

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8
Q

CNS

A

central nervous system; made of brain and spinal cord. processes, organises and responds to stimuli

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9
Q

PNS

A

peripheral nervous system; made of somatic and autonomic. is a network of nerves that transmit info from muscles, glands and organs to CNS and back. Autonomic system has sympathetic and parasympathetic branches

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10
Q

role of axon + terminal buttons

A

axons transmit chemical impulses along the neuron in the form of an action potential. terminal buttons release the neurotransmitter

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11
Q

role of soma + myelin

A

soma is largest part of neuron, controls metabolism and matenience of the cell. Myelin is the white fatty coating that speeds up the message along the axon

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12
Q

parkinsons disease

A

is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by motor and non motor symptoms. effects the basal ganglia and the pre motor and primary motor cortex

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13
Q

cause of parkinsons + treatments

A

neurons in the substantia nigra degenerate meaning they do not produce dopamine sufficiently enough to support smooth motor movement. main treatment is L-DOPA which is a synthesised neurotransmitter

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14
Q

subtanstia nigra
basal ganglia
idiopathic

A

substantia nigra is a midbrain structure composed of nerve cells that produce dopamine and are associated with motor control
basal ganglia are clusters of nerve cells that regulate motor control
idiopathic means no known cause

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15
Q

symptoms of parkinsons

A

primary motor: tremors, bradykinesia, rigidity
secondary motor: reduced control of expressions, pain in limbs, swallowing problems
non-motor: embarrassment, anxiety, depression

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16
Q

agonist

A

drug that increases the uptake or release of a neurotransmitter. e.g dopamine agonist is levodopa cause it increases the chance of dopamine being taken up

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17
Q

antagonist

A

inhibits release of neurotransmitters or blocks the effect of them and makes receptor sites less likely to fire. e.g anti-psychotic drugs

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18
Q

alzheimers

A

an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disease that gradually kills brain cells and results in death. due to lack of acetylcholine

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19
Q

cause of Huntington’s and motor neuron disease

A 
h = decrease in GABA
m = imbalance of glutamate
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20
Q

what is stress

A

a state of mental or physical tension that occurs when an individual must adjust or adapt to an environment but they do not feel they have the capacity to do so

21
Q

sources of stress and management

A 
sources = family, friends, work, school, sports
manage = exercise, sleep, mediation
22
Q

stressor

A

the object or event that causes the feeling of stress

23
Q

eustress

A

a positive psychological response to a stressor, characterised by positive psychological states that help the body perform at optimal level

24
Q

distress

A

a negative psychological response to a stressor characterised by negative psychological states that impedes optimal performance

25
Q

chronic

A

prolonged physiological arousal in response to a persistent stressor that negatively affects health

26
Q

acute

A

brief but intense physiological arousal in response to an immediate perceived stressor that normally has no effect on health

27
Q

sources of stress: daily pressures

A

frequently experienced stressors consisting of relatively minot events that require adjustments in behaviour e.g traffic

28
Q

sources of stress: life events

A

stressors that consist of significant but relatively rare events that require substantial adjustments in behaviour within a relatively short time e.g marriage or job loss

29
Q

sources of stress: acculturation

A

stress caused by attempting to psychologically and socially adapt to the demands and values of a foreign country

30
Q

sources of stress: catastrophe

A

a sudden, unpredictable, uncontrollable intense event that causes large scale damage and suffering for a group of people. can cause PTSD. eg earthquake

31
Q

what are stress responses

A

a set of physical and psychological which are automatically activated along with the sympathetic nervous system following the perception of a threat. they enable us to harness all our psychological and physiological resources to control the stressor

32
Q

fight and flight

A

are mobilising responses to threats activated by the sympathetic nervous system. regardless of which is chosen the level of internal activity changes, bodily resources are mobilised and arousal is elevated. they are thought to be an adaptive response

33
Q

freeze

A

an immobilising response to trauma, activated by parasympathetic system , it is our last attempt to survive after extreme trauma and it our most extreme defence strategy. it shuts down sympathetic system and directs all energy to organs and core and releases opiate receptors causing a numbing effect which means no fear or pain is felt and there might be no memory of the event. also thought to be adaptive as it help survival but if we get stuck in the freeze response we can’t return to homeostasis which will cause problems

34
Q

role of cortisol

A

the body cannot maintain the intensity of the fight/flight response and the high levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline. when we are exposed to the stressor for a prolonged period of time the HPA axis is activated and through a process of steps releases corticosteroids (95% of this is cortisol) Cortisol’s main effect is to energise the body by increasing energy levels e.g blood sugar and has an anti-inflammatory effect. but if a person remains stressed with high levels of cortisol it can impair immune system functioning

35
Q

Seley’s GAS

A

General adaptation syndrome is a biological/physiological response to stress that occurs regardless of the stressor encountered and is non-specific. has three stages alarm reaction (shock + countercheck), resistance and exhaustion.

36
Q

stages of GAS model

A
  1. alarm reaction: shock is first, body goes into temporary state of shock, body temp and blood pressure drop, ability to deal with stressor is below normal. counter shock is next, sympathetic NS is activated = FFFs response, body is highly aroused.
  2. resistance: increased resistance to stress, cortisol release is sustained, all unnecessary psychological responses shut down, weakened immune system + social withdrawal
  3. exhaustion: if the stressor is not dealt with then resources are depleted and resistance to stress is low, immune system repressed and extreme fatigue, hypertension, migraines or ulcers
37
Q

strengths + weaknesses of GAS model

A

strengths:
- provides rich info about physiological processes of stress
- based on imperial evidence
- connection between prolonged stress + disease
weaknesses:
- overemphasis on biological model (oversimplified)
- based on rats not humans
- role of emotion + cognition in stress response not considered

38
Q

Lazarus + Folkman

A

is a transactional model of stress and coping. is the psychological/cognitive approach to stress and has two stages; primary appraisal and secondary appraisal

39
Q

primary appraisal

A

“is this event something I have to deal with?”, “am I in trouble”, “is there any benefit now or in future”. ask these questions and the result will be either
1. irrelevant = no stress = end of appraisal
2. benign-positive = feeling ok = end of appraisal
3. stressful = causing stress = next stage, is this situation
a. harm/loss = damage already done
b. threat = possible additional harm in future
c. challenge = opportunity for positive outcome
select one and move on to secondary appraisal

40
Q

secondary appraisal

A

once the situation is deemed stressful and what type of stress it is you ask “what, if anything can be down about this?” “how am I going to deal with this” then if

  1. coping resources are inadequate = stress
  2. coping resources are adequate = either
    a. problem focused coping = logical direct approach to solving problem e.g asking for help
    b. emotion focused coping = alleviate distress of problem e.g meditation
41
Q

coping

A

a process involving constantly changing thoughts and behaviours so we can manage the internal and external demands of stressors we appraise as taking or exceeding resources

42
Q

coping skills

A

learnt behaviours or techniques that help us solve problems or meet the demands of a stressor

43
Q

coping strategy

A

the behavioural and psychological responses a person makes to a stressor that are intended to manage the stressor and reduce the psychological and physical stress related to it

44
Q

coping effectiveness/ context specific effectiveness

A

the degree to which a coping strategy or combination of strategies is successful in alleviating stress

45
Q

coping flexibility

A

the ability to stop an ineffective coping strategy or evaluate the coping process and implement an alternative effective coping strategy or adapt the coping process

46
Q

benefits of physical exercise for stress

A

relives muscles of the tension caused by FF response and restores our body to a calmer more relaxed state and positively effects hormone levels, circulation and muscle tone + promotes good mood

47
Q

approach strategies

A

target the stressor or the response to the stressor in practical ways. consist of behavioural or psychological changes designed to remove of diminish the nature of the stressor or how one thinks about it. these strategies help adapt to changes and demands from a stressor so that it becomes tolerable. most effective way of coping with stress and may be hard short term but is a lot better long term, includes; seeking support or goal setting

48
Q

avoidance strategies

A

involve choosing response to stressor based either on trying to cognitively avoid or escape painful or threatening thought, feelings, memories or behaviours associated with the stressor. used when we feel we have no control over the situation. person does not directly conform the stressor and can withdraw from the exhibiting self destructive behaviour. can effect a person for life if used during childhood

Psychology 2 (4 decks)

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