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Section 3 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the whole debate about nature vs nurture?

A
  • psychologists debate whether environment or heredity influence a personality the most
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2
Q

Genetics

A

The study of heredity (flourished in 1900s)

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3
Q

What does DNA stand for, and where can it be found?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid, found in nucleus

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4
Q

Genotype

A

A structure of genes inherited by an organism from its parents; 1/2 from its mother, 1/2 from its father

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5
Q

Chromosomes

A

Long threadlike structures contained in nuclei of all cells, except for reproductive cells

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6
Q

What does each chromosome contain?

A

A double-strangled coil of DNA, which chemical control every activity of the cells in which they exist

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7
Q

What does RNA stand for? Where is it found?

A

Ribonucleic acid, found in nucleus

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8
Q

Have many chromosomes do reproductive cells contain?

A

23; this is called reproductive cell division; when the sperm and egg meet they combine to create 46

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9
Q

Identify each length of chromosome:

X

Y

A

X—long chromosome (female)

Y—short chromosome (male)

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10
Q

Occasionally a new child will gain an extra chromosome; what occurs?

A

Down syndrome

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11
Q

What are the three types of Down syndromes?

A
  1. Trisomy 21
  2. Translocation
  3. Mosaicism
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12
Q

What is a dominant gene?

A

A gene that dominates when paired with a recessive gene

EX) brown is dominant to blue;

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13
Q

Approximately how many genes exist for every cell of the human body?

A

30,000-100,000

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14
Q

What plays an important role in memory?

A

RNA

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15
Q

Eugenics

A

The science that deals with methods for improving the heredity qualities of a species

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16
Q

Maturation

A

The process of physical growth and development of an organism over a period of time

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17
Q

Due to heredity, different species have different rates of what?

A

Maturation

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18
Q

Maturation studies have most often been done with whom?

A

Identical twins

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19
Q

Gesell’s Maturation Theory

A

Arnold Gesell believes that child development and everything it includes is entirely predetermined by genetics

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20
Q

Rousseau’s Nativism

A

Jean Jacques Rousseau believed that humans are born completely good and that society inspires evil in them

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21
Q

Jean Itard was persuaded to look after and examine whom?

A

Victor, the “Wild Boy of Aveyron”

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22
Q

Development is dependent on ______

A

Development is dependent on ENVIRONMENT

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23
Q

Malnourished children (particularly under 4) are in danger of what?

A

Alterations in the brain and lower intelligence scores that may never be corrected

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24
Q

What is our “direct context” social environment?

A

Family, friends, work, and school associates

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25
What is our “indirect contact” environment?
Radio, television, newspapers, books, and our imagination
26
What is the rubber band hypothesis?
States that genetics provide people with potential for intelligence - each person is born with a different sized rubber band; the environment determines whether this band will be stretched to full length or remain the original size
27
The notion of pure environmental influence
The opposite of pure genetic influence (those who believe this notion also believe the environment is solely responsible for how we look and act)
28
Locke’s Tabula Rasa
John Locke believed children were born with a blank slate with equal potential; completely convinced of the nurture concept on human behaviour
29
What’s the experiment of Albert and the white rat?
Albert was exposed to a variety of objects, but whenever he reached to pet the ret, John Watson (psychologist) made a loud , startling noise, thus conditioning Albert to eventually cry every time he saw the white rat, or similar objects
30
What is the interactional view?
The belief that both genetics and environment shape a person’s identity
31
Twin studies have determined what about alcoholism?
That both genetic and environment influences alcoholism; if one twin has an alcohol problem, the other twin has a higher chance of having the same problem
32
The brain is what?
The body’s control system
33
Hemispheres
Pertaining to the right and left side of the brain
34
What are the four lobes of the brain?
Frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal
35
Corpus callosum
A thick bundle of specialized neurons that allow the hemispheres of the brain to communicate
36
Neurons
Specialized nerve cells in the nervous system, designed to communicate with other cells quickly
37
What side of the brain controls the left side of the body? What side controls the right?
The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body
38
What is the frontal lobe responsible for?
Movement and personality
39
What’s the occipital lobe responsible for?
Vision
40
What’s the parietal lobe’s role?
Senses touch, pressure, temperature, and vibration
41
The temporal lobe’s role is for what?
Hearing
42
What happened to Phineas Gage in 1848?
After a railroad explosion, an iron rod was lodged in his frontal lobe, which caused half his face to be paralyzed, blindness in one eye, and mood swings and heightened aggression
43
What are frontal lobotomies and why were they performed?
The severing of one section of the brain from the rest, causing a change in a person’s behaviour. These were performed on mental patients with difficult behaviours, rendering them almost comatose
44
Autonomic nervous system
Controls the life-sustaining process (breathing and such)not under our conscious mind
45
What are the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system?
- sympathetic division: the part of the ANS that deals with responding to emergency or crisis situations - parasympathetic division: the part of the ANS that regulates normal body functions
46
Reaction time
The time between a stimulus and its effect
47
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that neurons release to send a message across other neurons
48
What are a few examples of neurotransmitters?
- acetylcholine - dopamine - epinephrine - serotonin
49
Epilepsy
Neurological disorder occurring when abnormal electrical impulses occur in the brain; may be seizing or convulsing, randomly occurring - treatment involves medication to prevent convulsing, possibly surgery
50
Parkinson’s disease
When a specific part of the brain degenerates; shaking, rigid muscles, involuntary movement, and speech problems are symptoms - no current sure, medication used to keep dopamine in the system
51
Alzheimer’s disease
Loss of memory and cognitive functioning, symptoms progressively get worse
52
Multiple sclerosis
Degeneration of myelin, the protective covering of neurons in the brain; symptoms include weakness, blindness, epilepsy - no cure, medication may help
53
What do electroencephalograms (EEGs) do?
They record brain wave activity
54
What is Positron Emission Tomography (PET scans)?
A method by which doctors can look at which areas of the active at any given time
55
What do Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs) do?
The magnetic pulses show researchers the health of cells in the human body
56
What des the endocrine system consist of?
Glands that produce and release hormones into the body
57
Why do hormones play such a large part in maternal behaviour?
Because in humans, babies are born fragile and dependent, so the mother must feel the need to care for her baby
58
Which hormones increase during pregnancy?
Progesterone, prolactin, and estradiol
59
Why are men more likely to be aggressive?
Because testosterone (found in large amounts in males) causes heightened aggression
60
What is stage one of sleep?
Light sleep; movement slows and body relaxes
61
What is stage two of sleep?
Movement stops and brain waves slow
62
What is stage three of sleep?
Deep sleep; brain waves are slower than before, w/ an occasional burst of smaller, faster waves; waking people is difficult; no movement, very relaxed
63
What is stage four of sleep?
Also deep sleep; produces delta waves almost exclusively. Very similar to stage three excluding the fast bursts
64
What is the fifth stage of sleep?
REM sleep—body functions accelerate, breathing becomes rapid, irregular, and shallow eyes move rapidly, arm and leg muscles are paralyzed. Dreaming occurs
65
What kind of waves occur in the brain (in sleep and out of it)?
- alert wakefulness (beta waves) - quiet wakefulness (alpha waves) - stage 1 (low voltage and spindles) - stage 2 and 3 (theta waves) - stage 4 (delta waves - REM sleep (beta waves)
66
How much sleep does a person need, approximately?
Babies: 16 Teens: 9 Adults: 7-8 (maybe less)
67
What are the signs of needing to go back to sleep?
- waking up and feeling lie going back to sleep - feeling drowsy during the day, no matter how bored you are - you fall asleep within five minutes of lying down
68
Sleep debt
When people do not get enough sleep they build up a sleep debt that must be paid off in rest for the body to fully function
69
Narcolepsy
Sudden onset of sleep; sleep attack; occurs when a person is inactive, sometimes at inappropriate times—can be controlled by drugs - another form is cataplexy, occurring in extremely stressful situations
70
Night terrors, bedwetting, and sleep walking
Associated with delta sleep; occurs mostly in children Night terrors are described as sudden awakening, screaming, and a racing heart (not caused by nightmares due to nightmares being absent in delta sleep)
71
Insomnia
The inability to fall sleep; an alternative is also pseudoninsomnia, where the individual believes they didn’t get a wink of sleep when they actually did
72
Sleep apnea
A persons tops breathing during sleep and immediately wakes up
73
Instincts
Unlearned behaviour patterns that appear in the same form at a certain point in the development of every member of species
74
Released
Anything that triggers an instinct
75
Imprinting
The phenomenon of baby birds following the first thing they see moving; a duckling is born with this instinct
76
Species-specific behaviours
Are very much like instincts; they are unlearned behaviours that surface in certain species but are linked to reproduction

Personal Psychology (4 decks)

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