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VCE Psychology 3/4 > U3A1 stress and the nervous system > Flashcards

U3A1 stress and the nervous system Flashcards

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1
Q

role of the central nervous system

A

coordinates + intergrates all bodily activity.

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2
Q

peripheral nervous system

A

comprises of every neuron in the body outside of the CNS.

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3
Q

role of the somatic nervous system

A

transmits neural messages related to voluntary motor movement.

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4
Q

role of the autonomic nervous system

A

regulates visceral muscles, organs + glands, and transmits neural messages to the CNS about their activity.

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5
Q

role of the sympathetic nervous system

A

a division of the ANS that activates visceral muscles, organs + glands to prepare the body to respond to a threat/stressor.

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6
Q

role of the parasympathetic nervous system

A

a division of the ANS that maintains the optimal + balanced functioning of visceral organs, muscles + glands after experiencing heightened bodily arousal due to sympathetic responses.

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7
Q

conscious response

A

deliberate + voluntary action intentionally initiated by the brain and performed by the body.

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8
Q

unconscious response

A

an automatic and involuntary action performed by the body independently of the brain.

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9
Q

what are the five steps involved in a spinal reflex?

A
  1. sensory receptors
  2. sensory message to spinal cord
  3. interneurons dispatched
  4. motor message to muscle
  5. interneurons to brain for perception
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10
Q

what is the main difference between a conscious and unconscious response?

A

the key difference is brain involvement. conscious responses are initiated by the brain, whereas unconscious responses are not.

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11
Q

what are the two kinds of neurochemicals released at axon terminals?

A

neurotransmitters (located at a single synapse) and neuromodulators (located at multiple synapses)

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12
Q

what are the two types of neurotransmitters?

A

excitatory neurotransmitters (increase action potential likelihood) and inhibitory neurotransmitters (decrease action potential likelihood)

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13
Q

what is an example of an excitatory neurotransmitter?

A

glutamate.

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14
Q

what is an example of an inhibitory neurotransmitter?

A

GABA.

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15
Q

what are the two ways neuromodulators can regulate the effects of neurotransmitters?

A

changing the responsiveness of receptor sites; changing the release pattern of a neurotransmitter.

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16
Q

what is dopamine?

A

neuromodulator that can have either excitatory or inhibitory effects. it is responsible for:
- regulating voluntary movement
- experience of pleasure
- reward-based learning

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17
Q

what is serotonin?

A

neuromodulator that generally has inhibtory effects. it is responsible for:
- regulation of mood
- regulation of sleep

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18
Q

what are the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity?

A
  • sprouting (increase in dendrite branches)
  • rerouting (neuron creates alternate synaptic connection)
  • pruning (elimination of unused synaptic connections)
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19
Q

what are the two forms of synaptic plasticity that underlie learning + memory?

A
  • long-term potentiation
  • long-term depression
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20
Q

what is long-term potentiation?

A

long-lasting and experience-dependant strengthening of synaptic connections that are regularly coactivated.

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21
Q

what physical changes occur to the neural synapse due to long-term potentiation?

A
  • increased number of receptor sites on dendrites of post-synaptic neuron.
  • bushier dendrites on post-synaptic neuron (sprouting).
  • increased number of synaptic connections (sprouting).
22
Q

what is long-term depression?

A

long-lasting and experience-dependant weakening of synaptic connections between neurons that are not regularly coactivated.

23
Q

what physical changes occur to the neural synapse due to long-term depression?

A
  • decreased number of receptor sites on post-synaptic dendrites.
  • decreased number of dendrites (pruning).
  • decreased number of synaptic conections (pruning).
24
Q

what is the role of synaptic plasticity in learning and memory?

A

synaptic plasticity is the fundamental mechanism of memory formation that leads to learning.

25
Q

what is stress?

A

a psychological and physiological experience that occurs when an individual encounters something that demands their attention and efforts to cope.

26
Q

what is a stressor?

A

an internal or external stimulus that propmts the stress response.

27
Q

what is an internal stressor? provide an example

A

a stressor that rises from within a person that prompts the stress response eg. negative attitude, memories, etc.

28
Q

what is an external stressor? provide an example

A

a stressor from outside a person’s body that prompts the stress response eg. an exam, financial problems, relationship issues, etc.

29
Q

define eustress

A

positive psychological stress response that often occurs when the stressor provides a positive opportunity.

30
Q

define distress

A

negative psychological stress response that often occurs then the stressor is a negative circumstance.

31
Q

what is acute stress

A

a form of stress that is brief in duration. it presents an immediate threat to an organism’s safety.

32
Q

what is the fight-flight-freeze response?

A

involuntary, automatic response to a threat by either escaping, confronting or freezing when faced by it. common during acute stress.

33
Q

name the physiological characteristics of the FFF response

A

FIGHT (confrontation) - activation of sympathetic NS, prompting adrenaline to be released
FLIGHT (flee) - activation of sympathetic NS, prompting adrenaline to be released
FREEZE (immobility) - activation of parasympathetic NS, blood pressure drop

34
Q

what is chronic stress?

A

form of stress that endures for several months or longer.

35
Q

what is cortisol?

A

hormone released in times of stress to aid the body in initiating and maintaining heightened arousal. suppresses the immune system.

36
Q

what is the vagus nerve?

A

cranial nerve that connects gut and brain, enabling communication. responsible for bidirectionally conveying info.

37
Q

what is the gut?

A

tube from mouth to anus that is involved in digestion. responsible for processing food, absorbing nutrients and excreting waste.

38
Q

what is the gut microbiome?

A

all of the genes of microorganisms that live in the gut.

39
Q

what is the enteric nervous system?

A

network of nerves in the gut. subdivision of ANS

40
Q

what is gut microbiota?

A

all of the microorganisms that live in the gut.

41
Q

what is gut dysbiosis?

A

unbalanced gut microbiota.

42
Q

what is an avoidance strategy? give an example

A

evades the stressor and deals with it indirectly. EG. avoidance strategy for upcoming exam could be to play video games to distract oneself from the stress.

43
Q

what is an approach strategy? give an example

A

confront the stressor and deal with it directly. EG. approach strategy for upcoming exam could be to create a study schedule.

44
Q

what are the primary and secondary appraisals in lazarus and folkman’s model?

A

primary appraisal : individual evaluates the significance of the event as either benign-positive, irrelevant, stressful, a harm/loss, a threat or a challenge.
secondary appraisal : individual evaluates coping resources as either adequate or inadequate.

45
Q

identify and describe the stages + substages of the GAS model.

A

[ stage one : alarm ]
( shock ) - ability to deal with stressor falls below normal. body temp and blood pressure decrease.
( countershock ) - ability to deal with stressor rises above normal. cortisol released. heart rate increases. stress hormones released into blood stream.
[ stage two : resistance ]
- ability to deal with stressor soars above normal.
- unnecessary processes shut down.
- cortisol release continued. prolonged presence begins to suppress immune system, increasing illness susceptibility.
[ stage three : exhaustion ]
- ability to deal with stressor falls well below normal.
- cortisol continues to be released.
- extreme fatigue, high levels of anxiety, heart disease, etc. can occur.

46
Q

define the gut-brain axis.

A

bidirectional connection between gut and brain via enteric and central nervous systems.

47
Q

define context-specific effectiveness

A

when the coping strategy of the mechanism used is appropriate for the unique demands of the stressor.

48
Q

define coping flexibility

A

individual’s ability to adjust coping strategies depending on the unique and changing demands of the stressor.

49
Q

define coping

A

process of dealing with stress

50
Q

define coping strategy

A

specific behavioural or psychological method of managing a stressor.

VCE Psychology 3/4 (6 decks)

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