Unit 1 - Biological Bases of Behavior Flashcards
1
Q
Define psychology
A
The science of behaviour and mental processes
2
Q
What is behaviour?
A
Any observed “thing” that an organism does - yelling, smiling, blinking etc.
3
Q
What are mental processes?
A
Internal and subjective sensations - dreams, thoughts, beliefs, etc.
4
Q
What is the nature-nurture issue?
A
A longstanding controversy over the contributions that genes and experience make to the development of traits and behaviours.
5
Q
What is heritability?
A
A statistical concept used to measure the amount of variation among individuals that can be attributed to genetics.
6
Q
Define identical twins (include second name)
A
Name: monozygotic
Definition: individuals developed from a single egg that split in two that created two genetically identical organisms
7
Q
Define fraternal twins (include second name)
A
Name: dizygotic
Definition: individuals who developed from two separate eggs in the womb. They’re no more genetically similar than they would be to another sibling.
8
Q
What are glial cells?
A
Cells in the N.S that support, nourish and protect neurons.
Also play a role in learning, thinking and memory
9
Q
What is behaviour genetics
A
The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behaviour
10
Q
Define natural selection
A
The principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed down
11
Q
Define heredity
A
The genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring
12
Q
What is evolutionary psychology
A
The study of the evolution of behaviour and the mind, using principles of natural selection outlined by Charles Darwin
13
Q
Define environment
A
Every non genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to our experiences of the people and things around us
14
Q
What is mutation?
A
A random error in gene replication that leads to change
15
Q
What are genes
A
The biochemical units of heredity
16
Q
What is a genome
A
The complete instructions for making an organism
17
Q
Define interaction
A
The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)
18
Q
Define the epigenetics
A
Epi—Meaning “above” or “in addition to”
The study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without a DNA change)
19
Q
Define the nervous system
A
The body’s speedy electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerves cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems
20
Q
What is the CNS
A
The central nervous system which is the brain and spinal chord
21
Q
What is the PNS
A
The sensory and motor neurons that connect the CNS to the rest of the body
22
Q
What are nerves
A
Bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the CNS with muscles, glands and sensory organs
23
Q
What are sensory neurons (what else are they called?)
A
Neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal chord
Also called afferent neurons
24
Q
What are motor neurons (what is the other name for them?)
A
Neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands
Also called efferent neurons
25
What are interneurons
Neurons within the brain and spinal cord that communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs
26
What is the somatic nervous system? (What’s the other name)
The division of the PNS that controls the body’s skeletal muscles
Also called the skeletal nervous system
27
What is the ANS
The autonomic nervous system
It’s the part of the PNS that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs (ex: heart). It’s sympathetic division arouses, its parasympathetic division calms
28
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
The division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy
29
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
The division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy
30
What is a reflex
A simple, autonomic response to a sensory stimulus
Ex: knee jerk reflex
31
What is a neuron?
The nerve cell, the basic building block of the nervous system
32
What is the cell body?
The part of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell’s life support center
33
What are dendrites?
The neuron’s often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body
34
What is the axon?
The segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands
35
What is the myelin sheath?
A fatty tissue layer segmental encasing the axons of some neurons; it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next
36
What is action potential?
A neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon
37
What is a threshold
The level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse
38
What is a refractory period?
A brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state
39
What is the all or none response?
A neurons reaction of either firing (with full strength) or not firing
40
What is a synapse?
The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite/cell body of the receiving neuron. The small gap at the junction is called the synaptic gap/clef
41
What are neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gap between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse
42
What is reuptake?
A neurotransmitters reabsorption by the sending neuron
43
What are endorphins?
“Morphine within”
Natural, opioid like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and pleasure
44
What is an agonist?
A molecule that increases a neurotransmitters action
45
What is an antagonist?
A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action
46
Define hormones
Chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream and affect other tissues
47
What is the endocrine system?
The body’s slow chemical communication system; a set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones intro the blood stream
48
What are psychoactive drugs?
Chemical substances that alter the brain chasing changes in perceptions and moods
49
What is substance use disorder?
A disorder characterized by continued substance use despite resulting in life disruption
50
What are depressants
Drugs that reduce neural activity and slow down functions
51
Define tolerance
The diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drugs effect
52
Define addiction
An everyday term for compulsive substance use (and sometimes for dysfunctional behaviour patterns such as out of control gambling) that continues despite harmful consequences
53
What is withdrawal?
The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing an addictive drug or behaviour
54
What are barbiturates?
Drugs that depress CNS activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement
55
What are opioids
Opium and its derivatives; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety
56
What are stimulants?
Drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions
57
What are hallucinogens
Psychedelic drugs that distort perceptions and evoke sensory impairs in the absence of sensory input
58
What is a near death experience?
An altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as cardiac arrest) often similar to drug induced hallucinations
59
What is biological psychology?
The scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes.
Some biological psychologists called themselves behavioural neuroscientists, neuropsychologists, behaviour geneticists, physiological psychologists or bio-psychologists
60
What is the bio psychological approach?
An integrated approach that incorporates biological, psychological and social-cultural levels of analysis
61
What are the levels of analysis?
the differing complementary views from biological to psychological to social-cultural, for analyzing any given phenomonon
62
Define neuroplasticity
the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience
63
what and where is the hindbrain
it consists of the medulla, pons, cerebellum and direts essencial survival functions such as breathing, sleeping and wakefullness, as well as coordiation.
Located on the back and bottom (near brainstem)
64
what and where is the midbrain?
Connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, and controls some motor movement, and transmits auditory and visual information.
Located atop the brainstem (inside the brain)
65
what and where is the forebrain?
consists of the cerebral cortex, thalamus and hypothalamus. It manages complex cognitive acitvities, sensory and associative funtions and voluntary motor activities.
located inside the brain on the top of the midbrain
66
what/where is the brainstemw
It's the central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord wells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions
67
what/where is the medulla
the hindbrain structure that is the brainstem's base; controls heartbeat and breathing
68
what/where is the thalamus
the forebrain's sensory control center, located on the top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory recieving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum, and medulla
69
what/where is the reticular formation?
a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; it filters info and plays an important role in controlling arousal
70
what/where is the cerebellum?
the hindbrain's little brain at the rear of the brainstem; it's functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance and enabling nonverbal learning and memory
71
what/where is the limbic system?
a neural system located mostly in the firebrain below the cerebral hemispheres that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, thalamus and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives
72
what/where is the amygdala?
two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion
within the limbic system
73
what/where is the hypothalamus?
a neural structure lying below the thalamus, directs several maintenenance activities (eating, drinking, body temp.), helps govern the endocrine system and is linked to emotion and reward
within the limbic system
74
what/where is the hippocampus?
helps process explicit (concious) memories of facts and events for storage
within the limbic system
75
what/where is the cerebral cortex
interconnected neural cells covering the forebrain's cerebral hemispheres; the body's control and info processing ceneter
it's like a bark covering the hind,mid and forebain
76
what/where is the frontal lobe?
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead. they enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, muscle movement, higher order thinking and executive functioning (such as making plans and judgements)
"what makes us human"
77
what/where is the parietal lobe?
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; it receives sensory input for touch and body position
78
what/where is the occipital lobe?
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; it includes areas that recieve information from the visual fields
79
what/where are the temporal lobes?
the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; it includes the auditory areas, each of which receives infomration primarily from the opposite ear. They also enable language processing (primarily the left hemisphere)
80
What/where is the motor cortex?
A cerebral correct area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements
Involved in outputs (the right hemisphere controls the left side and vise versa)
81
What/where is the somatosensory cortex?
A cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensation
Involved in Inputs (left hemisphere relieves input from right side and vise versa)
82
What are association areas?
Areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions but rather are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking
(The rest of the cortex)
83
What is neurogenesis?
The formation of new neurons
84
What is the corpus callosum?
The large band of neural fibres connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them
On top of forebrain
85
What is a split brain?
A condition resulting from surgery that separated the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibres (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them
86
Define consciousness
Our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment
87
Define cognitive neuroscience
The interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating)
88
Define dual processing
The principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks
89
Define blindsight
A condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it
90
What is parallel processing
Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
91
What’s is sequential processing?
Processing one aspect of a stimulus or problem at a time; generally used to process new info or to solve difficult problems
also called serial processing
92
Define sleep
A periodic, neural loss of consciousness— as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia or hibernation
93
What is your circadian rhythm?
Our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (ex: temp. And wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle
its based on light, hormones, temp. etc.
94
Define REM sleep
Rapid eye movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur— also known as paradoxical sleep (muscles are relaxed except for minor twitches) but other body system are active
95
Define alpha waves
The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state
96
What is NREM sleep
Non rapid eye movement sleep; encompasses all sleep stages except for REM
97
Define hallucinations
False sensory experiences such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
98
Define hypnagogic sensations
Bizarre experiences such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly while transitioning to sleep (also called hypnic sensations)
99
What are delta waves?
The large, slow brain waves associated with deep sleep
100
What is the SCN
The suprachiasmatic nucleus
A pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, the SCN adjusts melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness
101
What is insomnia
Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep
102
What is narcolepsy
A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The affected person may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times
103
What is sleep apnea
A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
104
What is REM sleep behaviour disorder
A sleep disorder in which normal REM paralysis does not occur; instead, twitching, talking or even kicking or punching may occur, often acting out one’s dream
105
Define a dream
A sequence of images emotions and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind
106
What is an REM rebound
The tendency for REM sleep to increasing following REM sleep deprivation
107
Define sensation
The process by which our sensory receptors and nervous system receive and represent stimulus’s energies from our environment
108
What are sensory receptors?
Sensory nerve endings that respond to stimuli
109
Define perception
The process by which our brain organized and interprets sensory information enabling us to recognize objects and events as meaningful
110
What is bottom-up processing m
Info processing that begins with sensory receptors and works up to the brains integration of sensory information
111
What is top-down processing
Into processing guided by a higher level mental processes as when we construct perceptions drawing on our experience and expectations
112
What is transduction
Conversion of one form of energy into another in sensation the transforming of physical energy such as sights, sounds, and smells, into neural impulses the brain can interpret
113
What is psychophysics
The study of relationships between the physical characteristics of stimuli such as their intensity and our psychological experience of them
114
What is the absolute threshold
The minimum stimulus energy needed to detect a particular stimulus 50% of the time
115
What is signal detection theory
A theory predicting how and when we detect the presence of a faint stimulus (signal) amid background stimulation (noise); assumes the re is no single absolute threshold and that detection depends partly on a persons experience, expectations, motivation and alertness
116
Define subliminal
Below ones absolute threshold for conscious awareness
117
What is priming
The activation, often unconsciously of certain associations, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory or response
118
What is the difference threshold
The min difference between two stimuli required for detection 50% of the time. We experience the difference threshold as just noticeable difference
119
What is webers law
The principle that to be perceived as different, two stimuli must differ by a constant min percentage (rather than a constant amount)
120
What is sensory adaptation
Diminished sensitivity as a consequence of constant stimulation
121
Define wavelength
The distance from the peak of one light wave or sound wave to peak of three next. Electromagnetic wavelengths vary from three short gamma waves to the long pulses of radio transmission
122
Define hue
The dimension of colour that is determined by the wavelength of light; what we know as the colour names: blue, green and so forth
123
Define intensity
The amount of energy in a light wave or sound wave, which influenced that we perceive as brightness or loudness. Intensity is determined by the wave’s amplitude (height)
124
What is the cornea
The eyes clear, protective outer layer, covering the pupil and iris
125
What is the pupil
The adjustable opening in the centre of the eye though which light enters
126
What is the iris
A ring of muscle tissue that form the coloured portion of the eye around the pupil and controls the size of the pupil and controls the size of the pupil opening
127
What is the lens
The transparent structure behind the pupil that changes shape to help focus images on the retina
128
What is the retina
The light-sensitive back inner surface of the eye, containing the receptor rods and cones plus layers of neurons that begin the processing of visual information
129
Define accommodation
The process by which the eyes lens changes shape to focus images of near or far object on the retina
130
what are rods
Retinal receptors that detect black, white and grey , and are sensitive to movement. They’re necessary for peripheral and twilight vision, when cones don’t respond
131
What are cones
Retinal receptors that are concentrated near the centre of the retina and that function in daylight or in well-lit conditions. Cones detect fine detail and give rise to colour sensations
132
What is the optic nerve
The nerve that carries neural impulses from the eye to the brain
133
What is a blind spot
The point at which the optic nerve leaves the eye, Creating a blind spot because no receptor cells are located there
134
What is the fovea
The central focal point in the retina, around which the eyes cones cluster
135
What is the young-Helmholtz trichromatic (three-colour) theory
The theory that the retina contains three different types of colour receptors— one most sensitive to red, one to green, one to blue— which, when stimulated in combination, can produce the perception of any colour
136
What is the opponent-process theory?
The theory that opposing retinal processes (red-green, blue-yellow, white-black) enable colour.
Ex: some cells stimulated by green are inhibited by red
137
What are feature detectors?
Nerve cells in the brains visual cortex that respond to specific features of the stimulus, such as shape, angle or movement
138
What is parallel processing
Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously
139
Define frequency
The number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time (ex: per second)
140
Define pitch
A tone’s experienced highness or lowness; depends on the frequency
141
what/where is the middle ear?
the chamber between th eardrum and the cochlea containing three tiny bones that concentrate the vibrations of the eardrum on the cochea's oval window
142
what is the cochlea
a coiled, bony, fluid-filled tube in the inner ear; sound waves traveling through the cochelear fluid trigger nerve impulses
143
what/where is the inner ear?
the innermost part of the ear, containing the cochlea, semicircular canals and vestibular sacs
144
what is sensorineural hearing loss
the most common form of hearing loss, caused by damage to the cochleas receptor cells or to the auditory nerve also called nerve deafness
145
what is conductional hearing loss?
a less common form of hearing loss, caused by damamge to the mechanical system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea
146
cochlear implant
a device for converint sounds into electrical signals and stimulating the audittory nerve the electrodes threaded into the cochlea
147
what is place theory
in hearing, the the theory that links the pitch we hear with the place wgere the cochlela's membrane is stimulated (also called place coding)
148
what is frequency theory?
in hearing, the theory that the rate of nervse impulses traveling up the adutory nervse matches the frequency of a tone this enabling us to sense it's pitch (also called temporal coding)
149
define gustation
our sense of taste
150
define olfaction
our sense of smell
151
what is kinesthesis
our movement sense; our system for sensing the position and movement of indiviual body parts
152
what is the vestibular sense
our balance sense; our sense of body movement and posion that enables our sense of balance
153
define sensory interaction
the principle that one sense can influence another, as when the smell of food influences it's taste
154
what is embodied cognition
the influence of bodily sensations, gestures and other states on cognitive preferences and judgements
155
what is sytem 1 of blindsight
it's automatic and fast; called the unconcious track
156
what is system 2 of blindsight
it's
