UNIT 2 LESSON 3 Flashcards
Biological Basis for Behavior
the conscious and unconscious processing of information
simultaneously
dual processing
the outermost layer of our brain containing four lobes
cortical region
the last area of the brain to fully develop and connect; responsible for the majority of one’s creativity, problem-solving, abstract thinking, and personality
prefrontal cortex
the ability to resist urges and thoughts that offer short-term benefits rather than long-term
impulse control
A dynamite accident sent a metal rod through his frontal cortex–he was perfectly healthy, but now more abrasive, ill-tempered personality
Phineas Gage
responsible for the interaction
of our thoughts, memories, problem-solving, and
personalities, and are networked without a fixed
function
cerebrum
responsible for interpreting, integrating, and acting on sensory info and linking it with stored memories
Association Areas
memories and experiences over time that our cerebrum can interact with, and provide us with more, efficient thinking
working memory
a disorder in which the parts of the brain that recognize features has been damaged, we can no longer remember or
recognize faces
prosopagnosia
the idea that some functions are more dominant in one side of the brain
hemispheric specialization
deals with roughly speaking, with mastery and organization of what we already know
left hemisphere
deals more with exploring new ideas or concepts we don’t
understand (things like creativity, and complex & inferential thought)
right hemisphere
visual fields and motor functions run by the opposite
hemisphere of the brain
brain lateralization
area the two hemispheres of the brain can communicate through
corpus callosum
the brain’s ability to change across one’s life or mend itself after damage by developing new or alternative neural pathways from existing neurons
Plasticity
the brain can slowly create small amounts of new neurons
neurogenesis
the area in the left hemisphere that controls language expression
Broca’s area
the inability to understand or
formulate language
aphasia
damaged areas in the brain
lesions
controls language reception & plays a key role in language development; located in the temporal lobe on the left hemisphere
Wernicke’s area
traits that allow populations to reproduce, expand, and survive are passed on to subsequent generations
natural selection
one’s character, interests, temperament—are largely genetic
personality
despite not even knowing their biological parents, the personality of children tends to reflect biological parents rather than adoption parents
Adoption studies
tend to demonstrate large
similarities in personality
identical twins studies
exhibits behavior differences at the same rate of non-twin
siblings
fraternal twins
clusters in a genetic
clusters within our DNA
alleles
environment can impact the
actual genes and DNA of organisms—particularly during gestation
interaction
stress, diet, and drugs or chemicals can act as activators or deactivators, and change a gene’s expression
epigenetics
