Vocab Flashcards
Psychologists who specialize in considering the ways in which the biological structures and functions of the body affect behavior.
Behavioral neuroscientists or biopsychologists
Nerve cells, the basic elements of the nervous system
Neurons
A cluster of fibers at one end of a neuron that receive messages from other neurons
Dendrite
The part of the neuron that carries messages destined for other neurons
Axon
Small bulges at the end of axons that send messages to other neurons
Terminal Buttons
A protective coat of fat and protein that wraps around the neuron
Myelin Sheath
The rule that neurons are either on or off
All-Or-None Law
The state in which there is a negative electrical charge of about ~70 millivolts within a neuron
Resting State
An electric nerve impulse that travels through a neuron when it is set off by a “trigger” changing the neuron’s charge from negative to positive
Action Potential
Specialized neurons that fire not only when a person enacts a particular behavior. but also when a person simply observes another individual carrying out the same behavior
Mirror Neurons
The space between two neurons where the axon of a sending neuron communicates with the dendrites of a receiving neuron by using chemical messages
Synapse
Chemicals that carry messages across the synapse to the dendrite (and sometimes the cell body) of a receiver neuron
Neurotransmitters
Chemical messages that make it more likely that a receiving neuron will fire and an action potential will travel down its axon
Excitatory messages
Chemical messages that prevent or decrease the likelihood that a receiving neuron will fire
Inhibitory Messages
The reabsorption of neurotransmitters by a terminal button
Reuptake
The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord
Central Nervous System
A bundle of neurons that leaves the brain and runs down the length of the back and is the main means for transmitting messages between the brain and body
Spinal Cord
An automatic involuntary response to an incoming stimulus
Reflex
Neurons that transmit information from the perimeter of the body to the central nervous system
Sensory (afferent) neurons
Neurons that communicate information from the nervous system to muscles and glands
Motor (efferent) Neurons
Neurons that connect sensory and motor neurons, carrying messages between the two
Interneurons
The part of the nervous system that includes the autonomic and somatic subdivisions; made up of neurons with long axons and dendrites, it branches out from the spinal cord and brain and reaches the extremities of the body
Peripheral Nervous System
The part of the peripheral nervous system that specializes in the control of voluntary movements and the communication of information to and from the sense organs
Somatic Division
The part of the peripheral nervous system that controls involuntary movement of the heart, glands, lungs, and other organs
Autonomic Division
The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to prepare the body for action in stressful situations, engaging all the organism’s resources to respond to a threat
Sympathetic Division
The part of the autonomic division of the nervous system that acts to calm the body after an emergency or a stressful situation has ended
Parasympathetic Division
The study of the effects of heredity on behavior
Behavioral Genetics
A chemical communication network that sends messages throughout the body via the bloodstream
Endocrine System
Chemicals that circulate through the blood and regulate the functioning or growth of the body
Hormones
The major component of the endocrine system; or “master gland,” which secretes hormones that control growth and other parts of the endocrine system
Pituitary Gland
The “old brain” which controls basic functions such as eating and sleeping and is common to all vertebrates
Central Core
The part of the brain that controls bodily balance
Cerebellum
The part of the brain extending from the medulla through the pons and made up of groups of nerve cells that can immediately activate other parts of the brain to produce general bodily arousal
Reticular Formation
The part of the brain located in the middle of the central core that acts primarily to relay info about the senses
Thalamus
A tiny part of the brain, located below the thalamus, that maintains homeostasis and produces and regulates vital behavior, such as eating, drinking, and sexual behavior
Hypothalamus
The part of the brain that includes the amygdala and hippocampus and controls eating, aggression, and reproduction
Limbic System
The “new brain” responsible for the most sophisticated information processing in the brain; contains four lobes
Cerebral Cortex
Opposite of Insomnia, sleeping too much
Hypersomnia
The four major sections of the cerebral cortex, frontal, panetal, temporal, and occipital
Lobes
The part of the cortex that is largely responsible for the body’s voluntary movement
Motor Area
The site in the brain of the tissue that corresponds to each of the senses, with the degree of sensitivity related to the amount of the tissue allocated to that sense
Sensory Area
One of the major regions of the cerebral cortex, the site of the higher mental processes; such as thought, language, memory, and speech
Association Areas
Changes in the brain that occur throughout the life span relating to the addition of new neurons, new interconnections between neurons, and the reorganization of information processing areas
Neuroplasticity
Symmetrical left and right halves of the brain that control the side of the body opposite to their location
Hemisphere
The dominance of one hemisphere of the brain in specific functions, such as language
Lateralization
A procedure in which a person learns to control through conscious thought internal physiological processes such as blood pressure, heart and respiration rate, skin temperature, sweating, and the constriction of particular muscles
Biofeedback
The activation of the sense organs by a source of physical energy
Sensation
The sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and integration of stimuli by the sense organs and brain
Perception
Physical energy that produces a response in a sense organ
Stimulus
The study of the relationship between the physical aspects of stimuli and our psychological experience with them
Psychophysics
The smallest intensity of a stimulus that must be present for the stimulus to be detected
Absolute Threshold
The smallest level of added or reduced stimulation required to sense that a change in stimulation
Difference Threshold (just noticeable difference)
A basic law of psychophysics stating that a just noticeable difference is in constant proportion to the intensity of an initial stimulus
Weber’s Law
An adjustment in sensory capacity after prolonged exposure to unchanging stimuli
Adaptation
The part of the eye that converts the electromagnetic energy of light to electrical impulses for transmission to the brain
Retina
Thin, cylindrical receptor cells in the retina that are highly sensitive to light
Rods
Cone-shaped, light-sensitive receptor cells in the retina that are responsible for sharp focus and color perception, particularly in bright light
Cones
A bundle of ganglion axons that carry visual info to the brain
Optic Nerve
The activation of neurons in the cortex by visual stimuli of specific shapes or patterns
Feature Detection
The theory that there are three kinds of cones in the retina each of which responds primarily to a specific range of wavelengths
Trichromatic theory of color vision
The theory that receptor cells for color are linked in pairs, working in opposition to each other
Opponent-Process Theory of Color Vision
The movement of air molecules brought about by a source of vibration
Sound
The part of the ear that vibrates when sound hits it
Eardrum
Three tubelike structures of the inner ear containing fluid that sloshes through them when the head moves, signaling rotational or angular movements to the brain
Semicircular Canals
The senses of touch, pressure temperature, and pain
Skin Senses
The theory that particular nerve receptors lead to specific areas of the brain related to pain
Gate-Control Theory of Pain
The principles of organization of perception
Gestalt Laws of Organization
Perception that is guided by higher-level knowledge, experience, expectation, and motivations
Top-Down Processing
Perception that consists of the progression of recognizing and processing information from individual components of a stimuli and moving to the perception of the whole
Bottom-Up Processing
The ability to view the world in three dimensions and to perceive distance
Depth Perception
Physical stimuli that consistently produce errors in perception
Visual Illusions
The awareness of sensations, thoughts, and feelings being experienced at a given moment
Consciousness
The state of transition between wakefulness and sleep, characterized by relatively rapid, low-amplitude waves
Stage 1 Sleep
A sleep stage characterized by a slower, regular wave pattern, along with momentary interruptions of sleep spindles
Stage 2 Sleep
A sleep characterized by slow brain waves, greater peaks and valleys in wave patterns
Stage 3 Sleep
The deepest stage of sleep, during which we are least responsive to outside stimulation
Stage 4 Sleep
Sleep occupying 20 percent of an adult’s sleeping time, characterized by increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate; erections in males, eye movements, and the experience of dreaming
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep
Sigmund Freud’s theory that dreams represent unconscious wishes that dreamers desire to see fulfilled
Unconscious Wish Fulfillment Theory
According to Sigmund Freud , the “disguised” meaning of dreams, hidden by more obvious subjects
Latent Content of Dreams
According to Sigmund Freud, the apparent story line of dreams
Manifest Content of Dreams
The theory suggesting that dreams permit information that is critical for our daily survival to be reconsidered and reprocessed during sleep
Dreams-for-Survival Theory
J. Allen Hobson’s theory that the brain produces random electrical energy during REM sleep that stimulates memories stored in the brain
Activation-Synthesis Theory
A trancelike state of heightened susceptibility to the suggestions of others
Hypnosis
A learned technique for refocusing attention that brings about an altered state of consciousness
Meditation
Drugs that influence a person’s emotions, perceptions, and behavior
Psychoactive Drugs
Drugs that produce a biological or psychological dependence in the user so that withdrawal from them leads to a craving for the drug that, in some cases, may be nearly irresistable
Addictive Drugs
Drugs that have an arousal effect of the central nervous system, causing a rise in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension
Stimulants
Drugs that slow down the nervous system
Depressants
A drug that is capable of producing hallucinations, or changes in the perceptual process
Hallucinogen
Drugs that increase relaxation and relieve pain and anxiety
Narcotics
