Understanding Human behavior exam 2

Central nervous system/CNS

the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system/PN

all nerve cells in the body not within the CNS

in what order does the information travel through the nerve cell?

dendrites, soma, axon

synapse

the junction between two neurons, where the transmission of signals occurs, and the site at which chemical communication occurs between neurons.

Myelin Sheath

a fatty material, made up of glial cells, that insulates some axons to allow for faster movement of electrical impulses along the axon

stage one of sleep

Theta Waves

stage two of sleep

theta waves, sleep spindles, and large waves called K complexes

stage three/four of sleep

Delta waves

if woken in stage three/four of sleep

you will be quite disoriented.

in stage 3/4 what wakes up most/all humans

the sound of a child

REM Sleep (final stage)

Beta waves

insomnia

a disorder characterized by an inability to sleep that causes significant problems in daily living.

Dendrites

branchlike extensions of the neuron that detect information from other neurons

Axon

a long, narrow outgrowth of a neuron by which information is conducted from the cell body to the terminal buttons

What does the PN include

The peripheral nervous system includes the somatic and autonomic nervous systems

what are the three basic phases of neurons?

reception, integration, and transmission

Transmission

Signals are passed on to other receiving neurons.

Integration

Incoming signals are assessed.

Reception

Chemical signals are received from neighboring neurons

Sensory neurons

These neurons detect information from the physical world and pass that information to the brain

Motor neurons

These neurons direct muscles to contract or relax, thereby producing movement

Somatosensory nerves

provide information from the skin and muscles

Action potential

the electrical signal that passes along the axon and subsequently causes the release of chemicals from the terminal buttons

excitatory neurotransmitters

increase the likelihood that the neuron will fire an action potential. They do this by increasing the trans-membrane ion flow of the post-synaptic neuron, leading to depolarization.

Inhibitory neurotransmitters

decrease the likelihood that the neuron will fire an action potential. They achieve this by decreasing the trans-membrane ion flow of the post-synaptic neuron, leading to hyperpolarization.

Spinal cord

coordination of reflexes; carries sensory information to the brain and motor signals away from the brain

Brain stem

an extension of the spinal cord that houses vital non automatic functions such as heart rate, breathing, swallowing, vomiting, urination, and orgasm

the brain stem contains

the medulla oblongata, pons, midbrain, and reticular formation

Cerebral cortex

the outer layer of brain tissue, which forms the convoluted surface of the brain; the site of all thoughts, perceptions, and complex behaviors

The Midbrain

part of the brain stem

Subliminal perception

the processing of information by sensory systems without conscious awareness

Circadian rhythms

biological patterns that occur at regular intervals as a function of time of day

Obstructive sleep apnea

a disorder in which a person, while asleep, stops breathing because his or her throat closes; the condition results in frequent awakenings during the night.

Narcolepsy

a sleep disorder in which people experience excessive sleepiness during normal waking hours, sometimes going limp and collapsing

Somnambulism

sleepwalking - most common in young children

Research suggests sleep is adaptive for three functions

restoration, following of circadian rhythms, facilitation of learning

Restorative theory

sleep allows the body to rest and repair itself

tabula rasa

Blank slate

how does sleep help learning

Sleep strengthens neural connections needed for learning to occur

REM Sleep Disorder

A sleep disorder characterized by physically acting out vivid, often unpleasant dreams with vocal sounds and sudden, often violent arm and leg movements during REM sleep.

what can sleep deprivation cause

problems in mood, cognitive function, immune system, and at worst, death.

Learning

a relatively enduring change in behavior, resulting from experience

Observational learning

acquiring or changing a behavior after exposure to another individual performing that behavior

Associative learning

linking two stimuli, or events, that occur together

Nonassociative learning

responding after repeated exposure to a single stimulus, or event

Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning

a neutral object comes to elicit a response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response

Unconditioned response (UR)

a response that does not have to be learned, such as a reflex

Conditioned response (CR)

a response to a conditioned stimulus; a response that has been learned

Stimuli

a thing or event that evokes a specific functional reaction in an organ or tissue

Skinner believed

behavior occurs because it has been reinforced

Operant conditioning (Instrumental conditioning)

a learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future

Positive reinforcement

the administration of a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated

Negative reinforcement

the removal of a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated

Positive punishment

the administration of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior recurring

Negative punishment:

the removal of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior recurring

"Sleep allows the body to rest and repair itself" is part of which theory?

Restorative theory

Learning is a relatively enduring change in behavior, resulting from __________

Experience

What is the name of the biological patterns that occur at regular intervals as a function of time of day?

Circadian rhythms

Dishabituation is

an increase in a response because of a change in something familiar

What do advertisers make use of to make potential customers want to buy their product, (even if it has little to no effect on complex actions)?

Subliminal perception

a neutral object comes to elicit a response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response

Classical conditioning

Neurons are the basic ______________

Units of the nervous system

What does the case study of "Little Albert" show?

That classical conditioning plays a role in the development of phobias

Which study suggested that exposing children to violence may encourage them to act aggressively?

Bandura's bobo doll study

What type of reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior?

Positive or negative reinforcement

What is the first part of the neuron that receives information?

The dendrite

How do people learn according to Albert Bandura?

Through modeling