psych test 3

central nervous system

consists of the brain (contains the majority of neurons + spinal cord that transmits information)

spinal cord

large column of spinal nerves that transmit information between brain and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)

neuron

single cell in the nervous system

nerves

large bundle of many neuron fibers (axons)

cranial nerves

connect peripheral nervous system to brain w/o going through spinal column

somatic nervous system

links spinal cord with body and sense organs; controls sensory and voluntary motor pathways

automatic nervous system

neurons that carry information to and from internal organs and glands

sympathetic nervous system

dilates pupils, inhibits tears, salivation, activates sweat, increases heart rate, respiration, digestion, release of adrenaline, sugar from liver, relaxes bladder, inhibits elimination, genitals, ejaculation in males

parasympathetic nervous system

constricts pupils, stimulates tears, salivation, inhibits heart rate, constricts respiration, constricts blood vessels, stimulates digestion, contracts bladder, stimulates elimination, stimulates genitals

4 basic parts of neurons

dendrites, cell body (soma), axon, axon terminals

dendrites

neuron fibers that receive messages

cell body (soma)

receives information from dendrites

axon

fiber that carries information from cell body of a neuron

axon terminals

located at ends of axons to form synapses with the dendrites and cell bodies of other neurons

myelin sheath

insulating material that coats some axons to help neurons move rapidly down the axon

neuropeptides

regulate activity of other neurons

enkephalins

neural regulators that relieve pain and stress

endorphins

released by pituitary gland to reduce pain

neuroplasticity

capacity of nervous system to change in response to experience

neurogenesis

production of new brain cells

acetychloine

participates in movement, autonomic function, learning and memory

dopamine

participates in motivation, reward, planning of behavior

GaBa

major inhibitory effect in the CNS, moods

glutamate

excitatory effects in the CNS, participates in learning and memory

norepirephrine

participates in mood, arousal, and vigilance

computed tomography scan

computer enhanced xray image

magnetic resonance imaging

3-dimensional pictures are produced

electroencephalography

measures waves of electrical activity near surface of brain

positron emission tomography

uses radioactivity to capture brain activity

lateralization

specializes in abilities of the left and right hemisphere

left hemisphere

about 95% use for language, math, judging time and rhythm, order of small complex movements

right hemisphere

big picture, perceptual skills

left brain

language, speech, writing, calculation, time sense, rhythm

right brain

nonverbal, perceptual skills, visualization, recognition of patterns, faces, and melodies, recognition and expression of emotions, spatial skills, simple language comprehension

frontal lobe

movement, sense of self, higher mental abilities (reasoning and planning)

prefrontal cortex

responsible for executive function, higher level mental processes that allow regulation and coordination of thought processes

association areas

combine and process information

broca’s area

grammar and pronunciation

primary motor area

directs body’s muscles, controls movement

minor neurons

active when we perform an action and when observing others doing the same action

parietal lobe

registers body sensation; flows into primary somatasensory area

temporal lobe

auditory information sent directly to primary auditory area

wernick’s area

functions as a language site

occipital lobes

primary visual cortex

hindbrain

most primitive part of the brain

medulla

connects brain with spinal cord and controls vital life functions

pons

bridge between medulla and other areas of the brain

reticular formation

collection of cells and fibers in the medulla and pons

cerebellum

near base of the brain; regulates posture, muscle tone, and muscular coordination

midbrain

connects the hindbrain with the forebrain

brain stem

midbrain and the hindbrain; all communication between cerebral cortex and the rest of the body passes through the brainstem

forebrain

includes several brain structures that regulate higher-order mental processes

thalamus

relay for sensory information except smell

hypothalamus

regulates emotional behaviors and biological needs; where behaviors are organized and decided on before leaving the brain

limbic system

controls emotions and memory; is made up of the hypothalamus, parts of the thalamus, the amygdala, hippocampus, and other subcortical structures

amygdala

associated with emotional processing, strongly related to fear and memory of fearful experiences

hippocampus

important for storing memories and navigating the space around us

endocrine system

made up of glands that secrete hormones into bloodstream/lymphatic system

pituitary gland

master gland; influences other endocrine glands; regulates metabolism, stress responses, and reproduction; regulates growth hormones

pineal gland

releases melatonin in response to variations in light

thyroid gland

regulates metabolism

adrenal medulla

source of epinephrine and norepinephrine

epinephrine

associates with fear and arouses the body

norepinephrine

functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain, linked with anger

anabolic steroids

supplied in small amounts by adrenal glands

self regulation

the ability to resist temptation

executive functions

allow us to set goals, make plans, control attention and emotions, monitor progress

hot emotional system

associated with the limbic system and pushes you into temptation

cool cognitive system

allows you to consider the potential long-term consequences of your actions

selective attention

focus on things that are removed from the temptation

cognitive reappraisal

reframe situations in ways that are likely to help you stay in control

memory

series of active systems that receive, store, organize, alter, and recover information

sensory memory 1

stores sensory information for a second or two

short term working memory

processes information through the process of maintenance rehearsal

long term memory

requires encoding and storage, so that it can later be retrieved

sensory memory 2

fleeting storage system for sensory impressions; large capacity but short duration

iconic memory

a mental image/visual representation

echoic memory

a brief continuation of sensory activity in the auditory system after a sound is heard

information bits

memory is limited to seven plus or minus two

chunking

the process of grouping similar or meaningful information together

maintenance rehearsal

repeating the same sounds over and over keeps them in working memory

rote rehearsal

learning by simple repetition

elaborate rehearsal

makes information more meaningful, and better way to form lasting memories

network model

explains the structure of long term memories

retrieval cue

triggers retrieval of memories

reintegration

complete memory can be retrieved from partial cues or reminders

implicit

lies outside of awareness; requires motor or performance skills

priming

long-term memory is organized according to meaning

explicit memory

stores information form personal life (names, faces, words, dates, ideas)

semantic memory

factual knowledge about the world; some knowledge is almost immune to forgetting

episodic memory

autobiographical, personal experience, life events; unless important, easily forgotten

consolidation

once formed, information is fairly lasting

tip of the tongue

inability to locate or retrieve a complete memory

methods to measure memory

recall, recognition, relearning

decay theory

memory traces, which are changes in neurons or brain activity, passively decay or weaken over time

thorndike’s law of disuse

over time, memories in the ltm that were not often retrieved would eventually decay and be forgotten

false memory

memories that seem accurate in spite of the fact they never happened

false memory syndrome

being subjected to the planting of a false memory

source confusion

the origins of a memory are remembered incorrectly

elaborative rehearsal

the more you rehearse information, the better you remember it