Ap psychology unit 1

1. Natural Selection

The process where traits that help survival and reproduction become more common over time.

2. Evolutionary Psychology

The study of how evolution influences human behavior and thinking.

3. Behavior Genetics

The study of how genes and environment influence behavior.

4. Mutation

A random change in a gene or DNA.

5. Heredity

The passing of traits from parents to children through genes.

6. Genes

Units of DNA that contain instructions for traits.

7. Genome

All of the genetic information in an organism.

8. Identical Twins (Monozygotic)

Twins who develop from one fertilized egg and have nearly identical genes.

9. Fraternal Twins (Dizygotic)

Twins who develop from two different fertilized eggs and share about 50% of their genes, like regular siblings.

10. Epigenetics

The study of how environment and experiences can affect how genes are expressed without changing the DNA itself.

11. Nervous System

The body's communication system that sends and receives information.

12. Central Nervous System (CNS)

The brain and spinal cord.

13. Nerves

Bundles of neurons that carry messages between the brain, spinal cord, and body.

14. Sensory Neuron (Afferent)

A neuron that carries information from the senses TO the brain and spinal cord.

15. Motor Neuron (Efferent)

A neuron that carries commands FROM the brain and spinal cord to muscles and glands.

16. Interneuron

A neuron in the brain and spinal cord that connects sensory and motor neurons.

17. Somatic Nervous System

The part of the nervous system that controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles.

18. Autonomic Nervous System

The part of the nervous system that automatically controls organs and glands.

19. Sympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body during stress; fight or flight.

20. Parasympathetic Nervous System

The part of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body and conserves energy; rest and digest.

21. Reflex

A quick, automatic response to a stimulus.

22. Psychoactive Drug

A chemical substance that changes mood, thoughts, perception, or behavior.

23. Substance Use Disorder

Continued use of a substance even when it causes serious problems in a person's life.

24. Tolerance

Needing more of a drug to get the same effect.

25. Depressants

Drugs that slow down nervous system activity.

26. Addiction

A strong need or urge to continue using a substance or doing a behavior despite harmful consequences.

27. Withdrawal

Uncomfortable physical or psychological symptoms that occur when someone stops using an addictive substance.

28. Barbiturates

Depressant drugs that slow brain activity and can cause relaxation and sleepiness.

29. Opioids

Drugs that reduce pain and can produce feelings of pleasure or relaxation.

30. Stimulants

Drugs that increase nervous system activity, alertness, energy, and heart rate.

31. Hallucinogens

Drugs that distort perception and can cause people to see or hear things that are not there.

32. Near-Death Experience

An unusual experience reported by some people who come close to death, such as feeling outside their body or seeing a bright light.

33. Subliminal

A stimulus that is below the level of conscious awareness.

34. Insomnia

Repeated difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

35. Bottom-Up Processing

Processing that starts with sensory information and builds toward understanding.

36. Top-Down Processing

Processing that uses expectations, experiences, and knowledge to understand sensory information.

37. Transduction

The process of changing sensory information into electrical signals the brain can understand.

38. Blindsight

The ability to respond to visual information without consciously seeing it.

39. REM Rebound

An increase in REM sleep after a person has been deprived of REM sleep.

40. Psychophysics

The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and how we experience them psychologically.

41. Sequential Processing

Processing information one step at a time.

42. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

A sleep disorder where a person physically acts out dreams during REM sleep.

43. Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder involving sudden and uncontrollable episodes of sleep.

44. Parallel Processing

The brain's ability to process multiple parts of information at the same time.

45. Dream

A sequence of thoughts, images, and emotions experienced during sleep.

46. Sleep Apnea

A sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

47. Sleep

A natural and reversible state of reduced consciousness and activity.

48. REM Sleep

A stage of sleep with rapid eye movements, high brain activity, and vivid dreams.

49. Delta Waves

Slow brain waves that occur during deep NREM sleep.

50. Circadian Rhythm

The body's internal 24-hour clock that regulates sleep and other daily biological processes.

51. NREM Sleep

Non-rapid-eye-movement sleep that includes the stages from light to deep sleep.

52. Hallucinations

Sensory experiences that seem real but happen without an actual external stimulus.

53. Hypnagogic Sensations

Strange sensations that can occur while falling asleep, such as feeling like you are falling or floating.