Study Guide Exam 3: Emotional Behaviors, Learning, Memory, and Psychological Disorders

These flashcards cover key concepts from emotional behaviors, learning, memory, and psychological disorders based on the study guide for Exam 3.

Components of Emotions

Physiological arousal, behavioral expression, and subjective experience.

Branches of the Autonomic Nervous System

Sympathetic and parasympathetic.

Reactions of the Sympathetic Nervous System

Increased heart rate, blood pressure; prepares body for 'fight or flight'.

Reactions of the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Decreased heart rate; promotes 'rest and digest' functions.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

Proposes that physiological arousal precedes emotional experience.

Evidence Against James-Lange Theory

Some emotions occur without preceding physiological changes.

Pure Autonomic Failure Findings

Suggests emotional experience may depend partially on autonomic feedback.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Suggests facial expressions influence emotional experiences.

Critical Brain Structures for Emotion

Amygdala, prefrontal cortex, insula.

Specific Emotions and Brain Areas

No single brain area corresponds to specific emotions.

Behavioral Activation System (BAS)

Involved in approach behaviors and rewards.

Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)

Involved in avoidance behaviors and fear responses.

Prefrontal Cortex Damage Symptoms

Impulsivity, poor decision making, emotional flatness.

Testosterone and Aggression

Linked to increased aggression in both humans and animals.

Serotonin Turnover

Refers to the rate of serotonin synthesis and release.

Learned Fears and the Amygdala

Amygdala is critical for processing fear and learned fears.

Difficulty Recognizing Fearful Faces

Suggests the amygdala's role in identifying emotional expressions.

Tranquilizers Mechanism

Benzodiazepines enhance GABA's calming effects.

General Adaptation Syndrome

A three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.

Leukocytes Functions

White blood cells that fight infection and communicate with the brain.

Pavlov's Conditioned Stimulus

The neutral stimulus that elicits a response after conditioning.

Pavlov's Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.

Reinforcer

A stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior.

Engram Definition

The physical trace of a memory in the brain.

Equipotentiality Principle

Any part of the brain can substitute for another in learning.

Mass Action Principle

The extent of learning is proportional to the amount of brain tissue available.

Lateral Interpositus Nucleus Role

Critical for the acquisition of conditioned responses.

Short-term vs Long-term Memory

Short-term memory holds information briefly; long-term memory stores information more permanently.

Working Memory Characteristics

Temporary storage for information being actively processed.

Characteristics of Working Memory

Limited capacity and duration, involves manipulation of information.

Hippocampal Damage Effects

Preservation of implicit memories; impairments in explicit memories.

Declarative vs Implicit Memory

Declarative memory is conscious; implicit memory is unconscious.

Hippocampus Role

Important for forming new declarative and spatial memories.

Role of Basal Ganglia

Involved in motor sequence learning and habits.

Hebbian Synapse

A synapse that strengthens as a result of repeated activity.

Habituation Mechanism

Decreased response to repeated stimuli.

Long-term Potentiation Induction

Increases synaptic strength following high-frequency stimulation.

Specificity Property of LTP

Only activated synapses undergo potentiation.

Cooperativity Property of LTP

Simultaneous stimulation of multiple inputs enhances LTP.

Associativity Property of LTP

Pairing weak and strong stimuli can potentiate the weak one.

AMPA and NMDA Receptors Role

AMPA receptors mediate initial responses; NMDA receptors facilitate long-term potentiation.

Contralateral Control

Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body.

Lateralization Definition

Division of labor between left and right brain hemispheres.

Broca’s Area Location

In the frontal lobe, involved in speech production.

Wernicke’s Area Location

In the temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Mood swings between manic and depressive episodes.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment

Light therapy is one of the most effective treatments.