Psychology AOS 2 Week 5 Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and definitions from the Psychology AOS 2 Week 5 lecture notes.

Pseudoscience

A discipline that lacks empirical evidence.

Phrenology

A pseudoscience that studies skull shapes.

Ablation

The process of damaging or removing sections of the brain and observing behavioral changes.

Hindbrain

The part of the brain located at the base near the spinal cord; regulates vital functions like sleep, breathing, and heart rate.

Midbrain

Located between the hindbrain and forebrain; responsible for relaying messages and filtering sensory information.

Forebrain

The uppermost section of the brain, responsible for complex processes like decision-making and maintaining homeostasis.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking processes, memory, language, and emotion regulation.

Frontal Lobe

The largest lobe of the brain, involved in higher-order cognitive functions and containing Broca's area for speech production.

Broca's Area

The area in the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production.

Parietal Lobe

Located behind the frontal lobe; involved in processing tactile information and spatial awareness.

Somatosensory Cortex

The part of the brain that processes tactile information from the skin.

Occipital Lobe

The lobe responsible for visual processing, located at the back of the brain.

Temporal Lobe

The lobe involved in auditory processing, located beneath the frontal and parietal lobes.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Damage to the brain that occurs after birth leading to functional impairments.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Brain damage caused by external forces, such as falls or accidents.

Non-Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain injury resulting from internal factors, like strokes or tumors.

Neurodegenerative Disease

A disease characterized by the progressive loss of function of neurons, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Parkinson's Disease

A neurodegenerative disorder marked by tremors and motor function decline due to dopamine neuron loss.

Alzheimer's Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative condition primarily affecting memory.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

A progressive brain disease caused by repeated head injuries, marked by tau protein accumulation.

Gut-Brain Axis

The bi-directional communication system between the gut and the brain.

Wernicke's Area

The area in the left temporal lobe responsible for language comprehension.