AP Psych: Unit 1

fu mr thomas

nature-nuture issue

Controversy over the relative contributions of genes and experience that affect the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today psychologists agree that genes and environment both play parts of a person’s traits

Natural Selection

The principle that inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely pass onto other generations

Charles Darwin

‘Origin of Species’ Studied animals and how their specific traits are passed down. Claimed that natural selection shapes behaviors and bodies.

Evolutionary Psychology

Study of how evolution affected the brain and mind

Behavior Genetics

How much genes and environment affect behavior

Mutation

Errors in gene replication

Environment

Any non-genetic influence

Heredity

Passing down of traits

Genes

Biochemical units of heredity

Genome

instruction of an entire organism

Identical twins

Same fertilized egg, genetically identical

Fraternal twins

Two fertilized eggs, not identical-sibling like

Interaction

When the effect of one factor (environment) depends on another factor (heredity)

Epigenetics

Mechanisms in which environment can block or trigger gene expression

Nervous System

The body’s electrochemical communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells in the CNS and PNS

Central Nervous System

Brain and spinal cord, body’s decision maker

Peripheral Nervous System

Sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

Nerves

Bundled axons that connect the CNS to muscles, glands and sensory organs

Sensory Neurons

Carries messages from body tissues and sensory receptors to the CNS

Motor Neurons

Carry messages outward from CNS to the muscles and glands

Interneurons

Help sensory and motor neurons communicate and process information, in the CNS

Somatic Nervous System

Controls body’s skeletal muscles

Autonomic Nervous System

controls glands and internal organs, self-regulating

Sympathetic Nervous System

arouses and spends energy, fight or flight

Parasympathetic Nervous System

calms the body, conserves energy

Reflexes

a simple autonomic response to a sensory stimulus, like a knee-jerk response

Neurons

Nerve cell, basic building block of nervous system

Cell body (soma)

Contains nucleus part of neuron

Dendrites

Recieves and integrates messages, conducting impulses to cell body

Axon

Passes messages through branches to other neurons or muscle and glands

Myelin Sheath

Fatty tissue layer, encasing axons helps transporting neural impulses to next node. Deterioration of this can lead to multiple sclerosis, where people experience less control and slower reactions

Glial cells

cells that support and nourish neurons, play a role in memory and thinking

Action potential

Brief electrical charge that travels down to axon, neural impulse.

Threshold

Level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Refractory Period

Neural processing, brief resting pause after a neuron has fired

All or none response

Neuron’s reaction of either firing or not

Synapse

Junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or soma of the receiving neuron

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers that cross the synaptic cleft

Reuptake

A neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by a sending neuron

Agonist

Molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

Antagonist

Molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

Endocrine system

Glands and organs that make hormones release

Hormones

Chemical substances that act like messenger molecules

Psychoactive Drug

Chemicals that alter the brain, affecting mood and emotions

Substance use disorder

Disorder characterized by continued substance use despite disruption of life.

Depressants

Reduce neural activity and slows body functions, E.g: Alcohol, heroin

Tolerance

When the brain adapts to offset drug affects

Addiction

Caused by increased dosages of psychoactive drugs, to the point when users have to use to it to feel well.

Withdrawal

Difficulty to get off a drug and the symptoms that a person has when they abruptly stop drugs

Barbiturates

Tranquilizer, depress central nervous system activity

Opiods

Depress neural activity and lessens pain and anxiety.

Stimulants

Excites neural activity and speeds up body functions. E.g Caffeine, cocaine

Hallocinogens

Distort perceptions and evoke sensory images. E.g: LSD, marijuana

Near-death experience

Altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning and memory. E.g: This neurotransmitters deteriorate with Alzheimer’s disease, when the transmission is blocked it results in myasthenia gravis, where the muscles cannot contract

Dopamine

Neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention and emotion. E.g: oversupply leads to schizophrenia and undersupply leads to Parkinson’s.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep and arousal. E.g: undersupply leads to depression

Norepinephrine

Neurotransmitter that controls alertness and arousal. E.g: undersupply leads to depression

GABA

Major INHIBITORY neurotransmitter

Glutamate

Major EXCITATORY neurotransmitter

Endorphins

Neurotransmitter that influence perception of pain or pleasure

Substance P

Neurotransmitter involved in pain perception and immune response.

Biological Psychologists

Scientific study of link between biological and psychological processes

Biopsychological Approach

Incorporates biological, psychological and socio-cultural levels of analysis

Levels of analysis

Different views for analyzing a phenomenon

Neuroplascity

The brain’s ability to change by reorganizing after damage or creating new pathways from new experiences.

Lesion

Tissue destruction, used by scientists to study how brain damage affects behavior.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity in the brain.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields of the brain.

(Computated Technology) CT Scan

X-ray photographs that combine to create an image of the brain

Positron Emission Topography (PET)

Detects brain activity where glucose goes in the brain during activity

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce images of soft tissues

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

Reveals blood flow and brain activity to reveal how the brain functions during activities, MRI images are compared

Hindbrain

Consists of medulla, pons, and cerebellum; directs essential survival functions like breathing, sleeping, and wakefulness, as well as coordination and balance.

Midbrain

Atop the brainstem; connects the hindbrain with the forebrain, controls some motor movements and transmits auditory and visual information.

Forebrain

Consists of cerebral cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus; manages complex cognitive functions and voluntary motor activites.

Brainstem

Central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull. It is responsible for automatic survival functions. For example, if the cat’s brainstem is cut off then they won’t purposefully run or climb for food.

Medulla

Hindbrain structure, base of the brainstem. Controls heartbeat and breathing

Pons

Above medulla, helps coordinate movement, control sleep, and feel relaxed.

Thalamus

Part of the forebrain, sensory control center, on top of the brainstem; directs messages to sensory recieving areas in cortex and transmits replies to cerebellum and medulla.

Reticular formation

Nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; plays an important role in controlling arousal and alertness.

Cerebellum

Hindbrains “little brain” at the rear, processes sensory inputs, coordinating movement output and balance and enables nonverbal learning and memory.

Limbic System

Neural system mostly the forebrain; assosciated with emotions and drive

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system, linked to emotions like aggression and fear

Hypothalamus

Below thalamus, directs maintenance activities that promote homeostasis (eating, drinking, temperature), controls endocrine system

Hippocampus

Helps process explicit memories for storage

Cerebral Cortex

Interconnected neural cells covering forebrain, ultimate control system and information processing center

Frontal Lobes

Behind the forehead, enables linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher-order thinking and executive functioning.

Parietal Lobes

On top of the head in the rear, receives sensory input

Occipital Lobes

Back of the head, receives visual information

Temporal Lobes

Roughly above the ears, includes auditory information enables linguistic processing.

Motor Cortex

Controls voluntary movements, behind frontal lobes

Somatosensory Cortex

In front of parietal lobes registers body touch and movement sensations

Association Areas

Enables higher order thinking

Neurogenesis

Creation of new neurons

Corpus Callosum

Long band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres

Split brain

surgery that isolates both brain hemispheres by cutting corpus callosum.

Left hemisphere- Language and speech, controls right side of body

Right hemisphere- Interpreting visual information and spatial processing, controls left side of body

Conciousness

Subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

Cognitive Neuroscience

Study of brain activity linked with cognition

Dual Processing

Principle that information is often processed simultaneously on separate conscious and unconscious tracks. Example: Driving a car while talking