General Psychology Midterm 1 Rutgers NB Keiko Brynildsen

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1
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What does "everything psychological is also biological" mean?

Like running without legs

You cannot think and do something without your body. Loving, laughing, crying requires biological events.

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What forms the biopsychosocial approach?

Biological, psychological+social-cultural influences

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What is plasticity in regards to the brain?

the brain's ability to change and adapt

  • reorganize after damage
  • new connection based on connection
4
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When is plasticity most present in our lives?

childhood

5
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Give examples of neuroplasticity

London taxi drivers having larger hippocamupus' because of the large number of streets to remember.

Well-practiced pianists with larger than usual auditory cortex area(sound-processing region of the brain)

Ballerinas+jugglers--> improved performance

6
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What is a function of the hippocampus?

Processes spatial memories

Enables formation of new conscious memories
Think of patient HM

7
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How does learning a new skill affect the structure of our brain?

It makes more and more neural pathways/connections. If we keep focusing on that skill, that part of the brain will become more refined/more connections.

8
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What are neurons, and what significance do they have in our brain?

A nerve cell; building block of the nervous system

internal communication system

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What parts make up a neuron and what are their individual functions?

Cell body: where the dna is, and the cell's life support center is

Dendrites: like tree branches, receive messages from other cells

(Away) axon: sends messages away from the cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands

Myelin Sheath: a fatty layer covering the axon(like sausage links) that allows for faster and smoother neural impulses.

Terminal branches: on the axon, "connects" neurons with others.

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What do neurons carry?

Electrical signals/nerve impulses/action potentials

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What supports neurons and how so?

Glial(glue) cells

  • provide nutrients to the cell body
  • provide myelin to the axon
  • guide neural connections
  • clean up after neurons send a message
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What is a synapse

The junction between an axon tip and another neuron's dendrite or cell body

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What is between a synapse?

Synaptic gap/synaptic cleft

14
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Excitatory in regards to gas pedals

pushing a gas pedal

15
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Inhibitatory in regards to gas pedals

pushing the brake pedal

16
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How is an action potential generated and what happens afterwards?

When excitatory signals cause a certain level of stimulation, there is a neural impulse or action potential.

Refractory period

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What kind of response is a neuron's response?

All-or-none response

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What can cause bigger response?

A bigger event or something like that causes more neurons to fire, or to fire more often.

19
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What does action potential trigger

the release of neutransmitters

lock and key concept

20
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What happens after the release of neurotransmitters?

Some released will absorbed through receptor sites, others drift away, and some are broken down by enzymes/reuptake

21
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Definition of reuptake?

A neurotransmitter being reabsorbed by the original/sending neuron

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What are some medications that affect reuptake of neurotransmitters?

depression medication with serotonin
-reuptake inhibitors blocked--> longer time to reabsorb

23
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Acetylcholine (ACh)

Enables muscle contraction, learning+memory

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Examples of deficiency and too much of ACh

Too much: muscle cramps--> spasms
-Black widow venom contain it--> paralysis
Too little: alzeihmers--> neurons making AcH deteriorate

also used to treat migraines

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Dopamine

Voluntary movement, reward, learning, memory

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Examples of deficiency+too much dopamine

oversupply: schizophrenia
undersupply: Parkinsons

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Parkinson's relationship with deficiency of dopamine

dopamine makes you lose control of voluntary movement

  • tremors, mobility
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Dopamine from drugs affect on the body

Body starts to make less of its own supply--> stop getting drugs--> feels terrible(pain)

29
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What does botox derive from?

AcH--> it basically paralyzes the muscles in the face, making it have a smoother and tighter appearance

  • ppl who grind their teeth can also get this--> sometimes muscles learn to not move
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Serotonin

Sleep, appetite, mood, hunger, arousal

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Serotonin imbalance(undersupply)

Undersupply: depression

32
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Norepinephrine+Epinephrineand examples

Involved in stress

physiological arousal

  • Stress during a test--> heart rate goes up, warm feeling, fidgety, etc
  • can be excitatory and inhibitory
    undersupply: depress mood
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What does GABA stand for

Gamma-aminobutyric acid

34
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What does GABA do

inhibitory-calms

ex: alcohol acts like GABA

35
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Undersupply+oversupply of GABA affects

Undersupply: seizures, tremors, insomnia

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Glutamate

Excitatory only--learning, memory enhancement
-causes action potential--> more connections between neurons made

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Glutamate Imbalance causes

overstimulate brain, migraines, seizures)

  • MSG(monosodium glutamate) is something ppl avoid
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Endorphins

reduces pain and promotes pleasure
-Endogenous morphine(made from body)

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Imbalance in endorphins

-suppress body's natural endorphin supply if from drugs
-high(runner's high ex)

40
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What is an opiate

Opium+its derivatives(morphine/heroin) lowers neural activities, temp pain reduce and anxiety

41
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What is CNS

Central Nervous System, body's decision maker

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PNS

Peripheral Nervous System

gathers info from other body parts+transmits decisions from CNS to body

43
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Draw the functional divisions of the human nervous system

Nervous system

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What are nerves

Electrical cables formed by bundles of axons

45
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What do nerves do

link CNS with body's sensory receptors, muscles, and glands

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What does a sensory neuron do

carry messages from tissues+sensory receptors to the spinal cord+brain for processing

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What do motor neurons do?

Carry instructions from CNS to muscles+glands

48
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What do interneurons do and where are they located?

communicate w/ each other+process sensory input--> motor output

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How many parts does the PNS have and what are they called?

2: somatic+autonomic

50
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What does the somatic nervous system do?

monitors sensory input+triggers motor output

51
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What is another reason name for the somatic nervous system and why?

Skeletal nervous system bc it has control over skeletal muscles

52
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What is an example of the somatic nervous system being used?

Friend taps you on shoulder, system reports info to brain--> carries back instructions that trigger you to turn ur head

53
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Autonomic Nervous System(ANS)

Automatic, involuntary

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What does the ANS do

controls gland+muscles of internal organs

mainly performs on its own(subconscious)

55
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How many subdivisions are in the ANS and what are they called

2: sympathetic+parasympathetic nervous systems

56
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Sympathetic Response

Arouse--> more alert, energetic, etc

57
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What happens to body statistics while "aroused" by SNS?

Increase heartbeat, blood pressure, blood sugar

slow digestion, perspiration

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Parasympathetic Reponse

Rest and Digest

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What are physical statistics changed while the parasympathetic nervous system is active?

lowers heartbeat, blood sugar, etc

60
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Provide examples of the sympathetic system in affect on each body part listed below:
Eyes:__ Heart:__
Stomach+Pancreas:___ Liver:___
Adrenal Gland+Kidney:___ Bladder:__
Reproductive organs:

Eyes: pupil dilation
Heart: accelerated beat
Stomach+Pancreas: inhibits digestion
Liver: stimulates glucose release by liver
Adrenal gland+kidney: stimulates secretion of epinpehrine and norepinephrine
Bladder: relaxes
Reproductive organs: stimulates ejaculation in males

61
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Provide examples of the parasympathetic system's effect on each body part listed below:
Eyes:___ Heart: ___
Stomach+Pancreas: ___ Liver:__
Adrenal gland+kidney:___ Bladder:___
Reproductive Organs__

eyes: contracts
Heart: beat slows
Stomach+pancreas: stimulates digestion
Liver: stimulates galbladder
Bladder: contracts bladder
Reproductive organs: allows blood flow to sex organs

62
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How is the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems connected to the brain

spinal cord

63
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What are two parts of the central nervous system

neural networks and spinal cord

64
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What are neural networks

individual neurons clustering into work groups in the brain

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What is another way to think about neural networks

people clustering in cities rather than spreading evenly across nation

66
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What strengthens neural networks

experience

neurons firing together wire together

67
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What can a spinal cord be compared to

two-way highway

  • connects peripheral nervous systems to brain
68
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What is a reflex?

A simple, automatic response to sensory stimulus

does not require the presence of the brain to do.

69
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What is a simple spinal reflex pathway composed of?

single sensory neuron and motor neuron

70
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How to produce physical pain or pleasure?

must reach the brain

71
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What is the body's second communication system?

Endocrine System

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What is the endocrine system? What does it do?

"slow" chemical communication system

set of glands secrete hormones into bloodstream

73
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Hypothalamus influence

brain region controlling the pituitary gland

74
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Pituitary gland influence

secretes hormones, some of which affect other glands

75
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What is one hormone that is mentioned in the book and what does it do?

Oxytocin: enables contraction during birthing, milk flow+orgasm

  • also releases growth hormone stimulating physical development
76
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An example of the pituitary gland being a master gland--> directing other endocrine glands to release hormones

influences sex glands to release sex hormones

77
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Glands in the brain

hypothalamus and pituitary

78
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Thyroid gland influence

Metabolism

79
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Parathyroids Influence

helps regulate level of calcium in the blood

80
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What glands are in the neck area

throid+parathyroids

81
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Adrenal Glands influence

Mood, energy level, stress response

-inner part helps trigger fight-or-flight response

norepinephrine + epinephrine

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Pancreas influence

regulates blood sugar

83
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Testis Influence

secretes male sex hormones
ie: testosterone, etc

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Ovary influence

secretes male sex hormones

85
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Relationship between hormones and neurotransmitters?

Both are chemically identical to each other
-produce molecules that influence receptors

86
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How do hormones and neurotransmitters differ?

nervous system-faster
ie: messages from eyes to brain to hand--> fraction of a second

Endocrine: takes several seconds/more from gland to tissue thru blood
-lasts longer

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What is an easier way to describe the difference between the nervous system and the endocrine system.

Endocrine=sending a letter
Nervous system: text message

88
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Feedback system between glands and body and brain?

Brain--> pituitary--> other glands--> hormones--> body and brain

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How was a map made of the brain before technology?

Past brain injuries allowed physicians to connect problems with the area of the brain that was affected

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What does EEG?

Electroencephalograph

a device that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to record waves of electrical activity across brain's surface

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MEG

Magnetoencephalography

brain-imaging technique measuring magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity during specific activities

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PET scan

Positron Emission Tomography Scan

radiactive form of glucose observed(really colorful)

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Why is radioactive glucose used in PET scans

Brain uses 20% of the body's energy, and the radioactive glucose can be seen allowing physicians to see exactly where it goes in the brain through gamma rays.

Concept of Hotspots

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MRI

Magnetic resonance images

capture images thru brief disruption of brain molecules

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How does an MRI work?

Put the head in a strong magnetic field aligning with atoms in the brain molecules spinning. A pulse of radio waves disrupt the spinning. Returning of the spinning produces signals--> detailed picture.

96
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fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

tracks blood flow in the brain because blood=activity

Successive images--> brain activates depending on what a person is doing or thinking

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sample findings of EEG's

Symptoms of depression+anxiety shows increased activity in right frontal lobe
(withdrawal+negative emotion)

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sample findings of MEG's

Soldiers with PTSD compared to those without it--> stronger image in visual cortex when viewing trauma related images

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sample findings of PET scans

Monkeys with anxious temperament--> more glucose in regions related to fear, memory, and expectations of reward+punishment.

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sample findings of MRI scans

People with a history of violence--> smaller frontal lobes(moral judgement+self-control)