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Biological Psychology

The branch of psychology that studies how the brain, nervous system, neurotransmitters, hormones, and genetics influence behavior, thoughts, and emotions

Neurons

The basic building blocks of the nervous system that send electrical and chemical signals to communicate across the body and brain

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers such as serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and acetylcholine that transmit signals between neurons and affect mood, movement, memory, and arousal

Central Nervous System

The brain and spinal cord which control processing, decision making, and incoming sensory information

Peripheral Nervous System

The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that connect the CNS to the body and regulate voluntary and involuntary actions

Autonomic Nervous System

The branch of the PNS controlling automatic functions like heart rate, breathing, digestion, and stress responses

Sympathetic Nervous System

The fight or flight stress response system that increases heart rate, releases adrenaline, and prepares the body for danger

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The rest and digest system that slows the heart rate, stimulates digestion, and restores calm

Sensation

The detection of raw sensory information through receptors such as taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell

Perception

The brain’s interpretation and organization of sensory input into meaningful experiences based on expectations, memories, and context

Consciousness

A state of awareness that includes thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions including sleep, dreaming, daydreams, and altered states

Sleep Stages

The cycle including NREM stages 1 to 3 and REM sleep where stage 3 supports deep rest and REM supports memory and emotional processing

Motivation

The internal and external forces that energize and direct behavior including biological drives, social motives, and learned goals

Maslow’s Hierarchy

A human motivation model where basic needs like food and safety must be met before higher needs such as love, esteem, and self-actualization

Emotion

The complex psychological experience involving physiological arousal, expressive behavior, and subjective feelings processed by the amygdala and limbic system

Classical Conditioning

Learning through association where a neutral stimulus becomes linked to an automatic response such as Pavlov’s dogs salivating at a bell

Operant Conditioning

Learning through rewards and punishments where reinforcement strengthens behavior and punishment decreases behavior

Positive Reinforcement

Adding something desirable to increase a behavior such as praise or rewards

Negative Reinforcement

Removing something unpleasant to increase a behavior such as turning off an alarm by waking up

Memory

The processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval of information including sensory, short term, and long term memory

Working Memory

The system responsible for holding and manipulating information temporarily while performing tasks like problem solving

Long Term Memory

Relatively permanent memory storage including episodic, semantic, and procedural memory

Mental Disorder

A condition that affects thinking, mood, or behavior and causes significant distress or impairment in daily functioning

Autism Spectrum Disorder

A developmental condition involving communication difficulties, social interaction challenges, and restricted or repetitive behaviors with varying severity

ADHD

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity that interferes with functioning in school, work, or relationships

Schizophrenia

A severe disorder involving hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, flat affect, and difficulty distinguishing reality from imagination

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder with alternating episodes of depression and mania which may include high energy, risky behavior, or decreased need for sleep

Major Depressive Disorder

A disorder involving persistent sadness, hopelessness, low motivation, sleep changes, appetite changes, and loss of interest in activities

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Chronic excessive worry about daily situations accompanied by restlessness, irritability, sleep problems, and difficulty concentrating

Panic Disorder

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks involving shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, and intense fear

OCD

A disorder involving intrusive unwanted thoughts called obsessions and repetitive behaviors called compulsions performed to reduce anxiety

PTSD

A trauma-related condition involving flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of reminders, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness after a traumatic event

Personality Disorders

Enduring maladaptive patterns of behavior and inner experience such as borderline, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders

Dissociative Disorders

Disorders involving disruptions in memory, identity, or perception including dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia

Eating Disorders

Conditions involving harmful eating patterns such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating which affect physical and psychological health

Substance Use Disorder

A chronic relapsing condition involving impaired control over substance use, cravings, risky use, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms

Addiction

A brain disease where repeated substance use alters reward pathways leading to compulsive seeking and inability to stop despite harm

Withdrawal

Physical or psychological symptoms that occur when stopping or reducing a substance after dependence has formed

Tolerance

The body’s reduced response to a substance requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect

Recovery

The process of improving health and wellness, living a self-directed life, and achieving full potential often supported by therapy, medication, and peer services

Protective Factors

Factors that reduce the likelihood of mental illness or substance misuse such as strong family support, coping skills, and community resources

Risk Factors

Factors that increase the likelihood of behavioral health issues including trauma, stress, peer pressure, genetic predisposition, and lack of support

Stress Response

The body’s reaction to stress involving cortisol release, increased heart rate, and activation of the sympathetic nervous system

Burnout

Chronic workplace or academic stress leading to exhaustion, cynicism, reduced motivation, and decreased performance

Mindfulness

A mental practice involving intentional awareness of the present moment which reduces stress and improves emotional regulation

Behavioral Health Careers

Professions such as psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, social workers, case managers, psychiatric nurses, and peer support specialists

HIPAA

A federal law protecting patient privacy and health information requiring confidentiality in all health care settings

Mental Health Parity Law

A law requiring insurance companies to cover mental health and substance use treatment at the same level as medical care

SAMHSA

The federal agency responsible for improving behavioral health, preventing substance abuse, supporting recovery, and providing national data resources

NAMI

A national nonprofit that provides education, advocacy, and support for individuals and families affected by mental illness

Health Systems Integration

The coordination of physical health, behavioral health, and community services to provide whole person care and improve outcomes

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to change, reorganize, and form new neural connections in response to learning, experience, or injury

Limbic System

A group of brain structures including the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus responsible for emotion, motivation, memory, and survival instincts

Amygdala

The brain structure involved in fear, aggression, emotional memories, and triggering the fight or flight response

Hippocampus

The brain structure crucial for forming new long-term memories and spatial navigation

Prefrontal Cortex

The area responsible for decision making, reasoning, impulse control, and planning which is underdeveloped in adolescents

Endocrine System

The hormone system in the body regulating growth, mood, stress, metabolism, and development through glands like the adrenal and pituitary

Cortisol

A stress hormone released by the adrenal glands during stress which increases energy but can harm health if chronically elevated

Sensation vs Perception

Sensation is receiving raw sensory data while perception is interpreting that data using experience, expectations, and context

Absolute Threshold

The minimum amount of stimulation needed for a sensory receptor to detect something 50 percent of the time

Difference Threshold

The minimum difference between two stimuli required to notice a change, often called the just noticeable difference

Selective Attention

The ability to focus on one stimulus while ignoring others which limits awareness of competing information

Circadian Rhythm

The body’s natural 24-hour internal clock regulating sleep, hunger, hormones, and alertness

REM Sleep

The sleep stage associated with dreaming, memory processing, and emotional regulation characterized by rapid eye movement

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by internal satisfaction, enjoyment, curiosity, or personal growth

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards such as grades, money, praise, or avoiding punishment

Drive Reduction Theory

A motivation theory stating that biological needs create tension or drives that organisms act to reduce, such as eating to reduce hunger

James Lange Theory

The idea that emotions result from the body’s physical reactions such as feeling afraid because your heart races

Schachter Singer Two Factor Theory

The idea that emotion is produced by physiological arousal plus cognitive interpretation of the situation

Observational Learning

Learning by watching others and imitating their actions modeled by Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment

Shaping

A method in operant conditioning where behavior is gradually trained by reinforcing small steps toward a desired behavior

Reinforcement Schedule

A pattern that determines how often behavior is reinforced including fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval schedules

Short Term Memory

A limited capacity system that holds information briefly, about 20 to 30 seconds unless rehearsed

Encoding

The process of transforming information into a form the brain can store effectively such as using rehearsal or chunking

Retrieval

The process of accessing stored information from memory which can be affected by cues, context, or interference

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A widely used therapy focusing on changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to improve mood and functioning

Psychodynamic Therapy

A therapy approach emphasizing unconscious conflicts, childhood experiences, and insight about inner thoughts and feelings

Humanistic Therapy

A therapy focused on self growth, free will, and personal potential often using unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness

Exposure Therapy

A treatment for anxiety and phobias that slowly exposes a person to feared stimuli to reduce avoidance and fear responses

Motivational Interviewing

A collaborative counseling technique that strengthens internal motivation for change, especially useful for substance use disorders

Mood Stabilizers

Medications such as lithium and certain anticonvulsants used to treat bipolar disorder and reduce mood swings

Antidepressants

Medications such as SSRIs used to treat depression, anxiety, and some chronic pain conditions by altering neurotransmitter levels

Antipsychotics

Medications used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe mood disorders by reducing hallucinations, delusions, and agitation

Co Occurring Disorders

When a person has both a mental illness and a substance use disorder at the same time, requiring integrated treatment

Stages of Change Model

A model of behavior change including precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance used in recovery care

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Integrated treatment addressing both mental health and substance use conditions at the same time for better outcomes

Early Intervention

Programs that identify mental illness or substance misuse early to prevent worsening and improve long-term outcomes

Withdrawal Management

A medically supervised process that helps individuals safely stop using substances and manage withdrawal symptoms

Relapse Prevention

Strategies to maintain recovery including coping skills, avoiding triggers, building support systems, and ongoing therapy

Trauma Informed Care

An approach recognizing the impact of trauma, prioritizing safety, trust, empowerment, and avoiding retraumatization

Stress

Appraised demands or pressures that exceed a person’s coping ability leading to emotional, physical, and behavioral responses

Acute Stress

Short-term stress in response to immediate danger, challenge, or change which usually resolves quickly

Chronic Stress

Long-term stress that persists and increases the risk of health problems, depression, anxiety, and weakened immunity

Resilience

The ability to recover, adapt, and grow stronger after stress, adversity, or trauma supported by coping skills, support, and mindset

Healthy Coping Skills

Positive strategies such as exercise, social support, journaling, sleep, boundaries, and relaxation techniques that reduce stress

Unhealthy Coping Skills

Harmful behaviors such as avoidance, overeating, substance use, self-isolation, or aggression which worsen stress over time

Mind Body Connection

The interaction between mental and physical health showing how stress, emotions, and thoughts influence bodily functioning

Behavioral Health Law

Policies that protect patient rights, ensure access to care, regulate treatment, confidentiality, and insurance coverage

Confidentiality

The ethical and legal responsibility to protect patient information and only share it with proper consent or legal requirement

Mandatory Reporting

The legal duty for health professionals to report suspected abuse, neglect, or danger to self or others