Ap Psych Unit 1 Part 1 Vocab (Modules 1.1-1.4c)

Nature-nurture issue

the longstanding controversy overt the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today’s science views traits and behaviors as arising from the interaction of nature and nurture. 

Genetic predisposition

Evolutionary psychology

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection. 

Eugenics 

Twin Studies

Central nervous system (CNS)

the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body. 

Somatic nervous system

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body’s skeleton muscles. Also called the skeletal nervous system

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart). Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms 

Sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

Parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving energy

Glial Cell

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; they may also play a role in learning, thinking, and memory

Neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

Cell body (soma)

the part of a neuron that contains the nucleus, the cells life-support center

Dendrite

a neurons often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

Axon

the segmented neuron extension that passes messages through its branches to other neurons ot to muscle or glands 

Myelin sheath 

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; it enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

Actional Potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

Threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

Refractory period

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns ti its resting state

All-or-none response 

a neuron’s reaction of either firing (with a full- strength response) or not firing 

Synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the recieving neuron. The tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic cleft

Reflex (arc)

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus, such as the knee-jerk response

Sensory neurons 

neurons that carry incoming information from the body’s tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

Motor neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

Interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

Neural transmission (pg. 29)

Multiple sclerosis (pg. 29)

Myasthenia gravis (see u1p1 notes)

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons. When released by the sending neuron, neurotransmitters travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse. 

Reuptake 

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

Agonist

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitters action

Antagonist

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitters action

Endorphins

“morphine within”—-natural, opioid-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control and to pleasure

Hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues 

Endocrine system

the body’s “slow” chemical communication system; a set of glands and fat tissue that secrete hormones into the bloodstream 

Aphasia (pg. 368)

Contralateral organization (pg. 65)

Neuroplasticity (or plasticity)

the brain’s ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience 

EEG (electroencephalogram,) 

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain’s surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

fMRI

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans. fMRI scans show brain function as well as structure

Lesion

tissue destructiom. Brain lesions may occur naturally (from disease or trauma), during surgery, or experimentally (using electrodes to destroy brain cells) 

Reuptake (pg. 32)

Psychoactive drug 

a chemical substance that alters the brain, causing changes in perceptions and moods 

Stimulants 

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

Depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

Hallucinogens

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus 

Opioids

opium and its derivatives; they depress neural activity, temporarily lessening pain and anxiety 

Tolerance 

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug’s effect 

Substance use disorder

a disorder characterized by continued substance use despite significant life disruption

Addiction/dependence

an everyday term for compulsive substance use (and sometimes dysfunctional behavior patterns, such as out-of-control gambling) that continue despite harmful consequences 

Withdrawal (symptoms)

the discomfort and distress that follow discounting an addictive drug or behavior

Biological psychology

the scientific study of the links between biological (genetic, neural, hormonal) and psychological processes. (Some biological psychologists call themselves behavior genetics, physiological psychologists, or biopsychologists.) 

Brainstem

the central core of the brain, beginning where the spinal cord swells as it enters the skull; the brainstem is responsible for automatic survival functions 

Medulla 

the hindbrain structure that is the brainstem’s base; controls heartbeat and breathing

Reticular formation (reticular activating system)

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus; it filters information and plays an important role in controlling arousal 

Reward center (pg. 68)

Cerebellum

the hindbrain’s “little brain” at the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance, and enabling nonverbal learning and memory 

Cerebral cortex

Hemispheres (pg. 80)

Limbic system

neural system located mostly in the forebrain—below the cerebral hemispheres—that includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus, and pituitary gland; associated with emotions and drives 

Thalamus

the forebrain’s sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla 

Hypothalamus

a limbic system neural structure lying below (hypo) the thalamis; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endorcine system, amd is linked to emotion and reward

Pituitary gland (pg. 36)

Amygdala

two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

Hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories — of facts and events — for storage. 

Corpus callosum (pg. 69)

Occipital lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; it includes areas that receive information from the visual fields 

Frontal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead. They enable linguistic processing, muscle movements, higher order thinking, and executive functioning (such as making plans and judgements) 

Prefrontal cortex (pg. 76)

Motor cortex (pg. 72)

Temporal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; it inlcudes the auditory areas, each of which receives information primarily from the opposite ear. They also enable language processing. 

Parietal lobes

the lobes of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head and toward the rear; it receives sensory input for touch and body position 

Somatosensory cortex

a cerebral cortex area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations 

Association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not inloved in primary motor or sensory functions; rather they are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

Split brain

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain’s two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them 

Specialization of R/L hemispheres (pg. 84)

Bros’s area (pg. 368)

Wernicke’s area (pg. 368)