ch 2 key terms perspectives

action potentials

short periods of electrical activity at the membrane of a neuron, responsible for the transmission of signals within the neuron

affect

conscious, subjective aspect of an emotion that accompanies an action at a given time

agonist

chemical substance that effectively increases the activity of a neurotransmitter by imitating its effects

antagonist

in neuroscience, a chemical substance that decreases or blocks the effects of a neurotransmitter

brain circuits

the neurotransmitter currents or neural pathways in the brain

brain-gut connection

the influence of the gut bacteria on physical and mental health

circumplex model of emotions

a model describing different emotions as points in a two-dimensional space of valence and arousal

cognitive science

field of study that examines how humans and other animals acquire, process, store, and retrieve information

diathesis-stress model

a hypothesis that both an inherited tendency (vulnerability) and specific stressful conditions are required to produce a disorder

dopamine

neurotransmitter that activates other neurotransmitters and aids in exploratory/pleasure-seeking behavior, excess amounts related to schizophrenia and deficit related to parkinson's

emotion

pattern of action elicited by an external event and a feeling slate, accompanied by a characteristic physiological response

epigenetics

the study of factors other than inherited DNA sequences, such as new learning or stress, that alter the phenotypic expression of genes

equifinality

developmental psychopathology principle that a behavior or disorder may have several causes

excitatory

causing excitation, activating

fight or flight response

biological reaction to alarming stressor that masters the body's resources to resist or flee a threat

GABA

neurotransmitter that reduces activity across the synapse and thus inhibits a range of behaviors and emotions, especially generalized anxiety

gene-environment correlational model

a hypothesis that people with a genetic predisposition for a disorder may also have a genetic tendency to create environmental risk factors that promote the disorder

genes

long DNA molecules, base physical units of heredity that appear as locations on chromosomes

glutamate

amino acid neurotransmitter that excites many different neurons, leading to action

hormone

chemical messenger produced by the endocrine glands

implicit memory

condition of memory in which a person cannot recall past events despite acting in response to them

inhibitory

causing inhibition, suppressing

inverse agonist

chemical substance thatvproduces effects opposite those of a particular neurotransmitter

learned helplessness

seligman's theory that people become anxious and depressed when they make an attribution that they have no control over the stress in their lives

microbiota

entirety of the microorganisms that populate the intestines, combined genome called microbiology, influence over psyche is called psychobiome

modeling

learning through observation and imitation of the behavior of other individuals and consequences of that behavior

mood

enduring period of emotionality

multidimensional integrative approach

approach to the study of psychopathology that holds psychological disorders as always being the products of multiple interacting causal factors

neuron

individual nerve cell, responsible for transmitting information

neuroscience

study of nervous system and its role in behavior, thoughts, and emotion

neurotransmitters

chemicals that cross the synaptic cleft between nerve cells to transmit impulses from one neuron to the next

norepinephrine

neurotransmitter active in the central and peripheral nervous systems, controlling heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, among other functions, contributes to panic attacks

prepared learning

an ability that has been adaptive for evolution, allowing certain associations to be learned more readily than others

reuptake

action by which a neurotransmitter is quickly drawn back into the discharging neuron after being released into a synaptic cleft

serotonin

neurotransmitter involved in processing of information, coordination of movement, inhibition, and restraint, regulation of behaviors, involved in many psychological disorders

synaptic cleft

space between nerve cells where chemical transmitters act to move impulses from one neuron to the next

terminal button

the end of an axon where neurotransmitters are stored before release

vulnerability

a susceptibility or tendency to develop a disorder