Psych 102 module 2

Difference between fear and anxiety?

Fear = present threat, disappears when threat is gone. Anxiety = future/anticipated threat, uncertainty.

Define obsession in OCD.

Intrusive, distressing thoughts/images/impulses (e.g., germs, harm, aggression, symmetry) that cannot be controlled.

Define compulsion in OCD.

Ritualistic behaviors done to reduce anxiety or prevent harm (e.g., washing, checking, counting).

What is insight in OCD vs psychosis?

OCD: awareness that thoughts are irrational. Psychosis: lack of insight, beliefs seen as true.

Biological perspective explanation of OCD?

Overactive amygdala, low serotonin; treated with antidepressants.

Behavioral perspective explanation of OCD?

Rituals reinforced because they appear to prevent harm; stressors trigger symptoms.

Cognitive perspective explanation of OCD?

Dysfunctional thoughts maintain compulsions (“everyone is a threat to Jake”).

Psychoanalytic perspective explanation of OCD?

Unconscious conflict, often related to sex/aggression drives; rituals as purification.

What is the diathesis-stress model?

Genetic predisposition (diathesis) + environmental stress → disorder manifests.

Treatment for OCD?

Exposure + Response Prevention (ERP): expose to obsession, block compulsion, show nothing bad happens.

Average adult brain weight?

3.5 lbs (birth: 0.75 lbs).

What is the cerebral cortex like if flattened?

Size of a pillowcase.

At what age is the brain 90% adult size?

5 years old.

At what age does the brain reach full maturity?

25 years old (prefrontal cortex last to develop).

When does the brain begin to shrink?

Around 30–40 years old, faster decline after 60.

Which brain areas shrink fastest with age?

Prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus.

Who has larger brains, males or females?

Males (due to body size), but females have more inter-hemispheric communication and larger hippocampus relative to brain size.

Which brain region is last to develop and first to deteriorate?

Prefrontal cortex.

What do dendrites do?

Collect information from other neurons and pass it to the cell body.

What is the soma?

Cell body containing nucleus, genetic info, and energy production.

What are terminal buttons?

Release neurotransmitters when action potential arrives.

What is the axon’s role?

Carries electrical signal (action potential) from soma to terminal buttons.

What does the myelin sheath do?

Speeds up action potential transmission along the axon.

What is an action potential?

Electrical impulse that triggers neurotransmitter release.