Psych Final

somatic nervous system

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

brain stem

Connects the brain and spinal cord

frontal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying just behind the forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgments

parietal lobes

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

temporal lobes

portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

Broca's area

region of the brain concerned with the production of speech, located in the cortex of the dominant frontal lobe

Wernicke's area

contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech

cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance

Hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage

limbic system

neural system (including the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives.

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating, drinking, body temperature; helps govern the endocrine system

amygdala

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

corpus callosum

a broad band of nerve fibers joining the two hemispheres of the brain.

endocrine system

Consists of glands that control many of the body's activities by producing hormones.

hormones

Chemicals produced by your glands that regulate the activities of different body cells

pituitary gland

endocrine gland at the base of the brain

plasticity

the brain's capacity for modification, reorganization following damage

pons

A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain

thalamus

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem

medulla

controls heartbeat and breathing

longitudinal study

research that follows and retests the same people over time

cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another

nature-nurture

the debate of weather you are shaped by your environment or genes

Psychology

Science of mind and behavior

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of modern Psych, german, made distinct science

William James

First Psych educator

Hypothesis

an idea that is proposed for the sake of argument to test it

Sample

Representative of a larger population

Population

A distinct group of individuals

independent variable

Any variable manipulated by a researcher, the one that causes a change

dependent variable

The variable that changes as a result of something else

experimental group

group that receives treatment in an experiment

control group

group that does not receive treatment in an experiment

Placebo

A substance or treatment with no real healing properties that cause a patient to feel better anyway

Double- blind procedure

Neither the researchers or the participants know who has the placebo

Experimental research

Research conducted with a scientific approach using two sets of variables

Naturalistic observation method (field study)

Research conducted by observing behavior in an environment

Correlational research

investigates relationships between variables without the researcher controlling or manipulation

Spinal cord

carries signals between the brain and body

Neuron

excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses

Dendrite

receive communications from other cells

Axon

carries nerve impulses away from the cell body

Myelin sheath

sleeves of fatty tissue that protect your nerve cells

Neurotransmitters

chemical messengers in the nervous system

Endorphins

chemicals produced naturally by the nervous system to cope with pain or stress

Central nervous system (CNS)

part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord

Occipital lobes

located at the back of the head and is responsible for visual perception

peripheral nervous system

all the nerves that lie outside of the central nervous system

autonomic nervous system

control of the bodily functions not consciously directed

parasympathetic system

activities that occur when the body is at rest

sympathetic system

prepares your body for physical and mental activity

cohort effects

Effects due to a person's time of birth, era, or generation but not to actual age.

dizygotic twins

often called fraternal twins, occurring when two eggs each get fertilized by two different sperm

monozygotic twins

identical twins formed when one zygote splits into two separate masses of cells, each of which develops into a separate embryo

teratogens

Agents that damage the process of development, such as drugs and viruses

fetal alcohol syndrome

A group of birth defects caused by the effects of alcohol on an unborn child

cognitive development

the development of thinking, problem solving, and memory

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

sensory-motor stage

first stage of Piaget's cognitive development; birth to 2 years; main activities involve sucking and grasping; must achieve object permanence and mental representations

preoperational thinking

In Piaget's theory, the type of cognition characteristics of children aged 2 to 7, marked by an inability to step back from one's immediate perceptions and think conceptually.

concrete-operation thinking

characterized by logical reasoning about real situations without being influenced by changes in appearances, at the age of seven or eight

formal-operational thinking

involves the ability to think logically about abstract thinking and to use scientific reasoning to solve problems

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accommodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

object permanence

the knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight

egocentrism

the inability to see the world through anyone else's eyes

conservation

Protecting and preserving natural resources and the environment

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period

Lorenz

"Survival of the Fittest Theory" and imprinting

Ainsworth

theorist that studied types of attachment by use of the strange situation test

Harlow

Monkey studies; attachment; contact comfort

attachment

the positive emotional bond that develops between a child and a particular individual

secure attachment

Infants use the mother as a home base from which to explore when all is well, but seek physical comfort and consolation from her if frightened or threatened

avoidant attachment

characterized by child's unresponsiveness to parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if parent leaves

resistant attachment

characterized by the child's tendency to show clingy behavior and rejection of the parent when she attempts to interact with the child

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

authoritative parenting

parents set limits and enforce rules but are flexible and listen to their children

temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

socioemotional development

The child's emerging capacity to function as a social and emotional being

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

Erikson's eight stages of social development

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust.Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt.Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt.Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority.Stage 5: Identity vs. Confusion.Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation.Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation.Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair.

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement sleep, a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active.

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

hypnosis

state of consciousness in which the person is especially susceptible to suggestion

narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

somnambulism

sleepwalking

latent dream content

the underlying meaning of a dream

manifest dream content

what you remember from your dream

physical dependence

A type of addiction in which the body itself feels a direct need for a drug

psychological dependence

a psychological need to use a drug, such as to relieve negative emotions

depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

classical conditioning

a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Pavlov

Classical conditioning: dogs

conditioned stimulus

a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place

unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous conditioning

conditioned response

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

unconditioned response

a reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus