Final Exam (Psyc 110)

Allocentric

A world-centered representation of spatial information that is not dependent on the individual's perspective.

Cognitive Maps

Mental representations that help individuals navigate their environment and identify shortcuts or detours.

Place Cells

Neurons in the hippocampus that become active when an animal enters a specific location, regardless of its orientation.

Grid Cells

Neurons in the entorhinal cortex that help animals understand their position in space and are arranged in a triangular grid-like pattern.

Spatial Learning

The ability to acquire, store, and utilize information about the spatial relationships within an environment.

Habit Learning

The automatic acquisition of a behavior through repeated exposure to a stimulus-response association.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories after a trauma or event.

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to recall old memories prior to an event, while still being able to form new memories.

Hippocampus

A brain structure crucial for learning, memory, and spatial navigation.

Morris Water Maze

A behavioral task used to study spatial learning in rodents where they must locate a submerged platform.

Declarative Memory

The ability to consciously recall facts and events.

Non-declarative Memory

A type of memory that is unconscious and does not require conscious effort to retrieve.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring stimulus.

Episodic Memory

Memory specific to an individual about personal experiences.

Semantic Memory

The ability to recall general knowledge, facts, or concepts.

Place Fields

Specific areas in the environment where place cells in the hippocampus activate.

Memory Consolidation

The process through which newly formed memories become stable and long-lasting.

Hebbian Learning

A theory that proposes an increase in the synaptic strength arises from the repeated and persistent stimulation of one neuron by another.

Fear Conditioning

A behavioral paradigm in which animals learn to associate a neutral stimulus with an aversive event.

Hemispatial Neglect

A condition characterized by inattention to one side of space, typically resulting from right hemisphere lesions.

Thalamus

A sensory relay station that is also involved in sleep, wakefulness, and memory.

Frontal Eye Fields (FEF)

Brain regions involved in planning and executing eye movements and controlling attention.

Arousal

A state of being alert and responsive, often indicated by increased neural activity.

Slow-Wave Sleep

A deep stage of non-REM sleep characterized by low-frequency, high-amplitude brain waves.

REM Sleep

A distinct sleep stage characterized by rapid eye movements, increased brain activity, and vivid dreams.

Muscle Atonia

Transient paralysis of skeletal muscles that occurs during REM sleep.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical messengers in the brain that facilitate communication between neurons.