Personal Development SA#2 Review - Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering brain anatomy, stress, emotions, and coping strategies from the notes.

Central Nervous System

The main part of the nervous system composed of the brain and spinal cord.

Autonomic Nervous System

Facilitates involuntary bodily functions that do not require conscious control.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Activates or arouses bodily systems in times of emergency.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Relaxes the body by returning it to a restful state.

Neuron

Nerve cell that transmits electrical impulses; consists of dendrites, soma, and axon.

Dendrite

The receiver of information from other neurons.

Soma

The neuron's cell body.

Axon

Transmitter of electrical impulses from one neuron to another.

Hindbrain

Brain region that connects the spinal cord and the brain, including medulla, pons, and cerebellum.

Medulla

Regulates automatic functions (breathing, heart rate) and reflexes (coughing, swallowing, etc.).

Pons

Helps regulate automatic functions and generates facial expressions.

Cerebellum

Regulates motor movement, balance, and mood control.

Limbic System

Forebrain structures that share important functions in emotions, memories, and motivation.

Thalamus

Sensory relay station; receives information from ears, eyes, skin, and taste; linked to memory/emotion via smell.

Hypothalamus

Regulates major drives (hunger, thirst, temperature, sexual behavior) and controls the pituitary gland.

Amygdala

Small, almond-shaped structure involved in emotion and memory; determines emotional significance of stimuli.

Hippocampus

Vital for learning and memory; processes information into long-term memories and helps decide what to remember.

Forebrain

Largest brain region responsible for many bodily systems and survival; includes limbic system and lobes.

Frontal Lobe

Executive functions: attention, planning, abstract thinking, impulse control, creativity, social awareness, brief memory storage.

Parietal Lobe

Sensation and perception of touch.

Occipital Lobe

Houses the primary visual cortex; processes information from sight.

Temporal Lobe

Houses the auditory cortex; processes information from hearing.

Stress

Physiological and psychological response to a situation posing threat, challenge, adaptation, or adjustment.

Stressor

An event that pushes us beyond our perceived ability to cope.

Eustress

Positive or good stress that can be motivating and beneficial.

Distress

Negative or bad stress; can be abrupt, extreme, or long-term.

Mood

Affective state that operates in the background and can last for days; example: a good mood increases productivity.

Basic Emotion

A set of emotions common to all humans (e.g., happiness, sadness, etc.).

Self-Conscious Emotions

Emotions requiring a sense of self and reflection (e.g., guilt, pride).

Emotion Process Step 1

The body encounters a situation or event.

Emotion Process Step 2

We assess the value or relevance of the situation using the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.

Emotion Process Step 3

If the situation is relevant, our emotional response begins.

Emotion Process Step 4

We experience our emotional response: physiological changes, behavioral-expressive changes, and subjective changes.

Emotion Process Step 5

We perform emotional regulation by managing our emotions.

Emotional Regulation

The ability to recognize emotions in oneself and others and to regulate emotions accordingly.

Emotional Intelligence

Ability to recognize emotions in oneself and others, understand them empathetically, and regulate emotions.