Biological Psychology and Developmental Psychology Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key concepts from biological psychology and developmental psychology based on the lecture notes.

What are the main components of a neuron?

Dendrites, soma, axon, myelin sheath, synapse, receptors, axon terminal, neurotransmitter.

What is the 'all-or-none principle' in neuroscience?

A neuron will either fire completely or not at all when the threshold is met.

What role do glial cells play in the nervous system?

They support, nourish, and protect neurons.

What neurotransmitter is primarily associated with reward and pleasure?

Dopamine.

What is the resting potential of a typical neuron?

Approximately -70 mV.

What happens during depolarization?

The neuron's membrane potential becomes more positive, moving from -70 mV to +35 mV.

What is Broca's area responsible for?

Language production.

What is Wernicke's area responsible for?

Language comprehension.

What are the stages of Piaget's cognitive development theory?

Sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational.

What is the purpose of the cerebral cortex?

It is involved in higher-order brain functions, such as thought and action.

What is 'brain plasticity'?

The brain's ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.

Define 'aphasia'.

A language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate.

What is the significance of the limbic system in psychology?

It is involved in emotions, memory, and arousal.

What is 'contralateralization'?

The organization of the brain where one side controls the opposite side of the body.

What is an example of a cognitive disorder?

Dementia.

What is the Flynn effect?

The observed rise in average IQ scores over time.

What is the purpose of inferential statistics in research?

To make generalizations from a sample to a larger population.

What does 'correlation does not imply causation' mean?

Just because two variables are correlated does not mean that one causes the other.

What is the 'critical period theory' in language acquisition?

The theory that there is a specific time window during which language acquisition occurs most easily.

What are the three types of research methods commonly used in developmental psychology?

Cross-sectional research, longitudinal research, and cohort-sequential studies.

What is meant by 'emergent properties' in developmental psychology?

Complex outcomes that arise from simpler interactions and developments.

What are the two perspectives involved in the nature vs. nurture debate?

Nature refers to genetic predispositions while nurture involves environmental influences.