Customary Orientations, Brain Structures & Neurotransmitters

What are the three main planes of brain orientation?

Horizontal plane, sagittal plane, and coronal plane.

What does the term 'medial' refer to in brain orientation?

Medial refers to being more in the middle.

What does 'lateral' mean in the context of brain orientation?

Lateral refers to being to the outside.

What is the difference between ipsilateral and contralateral?

Contralateral refers to sensory information detected by organs that crosses to the opposite side of the brain, while ipsilateral stays on the same side.

What does 'proximal' mean in relation to brain structures?

Proximal refers to structures that are close to each other.

What does 'distal' mean in relation to brain structures?

Distal refers to structures that are far from each other.

What is the role of the brain stem?

The brain stem comes up from the spinal cord and is responsible for involuntary functions like digestion and heart rate.

What functions does the medulla oblongata regulate?

Breathing, sleep cycle, and digestion.

What is the function of the reticular formation?

It is important for sleep and arousal.

What are the primary functions of the frontal lobe?

Higher executive functions such as personality, creativity, intelligence, and working memory.

What is the main responsibility of the temporal lobe?

Accessing, retrieving, and creating new memories.

What does the parietal lobe contribute to?

Spatial relations and spatial memory.

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Responsible for vision and visual memory.

What role does the cerebellum play in brain function?

It is important for fine motor function and motor memory.

What is the function of the basal ganglia?

It is important for rewards, conditioning, and memory.

What is the thalamus known for?

It acts as a sensory gateway and communication hub between the cerebral cortex and sensory organs.

What is the primary function of the hippocampus?

It is crucial for the consolidation and storage of short and long-term memories.

What role does the amygdala play in the brain?

It is involved in emotions and fear.

What does the hypothalamus regulate?

Body functions such as sleep and arousal, influenced by light.

What is the corpus callosum?

A band of myelinated axons that facilitates communication between the brain's hemispheres.

What is the significance of neurotransmitter acetylcholine?

It is important for learning, memory, and motor control over muscles.

What is dopamine's role in the brain?

It influences reward, motivation, learning, memory, and voluntary movement.

What is a common misconception about left brain and right brain functions?

There is no strict division; both hemispheres are active during creative tasks.

What is a hemisphericectomy?

A surgical procedure done in extreme cases to save a person's life, resulting in an empty space filled with cerebral fluid.

What are the two main types of learning in psychology?

Nonassociative and Associative learning.

What is nonassociative learning?

Learning about a stimulus, such as a sight or sound, in the external world, which includes habitual and sensitization learning.

What is habitual learning?

A decrease in behavioral response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

What is sensitization?

An increase in behavioral response to a stimulus, especially when a reaction is needed.

What is associative learning?

Learning the relationship between two pieces of information.

What is classical conditioning?

A type of associative learning where a stimulus predicts another stimulus, famously demonstrated by Pavlov's experiments with dogs.

What are the five basic components of classical conditioning?

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS), unconditioned response (UCR), neutral stimulus (NS), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR).

What happens during the acquisition phase of classical conditioning?

Learning occurs as the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus.

What is the extinction phase in classical conditioning?

The phase where the conditioned response weakens and eventually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?

The reappearance of the conditioned response after a period of extinction.

What is operant conditioning?

Learning that occurs when a behavior leads to a specific outcome, influenced by reinforcement.

Who developed the Skinner Box and what was its purpose?

B.F. Skinner developed the Skinner Box to study operant conditioning with rats and pigeons.

What is positive reinforcement?

The administration of a stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior.

What is negative reinforcement?

The removal of a stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior.

What is shaping in operant conditioning?

Reinforcing behaviors that are similar to the desired behavior to guide learning.

What is stimulus generalization?

A reaction to stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to the conditioned stimulus.

What is stimulus discrimination?

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli, where only the conditioned stimulus elicits a response.

What influences operant conditioning?

Schedules of reinforcement.

What is the role of reinforcement in behavior?

Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

What is observational learning?

Learning by watching others.